If you are a professional woodworker looking for the best machinery, tools, and business knowledge in one place, October 2026 has something exceptional waiting for you. Wood Pro Expo Lancaster returns to Manheim, Pennsylvania, for two focused days of live demonstrations, expert education, and direct access to leading industry suppliers. This is not a general trade fair.
It is the only professional woodworking exposition and conference serving the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions of the United States. For woodworkers across Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, and Massachusetts, it is the most important event of the year.
Dates, Venue and Show Hours
The 2026 edition runs on Thursday, October 22, and Friday, October 23, at the Spooky Nook Sports Center in Manheim, Pennsylvania. The venue address is 2913 Spooky Nook Road, Manheim, PA 17545.
The schedule runs as follows across both days:
| Day | Expo Floor Hours | Free Keynote |
| Thursday, October 22 | 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. | 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. |
| Friday, October 23 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. |
Classroom sessions run on both days in addition to the keynotes. Therefore, attendees who plan carefully can cover both the expo floor and the educational programme without missing a thing. Note that no one under the age of 16 is allowed on the expo floor.
The event is organized by CCI Media, the same team behind Woodworking Network, one of the most trusted media platforms in the North American woodworking industry. Registration for both exhibitors and attendees is available at WoodProExpoLancaster.com.
Why This Event Stands Apart
Wood Pro Expo Lancaster is the only woodworking exposition and conference of its kind in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. No other show in this part of the country combines a professional-grade expo floor with a multi-session educational conference under one roof during the same two days.
Show manager Lewis Goldman describes the event’s purpose clearly: attendees can discover all that is required to run an informed woodworking business, from leading-edge technology to the latest in materials and supplies. That mission shapes every part of the show, from the exhibitors that are invited to participate to the speakers who take the stage.
Additionally, the event draws professionals from a wide geographic base. Strong attendance comes from Pennsylvania’s deep woodworking community, but visitors also travel from New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, and Massachusetts. For exhibitors, this concentrated regional audience represents a highly qualified group of buyers and decision-makers.
What You Will Find on the Expo Floor
The expo floor is where the real action happens. Exhibitors showcase the full range of tools, machinery, materials, and software that professional woodworkers use every day. The product categories at the show span the entire workflow of a modern woodworking operation.
Visitors will find:
- CNC routers and automation systems for cabinet, furniture, and custom millwork production
- Finishing equipment including spray systems, coatings, and related technology
- Panel processing and sawing machinery
- Edge banding, drilling, and assembly equipment
- Design and production software for layout, quoting, and workflow management
- Wood materials, components, and hardware from regional and national suppliers
- Dust collection, air filtration, and shop safety systems
Among the standout highlights from recent editions are advances in CNC automation, finishing technology, and software integration. The 2026 show is expected to continue and expand on those themes. Additionally, exhibitors use the show floor to make live product demonstrations a central part of their booth experience, which means visitors get to see equipment running in real time rather than simply looking at static displays.
The Running Machinery Program is one of the most popular features of the event. It gives woodworkers the rare chance to watch machines operate in a live environment. Seeing a CNC router, edge bander, or panel saw in action provides a much clearer picture of its capabilities and suitability for a specific shop setup than any brochure or video could offer.
The Educational Programme: Seminars, Keynotes and Classroom Sessions
The educational programme is one of the strongest reasons to attend. It runs across both days and includes free keynotes available to all registered visitors, as well as classroom sessions that go deeper on specific topics.
The keynote on Thursday, October 22, will be delivered by Will Sampson, Editorial Director of FDMC. His session covers pricing strategies for custom woodworking, including how to set prices that accurately reflect work, costs, and market conditions while protecting profitability. Pricing is one of the areas where many smaller woodworking businesses lose money without realizing it. This session addresses that gap directly and practically.
A second keynote on October 22 will be led by Eric Marshall, Owner of Closet Training Institute. His topic will be announced closer to the show date.
The classroom sessions go even further into practical territory. Selected sessions confirmed for the show include:
- Best Practices: Practical Thinking for Success in a Woodshop, presented by Matt Buell, Founder of M. Buell Studio. This session covers process, equipment decisions, consumable purchasing, and design approaches from the perspective of a working woodshop owner.
- Machine Replacement Prioritization, presented by Ken Johnson. Johnson draws on his experience managing maintenance departments to share a risk calculation system for prioritizing machine replacements. He also previews insights from his upcoming book on the topic.
