The 2023 Crick Boat Show, to be held across the late May Bank Holiday Weekend 27-29 May at Crick Marina, near Daventry in Northamptonshire, is the UK’s biggest inland waterways festival and offers a fantastic day out by the water for all the family.  

The annual event, organised by Waterways World in partnership with the Canal & River Trust and Crick Waterside & Marina, is expected to attract over 26,000 visitors.

As well as being the canal world’s biggest marketplace, showcasing the inland waterways industry with over 200 exhibitors, Crick Boat Show offers a fantastic day out with dozens of boats to view, free boat trips, live music, children’s activities, a real ale bar, and a wide variety of food and drink stalls.  Entry to the show is free for children aged 16 and under on Saturday 27, Sunday 28 and Monday 29 May.

Here are the Top 10 things to do at this year’s show:

1.    Enjoy a boat trip – visitors to Crick can take a free boat trip along the Grand Union Canal aboard canal boats run by volunteers from the LNBP Community Boating.  The half-hour trips run every 10 minutes from 10.10am each day of the show. Visitors can book their free trip at the Trip Boats Marquee on the Quayside when they arrive at the show.

2.    Listen to live music – 15 live bands will be performing throughout the show in the Real Ale Bar, for the show’s Music Festival in association with Aquavista.  Dr Feelgood will headline on the Saturday evening (27 May), and ‘Mercury: The Ultimate Queen Tribute’ will headline on the Sunday night (28 May). Evening entertainment, which is included in the price of the same day ticket to the show, runs from 7.30pm to 11.30pm on Thursday 2, Friday 3 June and Saturday 4 June.

3.    Climb aboard the latest luxury boats – dozens of luxury new boats will be on display, showcasing all the latest lifestyle extras, space-saving ideas and green technology.  From king-sized beds, baths and drinks fridges, to underfloor heating, electric engines and solar panels.

4.    Step back in time – thanks to the Historic Narrow Boat Club (HNBC), eight historic boats will be on display at the show, giving visitors the chance to see how the working boat families lived when canals were the transport arteries of the Industrial Revolution.  Historic boats on display will include the Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum’s 88-year old ‘Sculptor’, back at Crick for the first time since her year-long restoration. Built in 1935 for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company, as well as transporting cargoes such as coal and cotton from London to the Midlands, ‘Sculptor’ played a key role in fighting fires in London during the Second World War. 

5.    Enjoy some retail therapy – with over 200 exhibitors from across the canal world, as well as dozens of new boats to look round, Crick offers shoppers the very latest in boating products and services, as well as crafts, gifts, clothing, jewellery and hats. 

6.    Visit the Canal & River Trust’s ‘national treasures’ exhibition – national waterways charity the Canal & River Trust, will be celebrating the 2,000 miles of national treasures in its care, including 1,000 wildlife conservation sites, with a special exhibition in the Canal & River Trust Marquee.  Visitors can get boating advice, find out about the recreation, health and wellbeing opportunities available to them on their local waterways, and discover ways to get involved to support the charity’s work.

7.    Take a boat handling lesson – two-hour boat handling training sessions with RYA accredited trainers from Watercraft and the Narrowboat Skills Centre will be taking place at the Show (27-29 May).  Lessons will cover the basics of casting off, mooring up, boat etiquette, rope handling, boat jargon and lock navigation.  Sessions are charged at £39 per person.  Places are limited so advance booking via crickboatshow.com is essential.

8.    Get some expert advice on boating – the show’s free Boat Ownership Seminar programme features advice from Waterways World’s Technical Editor Mark Langley for both new and experienced boaters.  Seminars include advice on buying a new or second hand boat, living afloat and boat maintenance.  And there will be Masterclasses from a number of exhibitors, with topics including managing water on the canal network with Adam Comerford, national hydrology manager for the Canal & River Trust.

9.    Vote for your favourite boat – visitors to the show can vote for their favourite boat and the result will be announced mid-afternoon on Monday 27 May. Sponsored by Haven-Knox Johnston, there are two categories to vote for: one for the most admired narrowboat; and one for the most admired widebeam.  Everyone who votes is entered into a prize draw to win a £100 Marks & Spencer voucher. The winning exhibitors receive a trophy and a bottle of champagne.

10. Enjoy exclusive access on Trade & Preview Day – visitors to the show’s Trade & Preview Day in Association with LeeSan on Friday 26 May, can book a boat tour online in advance.  Tickets are priced at £25 each and are only available in advance. Availability is limited to 1,000 tickets. Trade & Preview Day visitors will receive a gift bag, hot drink and access to the VIP marquee.

For more information and to book tickets, camping pitches and moorings, visit www.crickboatshow.com or call 01283 742970, Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm.