Coming to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum on Oct. 3-5, the Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival is one of the nation’s largest gatherings of amateur and professional boatbuilders and enthusiasts who come from all over the region to display their one-of-a-kind kayaks, canoes, and other traditional small craft.
MASCF includes a variety of workshops, seminars, and demos, all tailored to small craft enthusiasts & boatbuilders. The weekend will also include paddling and sailing races, children’s activities, opportunities to enter your boat for judging, and more. Most importantly, this is a chance for small craft enthusiasts to enjoy the water together.
(Sept. 29 update: Online participant registration has closed, but you can still register in person, beginning on Friday at 2pm, to join the festivities and access the full slate of events.)
REGISTRATION FEES
Adult Registration (NON-MEMBER) – $130
Adult Registration (MEMBER) – $105 – Learn how to become a CBMM member today!
Youth Registration Ages 6-17 (Members & Non-Members) – $20
Children 5 & Under – FREE
You have the option to include an event t-shirt as part of your participant registration fee for an additional $20.
WHAT DOES MY REGISTRATION INCLUDE?
MASCF Participants receive the following:
- Daily complimentary admission to the CBMM’s 18-acre museum, and waterfront access to the Miles River
- Access to a full schedule of activities & programs specifically designed for MASCF registrants, including demos/workshops, guest speakers, sailing and rowing races, boat judging competitions, children’s activities, and much more!
- Continental breakfast on Saturday & Sunday
- New this year, there will be local food trucks on-site for Saturday’s dinner with plenty of options to purchase, and grills will be available if you’d like to cook your own meal. Pricing has been adjusted to reflect this shift from a catered dinner to a more flexible format.
- Complimentary overnight camping & access to CBMM’s marina shower facilities
Additional t-shirts can be purchased at the registration booth throughout the weekend.
CAMPING
Camping will be available in and around the wooded areas along CBMM’s driving path. We ask everyone to be mindful of the amount of space they are utilizing.
There are no assigned spots, and hook-ups, including power and water, cannot be provided. There are various areas on campus to access water and power, however. Bathroom/shower facilities are also available. There is no additional fee for camping at MASCF. There is limited space for large RVs and travel trailers. Please contact Shannon Mitchell at smitchell@cbmm.org or 410-745-4953 if you have any questions.
BOAT RAMPS
CBMM will have two walk-down launch ramps available dockside for boats that can be lifted off their trailer or car top and carried down the ramp. (Even if it takes several hands, there are always plenty of folks around to help.) If your vessel is too heavy for those ramps, there is a free ramp across the harbor. (Click here for directions.) Docking at CBMM for MASCF participants is without reservations—use a slip that’s available, and share it when you are out on the water. There will be designated parking for boat trailers.
SCHEDULE OF 2025 EVENTS
(This listing was last updated on Sept. 26. Check back regularly for any further updates!)
Thursday, October 2
Overnight Gunkholing Trip to Wye Island
A pre-festival camp-cruise in small boats has been a fixture at MASCF for years. The colorful fleet sails about nine miles to a campground/anchorage on Wye Island for an overnight, then returns to CBMM’s waterfront on Friday, Oct. 3. Click here to learn more about this year’s trip, including the route.
- Skipper’s Meeting: Noon along CBMM’s boardwalk
- Departure: ~1pm
Contact Pete Lesher at plesher@cbmm.org or 410-745-4971 for more information. Pre-registration with Pete is required.
CBMM Member Night in the Shipyard (5-7pm) NEW THIS YEAR!
MASCF registrants are invited to join us for this month’s Museum Member Night in the Shipyard. Our shipwrights will be on hand to share updates on projects like Chesapeake Bay buyboat Winnie Estelle. Beer, wine, and light refreshments will be available.
Friday, October 3
Arrive anytime. On-site registration is available after 2pm.
Spend the day getting reacquainted, setting up your campsite, and messin’ about.
- 2pm — Registration booth opens at 2 pm (Fogg’s Landing)
- 5:30pm — Informal cookout (Fogg’s Landing / Rain Location: Under the tent by the bandstand)
BYOE (Bring Your Own Everything) – Bring your favorites to grill, and CBMM will provide soft drinks and freshly shucked oysters. We’ll also be bringing back tunes by our very own Shipyard band this year! - 10pm — Quiet time for campers
Late-nighters should remain in the cookout area.
Saturday, October 4
Messin’ about starts anytime you want!
