St. Clair County Alabama Logan Martin LakeFest Festival

For one spring weekend, the western shore of Logan Martin Lake turns into a floating showroom. The Logan Martin LakeFest and Boat Show brings dealers, boat builders, and waterfront vendors to Pell City’s Lakeside Park, and it has grown into one of the largest in-water boat shows in the South.

More than eighty boat models are typically on display, with everything from pontoons and runabouts to cruisers and wake boats. Visitors can step aboard, compare layouts, and talk with dealers without driving from showroom to showroom. For anyone shopping for a boat, it is the most efficient weekend of the year.

The festival is about more than boats, though. Music, vendors, and food run alongside the docks, and the whole event has the feel of a lake-season kickoff. Pell City sits on Logan Martin Lake in St. Clair County, about thirty-five miles east of Birmingham along Interstate 20.

Event name	Logan Martin LakeFest and Boat Show
Location	Lakeside Park, Pell City, St. Clair County, Alabama (Logan Martin Lake)
Typical timing	A weekend in May (Friday through Sunday)
Format	In-water boat show and lake festival
Admission	Festival admission applies; boat show included
Organizers	Logan Martin LakeFest organizers and the Pell City community
Signature features	80+ boats in the water, dealers, vendors, food, live music

The Boat Show

The centerpiece of LakeFest is the in-water display. Because the boats are floating at the docks rather than parked on a lot, visitors get a realistic sense of size, layout, and finish before they ever step aboard. Dealers are on hand to answer questions and arrange test rides.

The range covers the full span of the lake market: pontoons built for slow afternoons, wake boats built for water sports, cruisers built for longer trips, and runabouts built for everything in between. Prices and financing options are typically available on site, which makes the show a practical shopping trip as much as an outing.

For visitors who are not in the market, the docks are still worth a walk. The show is a chance to see the newest models and finishes in one place, and the setting on Logan Martin Lake gives the whole event a relaxed, waterfront feel that a convention hall cannot match.

More Than a Boat Show

• Vendors: lake and outdoor gear, home and lifestyle goods, and local retail.
• Food: festival food and local vendors serving the crowd across the weekend.
• Music: live entertainment on the festival stage.
• Family activities: the lakefront park setting suits a full day outdoors.
• Setting: Lakeside Park sits right on the water, with Logan Martin Lake as the backdrop.

Visitors who want to extend the season can pair the lake weekend with the St. Clair County Alabama Homestead Hollow Fall Arts and Crafts Festival in Springville, an arts and crafts weekend on a historic homestead that lands in the fall.

Logan Martin Lake

Logan Martin Lake is one of Alabama’s most popular recreational lakes, stretching along the Coosa River through St. Clair and Talladega counties. With hundreds of miles of shoreline, it draws boaters, anglers, and lake-house owners from across the region, and Pell City sits near its western end.

The lake is the reason the festival exists. A boat show on a lake lets dealers demonstrate their products where they will actually be used, and it gives visitors a reason to spend the day by the water rather than in a parking lot. The waterfront setting is the festival’s biggest advantage over an indoor show.

Planning Your Visit

Lakeside Park is on the Pell City waterfront, reached from Interstate 20 and U.S. 231. From Birmingham the drive is about thirty-five minutes east. The festival runs Friday through Sunday, with the longest hours on Saturday, and the park’s lakeside layout keeps most of the event within a short walk.

Parking is the main logistical question at a lakeside event, so arriving early is the simplest plan. May weather in central Alabama is warm and often humid, so shade, water, and sunscreen matter for a day outdoors. Comfortable shoes are a good idea because the show stretches along the docks and the park.

A Festival Weekend Plan

• Friday: Arrive for the opening hours, when the docks are least crowded.
• Saturday: The full show day, with the most boats, vendors, and entertainment.
• Sunday: A quieter day for a second look at boats you liked.
• Any day: Walk the docks first, then work back through the vendor and food area.
• Any day: Ask dealers about test rides if you are seriously shopping.

Other St. Clair County Festivals

• Lakeside Live Musicfest in Pell City: a free September music festival on Logan Martin Lake.
• Pell City Hometown Block Party: a free summer block party in historic downtown Pell City.
• Homestead Hollow in Springville: a fall arts and crafts weekend on a historic homestead.

What to Bring

• Sunscreen, a hat, and water for a day on the lakefront.
• Comfortable shoes for walking the docks and the park.
• Cash for vendors and food booths.
• A notebook or phone for the boats and prices you want to compare.
• A light jacket in case the wind comes off the water.

Around Pell City

Pell City is the county seat of St. Clair County and sits along Interstate 20 between Birmingham and Talladega. The city’s waterfront on Logan Martin Lake anchors its recreational identity, and the downtown area has its own festival calendar. For visitors, the lake, the park, and the surrounding countryside make it an easy weekend destination.

