This year’s show will be bigger and better with a “full house” of new exhibitors, products and displays. Attendees will find outfitters, hunting and fishing gear suppliers, fishing charters, resorts and hunting preserves, campers and RVs and more, said event organizers.
“In light of the cancellation of ‘the largest outdoor show in Pennsylvania,’ we have been afforded the opportunity to host a lot of new vendors at our local show,” said Greg Hallstrom, manager of the Fair and Park Board. “Exhibitors are pulling in from as far away as Texas, Illinois, Florida and Newfoundland. We had to keep modifying our floor plans to accommodate the amount of interest we have this year. By far, it is going to be our best show yet.”
Last year’s event attracted more than 8,000 visitors. Event organizers said that if current Web site traffic is any indicator, the show will also see a banner number of attendees this year.
In addition to the vendors, new exhibits and demonstrations have been added to the show schedule.
The line-up will include one of the largest brown bears ever taken with a bow. The bear was killed in Alaska, towered more than 9 feet tall and weighed in at more than 900 pounds. Also, on exhibit will be one of the world’s Top 20 largest mountain lions taken in the wild. Both will be on exhibit by Standing Dead Outdoors.
Quack Bank Fetch Retrievers will present a retriever demonstration in the park infield each day. Other seminars and presentations will be held on topics, such as coyote trapping by Darin “The Animal” Freeborough and turkey calling by Richard Powers III. Buckmasters is returning this year throughout the show to conduct antler scoring.
The Susquehanna Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will hold a sanctioned turkey calling contest at 1 p.m. March 24. Participants must pre-register from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Expo II Building. Contest divisions will be Senior Open, $30; Senior Friction, $25; Owl Hooting, $15; Hunter, $15; Youth (under 15 years), $10; and Poults (under 9 years), $10.
The live fishing pond, sponsored by CNB Bank, and the bird house projects provided by PA Wildlife Habitat, will provide entertainment for children.
A full slate of new demonstrations, speakers and events are being planned.
Show hours are 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. March 22-23 and 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. March 24. Tickets are $3 per adult; children 12 and under are free. A free shuttle will also be offered March 22-23 and will run between the show and downtown activities at Grice Gun Shop, Bob’s Army & Navy and Jim’s Sports Center. Tickets can be purchased in advance via the official website.
This is the fifth annual Central PA Outdoor & Sports Show. The show is organized and promoted by First Media Radio, GantDaily.com, WJAC-TV and the Clearfield County Fair & Park Board.
For more information on the Central PA Outdoor & Sports Show, visit the Web site at http://centralpaoutdoorshow.com. For more information on the sanctioned turkey calling contest, please contact Nicky Leigey at nicky.leigey@verizon.net.