- 7-9am — Coffee, pastries, and lite fare available
(Van Lennep Auditorium – Steamboat Building)
Sponsored by the Traditional Small Craft Association - 8:30am — Registration booth reopens (Fogg’s Landing)
- 8:30am — Cardboard Boat Construction (Fogg’s Landing / Rain Location: Under the tent by the bandstand)
Design and build a sturdy, or not-so-sturdy, cardboard racer for the rowing/paddling races to be held later in the afternoon. If you’ve outgrown the model boat building activity but still can’t legally drive a car, this is for you. All materials provided. Boats will launch at noon on Fogg’s Cove. - 9am — Judging begins
- 9am — Coffee & Wood Chips (CBMM’s Shipyard)
Bring your cup of coffee and join the CBMM Shipyard staff as they take you on a behind-the-scenes tour of the latest happenings in the yard. Come explore the exciting developments taking place in our Shipyard! - 9-10:30am — Craft Workshop (Van Lennep Auditorium – Steamboat Building)
Create your own upcycled wind chimes using sea shells and sea glass. All materials will be provided but feel free to bring your own upcycled materials to incorporate into your wind chimes. - 9:30am — Children’s Model Building and Sailing (Deck of Steamboat Building)
All ages are welcome! Build, decorate, then sail your boat in the model pond. Assorted kits to choose from. - 10:30am — Marine Watercolors (Van Lennep Auditorium – Steamboat Building)
Karen Rutherford brings back her very popular workshop for the aspiring, or established, artists among us. Kid’s are also welcome to join in! - 10am-4pm — On-going Demonstrations (Fogg’s Landing)
The Chesapeake Wooden Boat Builders School will be on-site to demonstrate a variety of woodworking and maritime skills. - 10am-4pm — Chesapeake Light Craft – All Day (Fogg’s Landing)
Chesapeake Light Craft will be on site all day with a variety of their fleet of sailing craft on hand for guests to check out and demo. Check back for a more specific list. - 10am — In-depth Museum Boat Discussion (Small Boat Shed)
Join Pete Lesher and Richard Scofield in a discussion on this year’s boat of choice from CBMM’s collection: Robert D. Lambdin Log Canoe. And while there, they will reference the Levi Rayfield canoe, as well. - 11-11:30am — Boat Discussion: Bevin Skiff 36 Pond Boat, Led by Pete Peters (Next to Registration Tent on Fogg’s Landing)
- 12pm — Kid’s Cardboard Boat Races Begin (Fogg’s Cove)
- 12:30pm — Sailing Race Skipper’s Meeting (Oystering Deck)
Mandatory for racing skippers - 1:30pm — Sailing Races Begin (Fogg’s Cove)
- 2pm — Adaptive Paddling Workshop (Fogg’s Landing)
Join Greg DeCowsky for a special demonstration on adaptive paddling equipment and techniques designed to help those with arm or shoulder injuries, or other mobility challenges, stay active on the water. Learn how specialized gear and modifications can reduce strain, increase comfort, and make paddling more accessible and enjoyable. - 3pm — Rowing Races Skipper’s Meeting (Oystering Deck)
Mandatory for rowers - 3:30pm — Rowing Races Begin (Fogg’s Cove)
- 5pm — Dinner & Awards
NEW THIS YEAR! Saturday’s dinner will look a little different this year. Rather than a catered sit-down affair, local food trucks will be on-site with plenty of options to purchase, and grills will be available if you’d like to cook your own meal (just like Friday night’s cookout). While the format is changing, the purpose remains the same: bringing everyone together to share a meal and celebrate during the annual awards ceremony. To reflect this shift from a catered dinner to a more flexible format, registration rates have been reduced this year. Guests are welcome to bring an appetizer or dessert, though it is not required! - 7:30pm — Keynote Speaker (Van Lennep Auditorium – Steamboat Building)
Joe Youcha, Founder & Director of Building to Teach and Co-Founder of Teaching with Small Boats Alliance.
Sunday, October 5
Messin’ about starts anytime you want!
- 7-9am — Coffee, pastries, and lite fare available
(Van Lennep Auditorium – Steamboat Building)
Sponsored by the Traditional Small Craft Association - 8-10am — Splicing Workshop (CBMM’s Shipyard)
NEW THIS YEAR! Hosted by Sam Hilgartner, Vessel Conservation & Shipyard Relations Manager
You will get the chance to work on four splices every half hour from 8-10am. Materials and tools will be provided to those interested in joining – feel free to come and go!
8am: 3-Strand Eye Splice with Thimble
8:30am: Brummel Splice in Dyneema
9am: 3-Strand Grommet
9:30am: Long Splice - 9am — Children’s Scavenger Hunt
Explore the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum with our family scavenger hunt! Children and their families will solve clues and discover hidden treasures throughout our exhibitions. Complete the hunt and earn a special prize at the end! - 10am — Swap meet (Fogg’s Landing)
Bring nautical items to swap or sell. There will be a general-use “For Sale” bulletin board set up for any marine items participants may want to sell. - 1pm — Wrap-Up Meeting (Steamboat Building)
All are welcome!
