I’ve crashed the Louisville Boat Show in my day! It’s pretty damn fun!

Sure, January is a pretty crappy month. It’s cold, it’s dark and all your friends are on damn diets! It’s hard to find much to do, let alone people to do it with you.

But thankfully, mid-January is the perfect time to start plotting for summer adventures. And what better way to dream about oceans and lakes and warm weather than at the annual Louisville Boat, RV & Sportshow, which returns to the Kentucky Exposition Center at the Fairgrounds starting Wednesday, Jan. 22, through Sunday, Jan. 26.

I’m on a boat!

Now what does this have to do with drinking, you ask? Well, for one, Four Roses will have a presence at the Boat Show in the form of a pop-up bar of sorts. You’ll find the Four Roses Bourbon Lounge on the show floor, right near all the big-ass boats and RVs that cost more than my bar tabs ever will.

If you’ve never been to the Boat Show, I can attest it’s pretty entertaining to walk around and look at all the toys you could own if you won the lottery. Plus, there’s an entire section of free stuff! You know, candy, pencils, Band-Aid holders, beer koozies and lots more!

Here’s a quick overview of some of the special events going on during the show, courtesy of the press release:

• The Hawg Trough, an interactive 5,000-gallon aquarium, will provide a unique, underwater view of how fish react to different techniques, bait and lures. Top anglers from around the area will demonstrate their fishing and casting skills in the tank during daily, free seminars.
• The kids’ area is returning, with a number of family-friendly activities in one place. Yogi Bear™ will be at the show for meet-and-greets and autographs in the Bear Cave Fun Zone, hosted by Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park™ Camp Resort Mammoth Cave. Kids can also enjoy free catch-and-release fishing in the Trout Pond, get crafty at the Create-a-Crankbait station and more.
• Attendees can test their boating abilities with the Boating Skills Virtual Trainer from America’s Boating Club.
• Super Thursday festivities will take place on Thursday, Jan. 23, including one-day-only special offers and meet-and-greets with superheroes. Kids are encouraged to dress as their favorite characters — those in costume will get a free, handmade, ice cream sandwich from Ehrler’s Ice Cream!
• For the first time, the show will feature a Career Day on Friday, Jan. 24. High school and college students can learn about careers in the boating, RV and fishing industries.
• The Poker Run will take over the show floor on Friday night for those 21 and older. As the winners are crowned, Nick’s Boat Dock will keep the party going at their booth. Don’t miss the chance to mingle with professional wakeboarders during this time.

And that’s the gist of the Louisville Boat Show. Admission is $12 for adults. Who knows, maybe it’ll inspire you to pitch a tent or invest in a pontoon — and we all could gather, drink beer and float in a lake. Boat up!