3rd annual Wheels and Waves returns to New Hampshire Boat Museum

MOULTONBOROUGH — Devon Kurtz, executive director of the New Hampshire Boat Museum, has a confession to make about their upcoming Classic Car & Boat Day.

"I'll be the one at the grill flipping burgers and hot dogs all afternoon," he said. "People come for the cars and the boats, but I like to think the food keeps them around a little longer."

On Saturday, Aug. 22, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., NHBM invites families to their third annual Wheels & Waves: Classic Car & Boat Day. Classic cars will line the parking lot, vintage boats will fill the museum inside, and visitors can wander through exhibits at their own pace.

The event has grown more popular each year, and the people are often as memorable as the machines they bring.

"The folks who haul their cars over are characters all on their own," Kurtz said. "Last year, we had a group of women who dressed in the era of the cars they came to see — that's the kind of thing that makes this day so much fun."

This year, the event shifts to a Saturday during the day, a change Kurtz hopes will make it easier for families to attend. Guests and participants alike can vote for three awards: Best of Show, People's Choice, and Best Display.

"Everybody gets a vote, which means everybody has a stake in the outcome," he said. "It gets competitive in the best way."

Hot dogs, burgers, chips, and sodas will be available from the grill throughout the day. Car and boat owners are encouraged to preregister online. NHBM will supply boats for display, and anyone who would like to bring a boat on a trailer is welcome to register and take part.

"We have the boats covered, but if you have one you're proud of, bring it along," Kurtz said. "The more the merrier."

For more information, visit nhbm.org.