WEST ALLIS — The Milwaukee Boat Showstarts on Friday. While it may be hard to imagine enjoying yourself outside right now, it is a great time to plan ahead for the boating season.
TMJ4 News Reporter Sydni Eure went to the Wisconsin State Fair Exposition Center as hundreds of boats rolled in ahead of the big launch this weekend.
"When this show opens up it starts to smell like summer inside of here," said Ben Nielsen, Milwaukee Boat Show Manager.
The show really will have all the smells, sights and sounds of summer on the lake — which is a nice thing to think about since you're probably freezing right now.
"You know, we know it’s cold outside but it’s a great place to come and just kind of take your family, get inside, dream about summer, walk around the boats, get some food that kind of summertime food and really kind of think about what we have coming up," said Nielsen.
They're rolling out all the stops as they prepare for the big show's kick off Friday at noon.
"Bringing all the boats in," said Cody Stonebrook, Marine 365 Detailing & Maintenance Technician. "They usually have covers on them that are really dirty. You can see a lot of us are doing cleaning on the trailers and on the outside of the boats. We do all of our staging and everything which is like putting up all the stairs and the guardrails and stuff."
After last weeks snow storm, everyone was also scrapping snow off of all the boats too.
"We all know it’s a little chilly outside right now which does bring in a few challenges," said Nielsen. "A lot of the boats have got snow on them, ice on them. So these crews are kind of having to pack all the snow and ice off of there.”
Despite the cold, Nielsen said winter time is actually the best time to get the deals.
"You know, you go to the dealership in June or July when it’s nice out, they don’t have the inventory anymore, said Nielsen. "So a lot of those boats are already gone. Right now, you can order your boat, pick everything out that you want and have it delivered and ready for when the weather turns nice.”
Because when it comes to boating, it's no secret —
"I’d rather be on the lake with one, honestly," laughed Stonebrook.
2024 MILWAUKEE BOAT SHOW HOURS:
Friday
January 19
12pm – 8pm
Saturday
January 20
10am – 8pm
Sunday
January 21
10am – 5pm
Monday – Tuesday
January 22-23
SHOW CLOSED
Wednesday – Thursday
January 24-25
12pm –7pm
Friday
January 26
12pm – 8pm
Saturday
January 27
10am – 8pm
Sunday
January 28
10am – 5pm
ADMISSION
Adults: $12*
Children (6-14): $5
Children 5 & Under: Free when accompanied by an adult
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
