The season for outdoors shows is here. That means turkey calls, fishing gear, tents, boats and more.
Bob Frye/Everybody Adventures
Cabin fever schmabin fever.
Brother, if you can’t get your outdoor fix in over the next three months, you just ain’t tryin.
Yes, it’s true that the most popular hunting seasons are over. And yes, the most popular fishing ones are still a ways off. We’ll even admit the weather at this time of year can be, well, challenging.
But that doesn’t mean you still can’t walk and talk the outdoors. If anything, this is the perfect time to do it.
The season for outdoor shows is here.
And it’s a long and bountiful one. Dozens are set through late March.
Some are massive. For example, take the Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, Pa. It’s the largest of all, the biggest outdoors consumer show in the country.
How big? More than 1,100 exhibitors. About 650,000 square feet of space. NIne days. A likely 250,000 or more visitors.
So yeah, it’s a doozy.
Others focus on specific facets of the outdoors.
The Greater Niagara Outdoor & Fishing Expo in Niagara Falls, N.Y., and Columbus Fishing Expo in Columbus, Ohio, are two. They cater primarily to fishermen and boaters.
Similarly, there’s Cabin Fever Show. Put on by the Penn’s Woods West Chapter of Trout Unlimited in Pittsburgh, it’s all about fly fishing.
Still others, like the Allegheny Sport, Travel and Outdoor Show – the Everybody Adventures team will have a booth there – and West Virginia Fishing, Hunting and Outdoor Sports Show in Morgantown are more all-encompassing events.
Then there are the little guys. Tiny but still fun shows that feature local lure makers, collectors, mom and pop shops and the like. They’re often the place for bargains or out of the ordinary finds.
One example is the Sport Show and Flea Market put on each year by Tri-County Trout Club in southwestern Pennsylvania.
We put together a calendar of sorts below. It highlights lots of opportunities.
So don’t miss out. Pick a show that works for you, grab a kid or other possible recruit, and go have some fun.
As Irving Berlin, the famous American composer and dabbler in fishing in retirement, could have written, there’s no season like show season.
January
Jan. 9-12 – Greater Philly Sportsmen’s Expo, Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Oaks. Frank Addington, the archery-shooting aspirin buster, highlights this year’s event. Visit here.
Jan. 11-19 – Pittsburgh RV Show, David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh. There are nine acres of RV dealers, campgrounds and more. Visit here.
Jan. 16-18 – Northeast Ohio Sportsman Show, Mt. Hope Event Center, Millerburg. Launched in 2009, this is now Ohio’s largest outdoor show. Visit here.
Jan. 16-19 – 60th annual Pittsburgh Boat Show, Monroeville Conference Center, Monroeville. The show offers a free boating safety class among other things. Visit here.
Jan. 17-19 – Greater Niagara Fishing and Outdoor Expo, Niagara Falls Convention and Event Center, Niagara Falls. There’s plenty of general fishing information here. But it’s become the must-see show if you fish the Great Lakes. Visit here.
Jan. 19 — Tri-County Trout Club Sport Show and Flea Market, Arnold Volunteer Engine Co. #2, Arnold. Kids get in free to this show featuring everything from collectibles to sporting gear. Visit here.
Jan, 23-26 – 32nd annual Early Bird Sports Expo, Bloomsburg Fairgrounds, Bloomsburg. This show is still on. But details beyond hours and prices are sketchy because of what organizers say are website issues. Visit here.
Jan. 25-26 – 27th annual Monaghan Fishing Show and Flea Market, Monaghan Township Volunteer Fire Co., Dillsburg. A relatively small show, it’s also very popular. Organizers have maxxed out vendor space 25 years running. Visit here.
February
Feb. 1 – Bellefonte Sporting Collectors Meet, Lambert Hall, Bellefonte. If your love of the outdoors includes a nostalgic streak, this show is for you. Visit here.
Feb. 1-9 – National Rifle Association Great American Outdoor Show, Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, Harrisburg. A country music concert gets things rolling every year. Harrisburg. Visit here.
Feb. 7-9 – Columbus Fishing Expo, Ohio Expo Center, Columbus. Forrest Wood Cup winner Scott Martin. highlights the speakers at this year’s version of what is a fast-growing event Visit here.
Feb. 7-9 – Washington County Sportsmen Show, Washington Crown Center, Washington. Hosted by the county Sportsmen and Conservation League, it’s popular locally. Visit here.
Feb. 14-16 – 35th annual Allegheny Sport, Travel and Outdoor Show, Monroeville Convention Center, Monroeville. This is western Pennsylvania’s largest show. Best of all, you no longer need coupons for reduced entry fees. Visit here.
Feb. 21-23 – Jaffa Sports Show, Jaffa Shrine, Altoona. Heavy on children’s activities, it even has a BBQ dinner. Visit here.
Feb, 21-23 – Philadelphia Fishing Show, Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Oaks. This is the place for learning freshwater and saltwater fishing. Visit here.
Feb. 28-March 1 – Erie Sport & Travel Show, Bayfront Convention Center, Erie. Held right on the shores of Lake Erie, this show features seminars, exhibitors, and even live animals. Visit here.
March
March 1 – Cabin Fever Show, Doubletree by Hilton Pittsburgh-Cranberry, Warrendale. Sponsored by the Penn’s Woods West Chapter of Trout Unlimited, it annually features talks by big name, accomplished anglers. Visit here.
March 6-8 – Greater Philadelphia Boat Show, Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Oaks. More than 20 boat dealers from four states showcase their wares. Visit here.
March 7: Great Lakes Walleye University & Tackle Expo, St John’s Banquet and Conference Hall, Girard. Visitors can check out a free tackle expo or pay to learn from charter captains. Visit here.
March 7-8 – West Virginia Fishing, Hunting and Outdoor Sports Show, Ruby Community Center, Mylan Park, Morgantown. This show has a “family fun zone” for kids. Visit here.
March 7-8 – Muskie Max Fishing Expo, Printscape Arena, Canonsburg. This show seems to move around more than any other year to year. But it always has a strong lineup of speakers for hardcore musky anglers. Visit here.
March 7-8 – The Fly Fishing Show, Lancaster County Convention Center, Lancaster. The Pennsylvania version of this event – five others are held, from New Jersey to California –features the International Fly Fishing Film Festival. Visit here.
March 20-22 – Field & Stream/Outdoor Life Expo, Ohio Expo Center, Columbus. Formerly known as the Deer & Turkey Expo, this show is a bit broader these days. Visit here.
March 21 – 19th annual J&B Sportsmen’s Hunting & Fishing Show & Sale, Shadowbrook Inn & Resort, Tunkhannock. A small show, this one has collectibles from books to old licenses. Visit here.
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