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Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Palm Beach International Boat Show reports record attendance after a big change this year
The Palm Beach International Boat Show expanded by one day this year, and the move seems to have paid off. The five-day turnout for the festival on West Palm Beach's downtown waterfront had record numbers, according to the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County, which hosts the event. "We had a record attendance of over 60,000 people with an extra day of the show,' said Alyssa Freeman, the organization's executive director, in a statement. 'In years past, we've averaged just over 55,000 guests." The event, which debuted in 1982, won permission from the city this year to add a fifth day, bringing it in line with boat shows in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. It ran from Wednesday, March 19 to Sunday, March 23. This year's show, which was produced by Informa Markets, also set an event record for the most boats, with more than 1,000 on display. Organizers say a successful boat show generates grant money that the organization uses for charitable purposes, and it also provides a substantial economic boost to the area. The week of the festival, hotel occupancy rates in downtown West Palm Beach and near the airport were 95%, 6 percentage points higher than the previous year, according to Discover The Palm Beaches, the county's tourism marketing arm. The Marine Industries Association said it plans to continue with its five-day format next year, with the event running March 25-29, 2026. Andrew Marra is a reporter at The Palm Beach Post. Reach him at amarra@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: The Palm Beach International Boat Show sets an attendance record
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Yahoo
Extended bridge openings to continue through Tuesday as vessels depart boat show
The Palm Beach International Boat Show drew to a close Sunday, but motorists should expect delays through Tuesday on two of the three bridges connecting Palm Beach to West Palm Beach. Extended drawbridge openings will continue as vessels depart the boat show, the town said in an alert Sunday. The annual event along West Palm Beach's waterfront began Wednesday and concluded Sunday. The show was expanded to five days from three by the show's host organization, the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County. Extended drawbridge openings are a result of higher-than-normal vessel traffic passing under the Royal Park (middle) and Flagler (north) bridges, the town said. Scheduled drawbridge openings are not changing, Police Department spokesperson Capt. William Rothrock told the Daily News last week, but the higher volume of boat traffic will lead to longer bridge openings. Rothrock noted that extended bridge openings have been occurring since March 14, primarily impacting the Flagler and Royal Park bridges because of the boat show's location between them. Unscheduled openings for barges related to the Bonefish Cove Project will continue, Rothrock said. The project is expected to be completed in August. The town is urging residents and visitors to "plan their travel routes accordingly." Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Extended bridge openings to last through Tuesday following boat show
