Cabin fever is running rampant. This especially cold winter has thus far kept all but the hardiest souls inside. We’re itching to get out of the house and do something outdoors—or at least outdoor related.
Well, good news: it’s show time! Outdoor sports show time, that is. The Great American Outdoor Show at the state Farm Show Complex runs Feb. 1 to 9 and will cure even the worst case of cabin fever. While this is the first-ever show here sponsored by the NRA, sportsmen and women have been attending a similar show for many years. Last year’s cancellation due to gun exhibition issues left us all with an empty calendar, wondering if it would ever be resurrected.
The show has been rebuilt from scratch. This is a nine-day event celebrating hunting, fishing and outdoor traditions that are treasured by millions of Americans and their families. The show features nearly 1,000 exhibitors ranging from shooting manufacturers to outfitters to fishing boats and RVs, from archery to art, covering 650,000 square feet of exhibit hall space. Add to this a jam-packed schedule that includes concerts, fundraising dinners, speaking events, archery competitions, celebrity appearances, seminars, demonstrations and much more.
If you are looking into a fishing or hunting trip to Canada, the United Sates or other worldwide destination, the Main Hall will be packed with outfitters ready to accommodate you. Family vacations? An entire hall of tourism exhibitors can map out a tailor-made vacation for you and your clan. In the market for a new bow? You can see all that’s new in the industry, as well as actually shoot the new bows before you decide. And so it goes—you just can’t miss this show for everything outdoors.
If a new boat is in your future, talk with local dealers representing and showing all brands of boats, motors and accessories. And while you are at it, check out all the newest in rods, reels and lures before the spring thaw. Campers and motor homes are also here to be inspected.
If you are the competitive type, this show features contests in all fields of the outdoors. The taxidermy contest runs the full length of the show and features the best wildlife mounts of both fish and animals. You may just get an idea of a mount you may want for a future trophy.
During the week, there will be calling contests for duck, goose, turkey, owl and elk. Listen to the best callers and get some pointers. A 3-D Bowhunter Challenge will run the entire nine days and offers big money prizes to the winners.
Finally, a whole list of seminars and demonstrations will cover topics including deer hunting and butchering, law enforcement, fishing and waterfowling, presented by celebrity outdoorsmen like Roland Martin, Timmy Horton, Chef Albert Wuntz, Sean Mann, Ralph and Vicki Cianciarullo and many more.
My group, the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association, will hold its 31st Annual Sportsman’s Auction to benefit outdoor education on Feb. 9 at noon in the Main Hall contest room. A Smith & Wesson revolver, hunting and fishing trips to Canada and the United States, hunting and fishing equipment, wildlife art, clothing and much more will be offered. POWA has raised more than $400, 000 to date, and every penny has gone to fund grants for organizations that introduce young people to the outdoors.
This year’s show has several added bonuses that previous shows did not. For instance, the NRA Foundation will host a banquet at the show on Friday, Feb. 7. Held in the PA Preferred Ballroom, the evening will feature fundraising, food and exclusive firearms. On Feb. 8, country music star Trace Adkins will perform in the large arena. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $30.
The Harrisburg show kicks off several other important regional outdoor expos.
The following week, the Greater Philadelphia Outdoor Sportshow will run Feb. 13 to 16 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa. Here, again, you can learn about, see, touch and buy anything related to outdoor sports. Along with exhibitors representing the shooting sports, archery, lodging, outfitters, hunting, taxidermy, boats, camping and wildlife art and photography, there will be a climbing wall, kayak demos, a fly casting pond, paintball and much more. Visit www.sportshows.com/philly for more information.
The Lehigh Valley Sportsman Show follows, running Feb. 28 to March 2 at the Agri-Plex in the Allentown Fairgrounds. For decades, “the Allentown show” marked the end of the outdoors show season and signaled that the beginning of the spring fishing and hunting seasons were within sight for generations of outdoors enthusiasts in eastern Pennsylvania, as well as many in southern New York, western New Jersey and northern Maryland. The hall will be filled with exhibitors and feature an expanded schedule of seminars and special events. For more information, visit www.lehighvalleysportsmanshow.com.
The Great American Outdoor Show runs Feb. 1 to 9 at the state Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.greatamericanoutdoorshow.org.
