Downtown Annapolis business owners are pinning a lot on this weekend's Spring Sailboat Show, hoping the crowds will finally help plug the financial hole left by the long City Dock rebuild. The annual event kicks off Friday and typically draws thousands of visitors to the waterfront, but with construction wiping out curbside parking and swallowing large swaths of Dock Street, merchants say this year feels especially high stakes.
The Spring Sailboat Show is slated to feature 37 sailboats and about 103 participating businesses this year, organizers say. "We try to bring in as many businesses as we can to actually present at the show," Ryan Gullang, communications coordinator for Annapolis Boat Shows, told The Banner.
Annapolis Boat Shows also emphasizes the event’s value to City Hall. The organization presented a $564,320 check to the city last December as the municipality’s share of ticket revenue, and it says it is conducting an economic-impact study to measure the shows’ broader benefits, according to a press release by Annapolis Boat Shows.
City Dock Work Has Tightened Parking And Access
The City Dock Resiliency & Revitalization Project has closed long stretches of waterfront parking and staging areas that businesses once relied on, and the multi-phased rebuild is scheduled to continue through 2028, according to the city’s project site, AccessAnnapolis. The undertaking, budgeted at about $87.8 million, aims to raise the waterfront and install flood protections, as reported by The Banner, and local coverage noted the project broke ground last fall.
Shuttle Reroutes And Promotions Aim To Steer Visitors
City officials and event organizers have been trying to steer show visitors past the construction zones and toward open storefronts. The downtown Magenta shuttle route has been adjusted to improve access for Dock Street, and the city has installed signage to highlight nearby businesses, according to Patch. Meanwhile, Annapolis Boat Shows ran a March campaign that let customers at 11 Dock Street businesses scan QR codes for free show tickets, a local outlet, Eye On Annapolis, reported, as part of an effort to pull foot traffic back into those shops.
Merchants Hope Crowds Translate To Sales
Merchants say they are counting on the show’s foot traffic to turn into actual sales, not just window-shopping. "With any event that comes, you hope you can kind of recoup," said Randi Sadlik, owner of The Big Cheese and Sammy’s Deli, while Sofi’s Crepes staff say past shows brought lines "out the door," and Storm Bros. Ice Cream Factory owner Sveinn Storm said organizers are making a deliberate effort to include Dock Street shops, according to reporting by Baltimore Fishbowl.
Organizers and city officials argue that the mix of dockside displays and a stepped-up downtown push gives merchants a better chance to claw back some of what they have lost during construction. For show hours, vendor lists and parking guidance, see the official event page at Annapolis Boat Shows and the city’s event notice on its website.
