Bangor RV Show Canceled

This was supposed to be the 25th-year for the Camping and RV Show at the Bangor Civic Center.

But some folks were disappointed when this weekend's event was called off.

McKay's RV and Marine Center in Holden had been a part of the show since it began. Mike Dalton says it usually kicks off their year.

"We always sell enough units to be profitable and it gets things moving in the right direction," he says.

Dalton says while they should be able to recover the sales they'd normally make at the show, they were sad to hear it was called off.

"We were looking forward to it. We enjoy it every year to see our customers and talk about spring and things that are coming up. Nationally, the RV shows have really taken off since the fall, as far as it's really responding with the economy. We were looking forward to seeing that in Bangor," he says.

The show usually draws a couple thousand people over three days, but was canceled this year due to a lack of RV exhibitors, according to Bass Park Director Mike Dyer.

"We normally have at least three different dealers. We weren't able to get a third," he says. "It was decided that rather than put forward a show that wasn't up to our expectations, and the public's expectations, we'd take a year off."

Webb's RV Center in Bangor had exhibited at the show in years past, but more recently decided not to. Danny Webb says it came too early in the year.

"It's hard to say if it's profitable or not. You never know what you're going to get after the show," Webb says. "We wish them the best of luck and if they get it going again next year, maybe we'll talk. But right now we're not making any plans for that."

To folks who look forward to the RV show, Mike Dyer says if all goes as planned, they should be back in 2011.

"To not deliver what people are used to," he says, "we thought would be a bigger mistake than not having a show."

The boat show scheduled for the Bangor Civic Center in March will be held as usual.

And Dyer says they will also be hosting the garden show again this year. That show was canceled last year, but will return this April.