Sportsmen's Boat & RV Show 2027

About the show

The Sportsmen's Boat & RV Show is a three-day outdoor show held each March at the Kern County Fairgrounds in Bakersfield. Its producer, Cal Shows, bills it as the biggest show of its kind in California, and its exhibitor materials put Central Valley in front of the name.

The 2027 show runs Friday, March 12 through Sunday, March 14. Hours are noon to 7 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

RVs share the grounds with boats, ATVs, fishing and hunting exhibitors and outdoor travel booths, so it suits a household where one person is shopping for a travel trailer and another wants to look at bass boats.

What to expect

Attractions listed on the official site include a bass tank with fishing seminars from pro anglers, a trout pond for kids, a fly casting pond with fly tying lessons, a youth archery range, bird dog demonstrations and a DockDogs jumping contest. A classic car show is planned for Saturday, March 13, and there is live music, food and a kids area with bounce houses.

Tickets

General admission is $17, seniors and veterans pay $14, and kids ages 3 to 12 pay $9; each price includes a $2 fee. Active duty military with ID and kids 2 and under get in free. Early bird tickets are sold online through the official site.

Weather

Getting there and big-rig parking

RV parking not confirmed. Kern County Fairgrounds, 1142 South P Street, Bakersfield, CA 93307.

Nothing about parking is confirmed. The official show site gives the fairgrounds address, 1142 South P Street, but no parking, gate or oversized vehicle details, and the fairgrounds' own website names a Union Avenue parking lot without describing it. Overnight parking is not mentioned anywhere.

Suggestion, not confirmed: call the producer at the number on the official site before you travel and ask where a 40 foot motorhome or a truck and fifth wheel should park and which entrance to use. Plan to stay at one of the RV parks in Bakersfield and drive in around the noon opening on Friday, when the lots should have the most room to pull through. If the lots are full on Saturday, which is likely with the car show the same day, leave the rig at your RV park and come back in the tow vehicle.

Venue website

Where to stay nearby

RV parks and campgrounds within 30 miles of the venue, with big-rig friendly sites first. Distances are straight-line miles.

Fuel and dump stations nearby

• Chevron, fuel for big rigs, 19.5 miles away
• TA, fuel for big rigs, 22.2 miles away

• Diesel: map data shows a Love's with RV hookups about 5 miles south of the fairgrounds and two unnamed truck fuel stops within about 6 miles; confirm diesel lanes before you go.
• Dump station: A Country RV Park on South Fairfax Road, about 4 miles east, and Orange Grove RV Park & Resort on Edison Road, about 7 miles east, both show dump stations in map data; ask whether non-guests can use them.
• RV repair: no repair shop showed up nearby in map data; ask the RV dealers exhibiting at the show.
• Groceries: Albertsons on Brundage Lane, about a mile north, and a Walmart Supercenter on Colony Street, about 3 miles south.

Around Bakersfield

Bakersfield sits at the south end of the San Joaquin Valley, and mid March is often when the surrounding hills turn green and early wildflowers appear.

Music and history

The city is known as the home of the Bakersfield sound in country music, and Buck Owens' Crystal Palace keeps that story going with memorabilia on display and live music on many weekends. The Kern County Museum has a large outdoor pioneer village of historic buildings gathered from around the county.

Outdoors

Hart Park and Lake Ming, northeast of town along the Kern River, have picnic spots, trails and a county campground. Farther upstream, Highway 178 climbs through the Kern River Canyon toward Lake Isabella; the drive is scenic but narrow and twisting, so take a smaller vehicle. The California Living Museum, also northeast of the city, is a small zoo that shows animals native to California.

Food

Bakersfield is known for its Basque restaurants, which serve hearty family-style meals at long shared tables, and they make a good end to a day on the show grounds.

Tips for visiting

• Buy early bird tickets online; the prices on the official site already include a $2 fee.
• Friday does not open until noon, which makes Friday afternoon a good window to tour RVs before the weekend crowd.
• The official site does not cover parking, so call the producer before you go and ask where a long rig should park.
• Expect heavier traffic and fuller lots on Saturday, when the car show runs alongside the main show.
• Highway 178 east into the Kern River Canyon is narrow and twisting, so scout it in a smaller vehicle before taking a big rig up it.

Frequently asked questions

When and where is the 2027 show?

Friday, March 12 through Sunday, March 14, 2027, at the Kern County Fairgrounds, 1142 South P Street in Bakersfield, according to the official site.

What are the show hours?

Noon to 7 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, as listed on the official site.

How much are tickets?

General admission is $17, seniors and veterans $14, and kids 3 to 12 $9, each including a $2 fee. Active duty military with ID and kids 2 and under are free.

Is there RV parking or overnight camping at the show?

The official site does not mention parking for RVs or overnight stays. Ask the producer before you go, or stay at an RV park in Bakersfield and drive in.

Sources

Dates confirmed on the organizer's website on October 22, 2026. Page updated October 22, 2026.

See something out of date? Write to hello@rvcompass.app and we will check it against the organizer's site. Browse more upcoming RV shows or RV shows in California.