The Big East Powersports Show returns to Syracuse, NY Oct. 2-3 with new snowmobiles, motorcycles, ATVs and UTVs, vintage sleds, vendors, special events, and a chance to ride with Rider Magazine. Here’s what to know before you go.
The Big East Powersports Show returns, to the New York State Fairgrounds Expo Center in Syracuse, New York on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 2-3. While snowmobiling remains at the heart of the event, the show has grown into a broader celebration of powersports, bringing together snowmobiles, motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs, riding gear, accessories, vendors and enthusiasts from across the Northeast.
For somebody whose primary interest is snowmobiling, there’s plenty of reasons to make the trip. But if you’re a motorcycle rider, ATV enthusiast or side-by-side owner, the Big East offers plenty to explore, too.
Buy 2026 Big East Powersports Show Tickets
A Snowmobile Show With Something For Every Rider
The Big East’s identity is still strongly connected to snowmobiling. This is the place to start thinking seriously about the coming winter: check out the latest sleds and technology, talk with industry representatives, look at riding gear and accessories, compare products and start planning those first rides of the season. But the name says it all: Powersports.
Motorcycles, ATVs and UTVs are all part of the 2026 show, making the event particularly appealing to riders who don’t limit themselves to one season or one type of machine. You can spend part of the day looking at the latest snowmobile technology, then walk across the show floor and start planning next summer’s adventures in a new side-by-side.
What To Expect From The Vendors
The show floor is designed as a one-stop shopping and information destination for powersports enthusiasts. Expect to find manufacturers, aftermarket companies, riding-gear suppliers, accessory businesses, and other powersports-related exhibitors showcasing products for both snow and warm-weather riding. For snowmobilers, that means this is an opportunity to do more than simply look at new sleds.
It’s a chance to examine helmets, riding apparel, boots, gloves, performance products, and other equipment you’ll be thinking about once the snow arrives. Motorcycle, ATV, and UTV riders will find the same kind of opportunity to research equipment and accessories for their respective machines.
The official exhibitor roster is still developing, so check the Big East Powersports Show website before heading to Syracuse for the most current list of participating companies and brands.
The Big East Classic: A Must-See For Snowmobilers
If you’re coming to the Big East primarily because you love snowmobiles, don’t miss the Big East Classic. The 2026 edition will feature more than 100 vintage snowmobiles, with the machines being judged across 15 classes. The display is designed to showcase everything from familiar icons of the sport to unusual and long-forgotten sleds.
The Big East Classic is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Ride With Rider: Bring Your Motorcycle
The Big East isn’t only about looking at machines. On Saturday morning, motorcycle riders can actually get out and ride during ‘Big East Ride With Rider Magazine.’
The ride is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, with riders meeting at 8 a.m. at the New York State Fairgrounds Expo Center, entering through Gate 2 on State Fair Boulevard. A brief riders meeting will take place before the group leaves at 8:30 a.m. The ride is scheduled to return to the Expo Center at approximately 12:30 p.m. All riders, all brands, and all models are welcome.
The route will take participants through central New York on an early-fall ride, making this a particularly good opportunity to combine the show with some actual seat time before the season changes. Riders also get a pretty significant bonus: participation in the ‘Ride With Rider’ event includes free admission to the Big East Powersports Show!
After the ride, Rider Magazine will unveil its 2026 Motorcycle of the Year at 1 p.m., giving motorcycle enthusiasts another reason to stick around for the afternoon.
More Than Machines
There will be plenty happening outside of simply walking the show floor. The 2026 schedule includes a scavenger hunt running during show hours, Paradise Concessions + Bar, the Big East Swap Meet and special industry announcements.
Friday evening also includes the Snowmobile of the Year announcement at 7 p.m. While Saturday brings the Big East Classic, the Ride With Rider event and the Motorcycle of the Year announcement at 1 p.m. And one of the most eye-catching attractions will be back for 2026: the Globe of Death!
The Golden Riders will perform inside the globe, riding at high speeds in a stunt show built around precision, timing and plenty of adrenaline.
Big East Schedule At A Glance
Friday, Oct. 2
3 p.m.-9 p.m. — Show open
3 p.m.-9 p.m. — Scavenger Hunt
3 p.m.-9 p.m. — Paradise Concessions + Bar
7 p.m. — Snowmobile of the Year Announcement
Saturday, Oct. 3
8 a.m. — Ride With Rider check-in
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. — Big East Ride With Rider
9 a.m.-7 p.m. — Show open
9 a.m.-3 p.m. — Big East Classic Vintage Snowmobile Show
9 a.m.-3 p.m. — Big East Swap Meet
9 a.m.-7 p.m. — Scavenger Hunt
1 p.m. — Motorcycle of the Year Announcement
9 a.m.-7 p.m. — Paradise Concessions + Bar
Tickets
The 2026 ticket options currently include:
- Adult: $13 for one day
- Student: $5 for one day; students must be age 14 or older and provide a valid .edu email address
- Family Package: $20, including two adult tickets and unlimited children age 13 and under
Children 13 and under are free with the appropriate admission arrangement.
Tickets can be purchased online, and tickets are also available at the door. Discounts are available when purchasing tickets through local dealers.
Buy 2026 Big East Powersports Show Tickets
When And Where Is The Big East?
The show takes place at the New York State Fairgrounds Expo Center, 581 State Fair Blvd., Syracuse, New York 13209.
Show hours are:
Friday, Oct. 2: 3 p.m.-9 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 3: 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
The fairgrounds are immediately adjacent to I-690 and are accessible from I-90 and I-81. Parking is free for nearly all non-Fair events, according to the fairgrounds.
Why Snowmobilers Should Go
For the dedicated snowmobiler, the Big East is one of those events that arrives at exactly the right time.
The new-model season is getting closer. The vintage sleds provide a reminder of where the sport came from. The vendors provide an opportunity to start getting your gear and accessories squared away. And the Snowmobile of the Year announcement adds some industry excitement.
Plus, there’s the simple social aspect.
Snowmobilers spend much of the year talking about riding, either online, in clubs, at dealerships or around the garage. The Big East provides a place to put all those conversations into one building.
And Why The Rest Of The Powersports Crowd Should Go
The 2026 Big East Powersports Show runs Oct. 2-3 at the New York State Fairgrounds Expo Center in Syracuse. With more than 100 vintage snowmobiles in the Big East Classic, a broad powersports vendor lineup, the Ride With Rider motorcycle ride, the Globe of Death, the Swap Meet, industry awards, and plenty of machines and gear to explore, there’s enough happening to fill a full day—and potentially an entire weekend.
For snowmobilers, it’s an early-season reunion and a chance to start thinking about winter. For motorcycle riders, it’s an opportunity to ride, shop and see what the industry has coming next. For ATV and UTV enthusiasts, it’s another reason to make the trip to Syracuse.
And for anybody who simply likes powersports? That’s probably reason enough.
See you at Big East.