Additional sessions covering marketing, software, materials selection, and profit margin management are expected to be added to the schedule in the months leading up to the show. Checking the official website regularly is the best way to stay current on confirmed speakers and topics.
The Spooky Nook Sports Center: A Venue That Works
The choice of venue is one of the practical strengths of this show. The Spooky Nook Sports Center is a large, modern facility that provides ample space for both the expo floor and the conference programme. It is located in Manheim, which sits in the heart of Lancaster County, one of the most active woodworking regions in the entire country.
The facility is easy to reach from major highways throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. However, with two days of programming back to back, many attendees choose to stay nearby rather than commuting from a distance. Several hotels are located within a short drive of the Spooky Nook campus, and booking in advance is wise during October when the region is busy with fall tourism as well as the show itself.
The show manager for the event is Tim Fixmer, who can be reached at 414-807-3540 for exhibitor inquiries and general information.
Who Should Attend
The event is built for professional woodworkers. However, it serves a wide range of professionals within that category. The following types of businesses and individuals will find direct value in attending:
- Cabinet makers and custom furniture builders
- Millwork and architectural woodwork shops
- Store fixture and display manufacturers
- Wood component producers
- Shop owners evaluating machinery upgrades or purchases
- Production managers and operations staff at larger manufacturing facilities
- Woodworking educators and technical school instructors
The event is also a strong opportunity for industry professionals who want to stay current on the business side of woodworking, not just the technical side. The educational sessions on pricing, machine investment, and shop management speak directly to the challenges that most small and mid-size woodworking businesses face every day.
Practical Visitor Tips
A little preparation will make a significant difference to how much you get from two days on the show floor and in the classrooms.
- Register in advance at WoodProExpoLancaster.com. Early registration gives you access to the show schedule and exhibitor list before you arrive.
- Review the classroom and keynote schedule ahead of time. Popular sessions can fill the available seating, so knowing which ones matter most to your business allows you to plan your day accordingly.
- Wear comfortable shoes. The expo floor covers a meaningful amount of space, and two full days of walking adds up quickly.
- Bring business cards and a notepad. You will have direct conversations with exhibitors and speakers who can give you specific advice and pricing information. Writing it down in the moment saves time later.
- Take advantage of live machinery demonstrations. If you are considering a new CNC router, edge bander, or finishing system, seeing it run in person is worth more than hours of online research.
- Check the official website for any last-minute additions to the speaker schedule or exhibitor list in the weeks before the show.
Conclusion
Wood Pro Expo Lancaster 2026 takes place on October 22 and 23 at the Spooky Nook Sports Center in Manheim, Pennsylvania. It is the only professional woodworking exposition and conference serving the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, drawing cabinet makers, custom woodworkers, manufacturers, and shop owners from Pennsylvania and surrounding states. The expo floor offers live demonstrations of CNC machinery, finishing systems, software, materials, and hardware from a concentrated group of qualified industry exhibitors. The educational programme includes free daily keynotes on pricing strategy and business management, plus classroom sessions on shop best practices and machine replacement planning. The Running Machinery Program gives visitors a hands-on view of equipment in operation. Whether you run a small custom shop or manage a larger production facility, this event delivers two days of practical knowledge, direct supplier access, and professional connections that are genuinely difficult to find anywhere else in the region.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where does Wood Pro Expo Lancaster 2026 take place?
The event runs on Thursday, October 22, and Friday, October 23, 2026, at the Spooky Nook Sports Center, 2913 Spooky Nook Road, Manheim, PA 17545. The expo floor opens at 9:00 a.m. each day and closes at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday and 3:00 p.m. on Friday.
Who organizes the show and who is it for?
The show is organized by CCI Media, the company behind Woodworking Network. It is designed for professional woodworkers, including cabinet makers, custom furniture builders, millwork shops, wood component manufacturers, and shop owners across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.
Are the keynote sessions free to attend?
Yes. Free keynotes run each day from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. and are included with general show registration. Classroom sessions are also available on both days. The full schedule is published on the official website at WoodProExpoLancaster.com.
What types of products and technology will be exhibited?
Exhibitors showcase CNC routers and automation systems, finishing equipment, panel processing and sawing machinery, edge banders, drilling and assembly tools, production software, wood materials and hardware, and dust collection systems. Live machinery demonstrations are a key feature of the show floor.
Are there any age restrictions for attending the show?
Yes. No one under the age of 16 is allowed on the expo floor. This restriction applies to all visitors and is enforced at the entrance. For exhibitor inquiries or additional information, the show manager Tim Fixmer can be reached at 414-807-3540.
