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The Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance is a classic wooden boat show held every August at Obexer’s Boat Company on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore. The next show is Friday and Saturday, August 6 and 7, 2027, and it marks the event’s 53rd year. If you like varnished mahogany, old engines and boats that look like they just left the factory, this is the weekend to plan around.
The show is presented by the Tahoe Yacht Club Foundation with its longtime partner, Tahoe Luxury Properties. Part of what you pay for a pass goes back into the Lake Tahoe community, which I’ll get to below.
The 2011 Concours, back when it was held at Sierra Boat Company in Carnelian Bay. Photo: Spartan7W, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
What the Concours Actually Is
A concours d’elegance is a judged show where restored vehicles compete on how closely they match their original condition. At Tahoe, the vehicles are boats, and most of them are wood. Owners bring runabouts, utilities and race boats, then tie them up at the docks so visitors can walk right past them.
The organizers describe it as North America’s premier wooden boat show. Whatever you think of that claim, the judging is serious. The show uses its own 100-point system, and boats are scored against how they looked when they shipped from the builder. Judging teams research each boat ahead of time with build sheets, vintage literature and old photos, and technical checkers make sure the engines, gauges and lights all work.
Each year has a featured “Marque Class.” For 2026 it was Riva, the Italian builder. For 2027 the featured class is Race Boats.
A Short History
The first Concours took place in 1972, when a handful of Tahoe Yacht Club members and friends gathered at Chambers Landing. The show moved to Tahoe Boat Company in Tahoe City in 1976 and then to Sierra Boat Company in Carnelian Bay in 1993.
In 2014 it came back to the West Shore and settled at Obexer’s Boat Company. Obexer’s traces its history to 1911 and was the first wooden boat dealership on the lake, so the setting fits. The Tahoe Yacht Club Foundation was founded in 1994, and the Concours has been its biggest fundraiser ever since.
Riva Aquaramas lined up at the 2012 show. Riva was the featured Marque Class in 2026. Photo: Spartan7W, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
2027 Dates and Location
- Show days: Friday, August 6 and Saturday, August 7, 2027
- Where: Obexer’s Boat Company, Homewood, on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore
- Presented by: Tahoe Yacht Club Foundation
Homewood sits between Tahoe City and Meeks Bay on Highway 89. If you’re staying on the North Shore, it’s an easy drive down the lake. Summer traffic on the West Shore can crawl on weekends, so give yourself extra time.
Passes and Tickets
Pass reservations for 2027 open in early 2027, according to the official site. Prices haven’t been posted yet, so check the Concours pass page before you plan your budget.
You can choose a two-day pass or a single-day pass. Children 12 and under get in free. A show pass gets you onto the docks to see the exhibitor boats, plus access to the shops, the food court, the Watering Hole bar, the silent auction and live music. You also get a printed program and a vote for the People’s Choice Award.
Several upgrades are available, and each one requires a regular show pass on top:
- Wine Village: one day, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with tastings from local wineries. It’s capped at 200 guests per day.
- Olson Bridge Roar-Off: a spot on the bridge for the Saturday afternoon finale, when the boats fire up their engines. Only 18 guests get in.
- Terry’s Tour: an early Saturday morning guided tour of the exhibitor boats.
Those caps are small, so if one of the upgrades matters to you, book as soon as reservations open.
Social Events Around the Show
The Concours weekend also has ticketed social events, including a Kickoff Dinner, an Awards BBQ for the exhibitors, a Ladies’ Luncheon on the Lake with a fashion show, and a Men’s Grill. All of them need reservations and have guest limits. The official site says these tend to sell out, and 2027 reservations open in early 2027. Details are on the social events page.
Where the Money Goes
The Tahoe Yacht Club Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and its mission is to help preserve the environment and history of the Lake Tahoe Basin. The foundation says it has awarded over $410,000 in grants so far. Past recipients include the Tahoe Maritime Museum, the Thunderbird Lodge Preservation Society, the North Lake Tahoe Historical Society and the Boys and Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe.
Tips for Visiting
Go early on the day you pick. The docks are the main event, and they’re easier to enjoy before the midday crowd. Bring sun protection too, since there isn’t much shade on a dock in August at this elevation.
If you’re showing your own boat, registration and exhibitor details are on the register your boat page.
Make a weekend of it. Homewood is a quiet base, and our guide to Homewood Mountain Resort covers what the area offers outside ski season. For the rest of your trip, see our Lake Tahoe August events guide and our tips for visiting Lake Tahoe in August.
About the author: Sherry Boyer
Sherry Boyer has lived in the Reno/Tahoe region for seven years, and she and her husband spent decades visiting Lake Tahoe several times a year before they moved here. With extended family around the lake, they spend their free time hiking the trails, boating on Lake Tahoe and Pyramid Lake, and fishing all over the area. Sherry writes Lake Tahoe Travel Tips to share the places they love with visitors.
