COLUMBUS – While central Ohioans recover from long-delayed but inevitable blast of winter weather, the organizers of the Ohio RV and Boat Show at the Ohio Expo Center are enjoying robust crowds, encouraged by a drop in gas prices to take another look at the great outdoors.
The 36th Ohio RV & Boat Show
Ohio Expo Center
Hours
1/13-15 Wed-Fri 12 noon-8pm
1/16 Saturday 10a-8p
1/17 Sunday 11am-5pm
Prices
$12 General Admission,
$3 Youth (6-13),
Children 5 and under free
“There are more people, helped by the low gas prices, that are feeling, ‘you know, maybe I can get into some of these recreational activities that I haven’t been able to do so before’,” said Tim Luckhaupt, who has served as show manager for all of the event’s 36 years.
He says almost half the people the people he has talked to are attending the show for the first time, a higher percentage than last year.
The AAA reported near-record travel volume during the warm-weather holiday weekend of 2015 as motorists enjoyed gas prices that fell to 2009 levels by the end of the year and are expected to remain low in 2016.
Many people are buying campers or recreational vehicles and parking them in state-owned or private campgrounds close to home and commuting on a regular basis.
He expects boating activity to pick up on Buckeye Lake this summer as water levels are returned closer to normal as work continues to replace a worn earthen dam. He says many boaters adjusted to the loss of the popular lake last year by trying out others nearby, such as Seneca Lake and Mohican State Park.
The show, which routinely attract about 20,000 visitors has expanded into a third building and 300,000 square feet. In addition to the Bricker Building and the Celeste Center, the show no includes the Voinovich Building, which is access by shuttle buses and includes a Beer, Sports and Entertainment Lounge where fans can check in on NFL playoff action.
Recreational vehicles, boats, personal watercrafts, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, side-by-sides and golf cars are among the products on display by more than 20 manufacturers.
The show encompasses a wide variety of outdoor activities, including camping and hiking, according to Luckhaupt, who says many people come to the show to shop for a boat and end up purchasing an RV or vice versa.