UPDATED: WITH SEMINAR, MEETUP INFORMATION:
Since 1995, snowmobilers and other powersports enthusiasts in the Northeast have kicked off the winter pre-season with the Big East Powersports Show in Syracuse, New York. This year, there’s a whole new reason to be there.
For 2023, the event has added the Big East Swap Meet to its program for Sunday, October 1. It will allow buyers and sellers of used snowmobiles, ATVs, parts, gear and accessories to interact on the New York State Fairgrounds site, right outside of the main show in the Expo Center.
With the swap, there are now specific reasons to attend the show each of its three days, September 29-October 1.
Big East Swap Meet Adds To The Show
Opening day for this year’s Big East Powersports Show is Friday, September 29. When the doors swing open at 4 p.m., there’s always a rush of excitement. From checking out the new sleds to getting in on great deals at dealer displays, meeting snowmobile industry insiders or just hanging out with fellow riders, Fridays at the Big East have always been something special. It’s annually the weekend’s most enthusiastic crowd.
The Friday seminar lineup on the Snow Goer Stage is very solid.
At 6 p.m., professional tour guides Gary Pruitt from Bonvoyage Snowmobile Tours and Bruce Cody from Snow Tour Quebec will shared their decades of experience of riding in Quebec to encourage newcomers to give it a try. At 7 p.m., it’s the weekend’s first “meet-up.” We’ll interview John Gibbs, founder of the New England Sled Talk and Ski-Doo Owners Club, and encourage folks who hang out on those two Facebook pages to meet face-to-face. Then at 8 p.m., we’ll interview Polaris driveline engineer Rachel Kendall. She worked on the Patriot Boost engine project.
Big East Super Saturday
The last couple of years, Saturday has been punctuated by the Big East Classic. It’s a high-end, national vintage snowmobile show in the parking lot. Organized by Ron Fesko and his crew, the Big East Classic features an extremely colorful display of snowmobiling’s fascinating history. There are a horde of sleds and brands from bygone days neatly displayed. Participating sleds are judged in 15 different categories, and the competition is fierce.
Saturday also features the show’s longest hours. That allows people to check out the Classic, go inside to shop for gear, take in an interesting presentation, check out the trailers, shop for performance parts, seek new products and much more from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
LaVallee will be up first on the Snow Goer Stage at noon, where he’ll talk about his interesting path from being a kid who liked to jump snowbanks to a career included record setting jumps, X Games medals and that will culminate in his induction to the Snowmobile Hall Of Fame this winter. At 1 p.m. Saturday, the 2024 Snow Goer Snowmobile Of The Year will be publicly announced, and we’ll interview a couple of designers of the winning snowmobile. At 2 p.m., Jody McKay and MJ Thompson return with another popular Women’s Riding Clinic, with key information for the ladies and also the men they ride with.
At 3 p.m., there will be a special interview with snowmobiling YouTubers. Guys like RevRider, JesseJames322, Upstate Blake and Paisteboy have made a name for themselves on YouTube with their interesting videos about snowmobiling life in the Upstate New York area. They’ll be interviewed live and will share stories of their path.
Then at 4 p.m., Jody McKay returns for a celebration marking 20 years of charity rides, fundraising and giving in New York by the Pink Ribbon Riders. There will be a live auction, plus a meet-up of folks who have participated on a PRR ride over the years. LaVallee will be back for another interview and Q&A Session at 5 p.m.
Swappin’ Sunday
The show wraps up every year on Sunday with more of the same inside the show hall. This year, the Big East Swap Meet is expected to draw more people than normal to the event’s closing day.
The swap area is specifically aimed at person-to-person sales – not businesses. And the goal is to have used products from model year 2000 and newer. Look for a used sled or ATV, pick up some used riding gear, or get the used clutch, speedometer or shocks you were seeking for your project sled. Sunday show hours at 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the swap expected to wrap up by 3 p.m. Only used products are allowed in the swap meet area; new products will be inside the Expo hall.
Sunday will also include another presentation on the Snow Goer Stage. Heather Wilson from the Cranberry Lake Mountaineers will share her insight from being a youth snowmobile safety trainer, including many things that we could all learn from, no matter our age.
If you’re interesting in learning more on how to sell used gear and/or equipment at the show, contact Ron at 315/415-5025. If you’re interested in exhibiting inside the show hall, call Mark at 763/383-4433 or email to mrosacker@snowgoer.com. And for more information about the show overall, including tickets, visit BigEastPowersportsShow.com.
From family friendly displays and a youth scavenger hunt to more social areas to grab a few beverages with friends, the Big East continues to evolve. Get great deals on gear for the family. Get your picture taken inside of a huge snow globe. See the 2024 snowmobiles in person and much more. We look forward to seeing you there, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, at the New York State Fairgrounds.
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