Logan Martin Lake and Its Recreation

Logan Martin Lake is a Coosa River reservoir that stretches through St. Clair and Talladega counties, and it has been a recreation hub since it filled in the 1960s. With hundreds of miles of shoreline, it supports everything from fishing and water skiing to pontoon cruising and waterfront dining.

That breadth of uses is exactly what the boat show reflects. The lake rewards a range of boats, from small runabouts for a couple to large cruisers for a weekend on the water, and the dealers at LakeFest bring models that match those uses. The show is a chance to see the lake’s own market in one place.

The lake also supports a full season of activity beyond the festival. Summer weekends bring boaters, anglers, and swimmers to its coves, and waterfront restaurants and marinas line the shoreline. LakeFest marks the start of that season, which is part of why it draws such a crowd.

Shopping for a Boat at the Show

An in-water show is the most efficient way to shop for a boat because the boats are floating at their real size rather than sitting on a showroom floor. Visitors can step aboard, check the seating and storage, and get a feel for how a model would actually handle on the water. It is a far more realistic comparison than a catalog.

A few practical tips help. Bring a list of what matters to you, from passenger capacity to engine type to trailer needs, and take notes as you move from dock to dock. Ask about financing, warranties, and delivery timelines, and compare the answers. The show gathers multiple dealers in one place, which makes that comparison possible in a single afternoon.

The Festival Side of LakeFest

Even visitors who never set foot on a boat have plenty to do. The vendor area runs alongside the docks with lake and outdoor gear, local retail, and food, and the music stage keeps a soundtrack going across the weekend. The park’s lawns give families room to spread out between the docks and the vendors.

The festival atmosphere is what turns a boat show into a weekend event. Dealers get a steady stream of curious visitors, shoppers get time to think between appointments, and families get a lakefront day out. The mix is why LakeFest has kept its following for more than a decade.

Food, Vendors, and the Waterfront

Food is a constant at LakeFest, with vendors serving everything from barbecue and fried favorites to lighter lake-day fare. The food area sits close to the docks and the vendor rows, so visitors can eat between boat visits without crossing the whole park. Local restaurants in Pell City also stay busy through the weekend, and many are only a short drive from the park.

Beyond the boats and the food, the vendor booths lean toward lake and outdoor living: gear, apparel, home goods, and the kind of products that pair with a weekend on the water. It is a natural fit for a festival whose whole premise is getting people out on Logan Martin Lake.

Getting to Lakeside Park

Lakeside Park is on the Pell City waterfront, and the approach is straightforward from Interstate 20 and U.S. 231. Pell City sits roughly midway between Birmingham and Talladega, which makes the festival reachable from a wide swath of central Alabama in under an hour.

Because the event is on the water, parking is the one thing to plan around. The park’s own lots fill early on Saturday, and overflow parking and shuttles can change from year to year. Checking the festival’s page before you go, and arriving in the morning rather than at midday, solves most of the parking question.

Why the Festival Endures

LakeFest has lasted because it solves a real problem for boat buyers: how to see and compare many boats in one trip. By putting the show on the water at a park with room for vendors and music, it turned a shopping errand into a lake weekend, and that combination keeps drawing crowds.

Festival Area Map

Logan Martin LakeFest is held at Lakeside Park on the Pell City waterfront, on Logan Martin Lake in St. Clair County, just off Interstate 20.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Logan Martin LakeFest?

It is held on a weekend in May, running Friday through Sunday.

Where is it held?

It is held at Lakeside Park in Pell City, Alabama, on Logan Martin Lake.

How many boats are on display?

More than eighty boat models are typically displayed in the water, covering pontoons, runabouts, cruisers, and wake boats.

Is it just for boat buyers?

No. Music, food, and vendors run alongside the docks, so it works as a general lake festival even for visitors who are not shopping.

Can I test-drive a boat?

Dealers are on hand at the docks, and many can arrange test rides. Ask at the individual dealer displays.

Is it good for children?

Yes. The lakeside park setting, food, and family activities make it a comfortable outing for children.

What to Expect From the Next LakeFest

LakeFest returns each May with the same in-water format, and the number of boats on display has grown over the years. The dealer lineup and the entertainment change season to season, but the location at Lakeside Park and the lakefront setting stay constant. Because it falls on a set spring weekend, it is easy to plan around.

How often is LakeFest held?

It is held once a year, on a Friday-through-Sunday weekend in May.

When is the next LakeFest?

The next edition is expected in May. Confirm the exact dates and hours with the festival before you go.

Will the boats change?

The dealer lineup and the models on display change each year as new boats are released and dealers return.

Last updated: October 2026