With widespread winter storms bringing single digit temperatures and snowfall by the foot to much of the Northeast, the outdoors has been the last thing on the mind of Americans across the nation. That is, unless you were one of the expected 200,000 people to attend the 2015 Great American Outdoor Show.
Held inside the massive, 650,000 square-foot Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, PA, the Great American Outdoor Show has been a celebration of the outdoors for more than 60 years. This year, the nine-day, National Rifle Association-sponsored event featured more than 1,100 exhibitors and 200 seminars, demonstrations and celebrity appearances, including a concert from renowned country singer/songwriter, Lee Brice.
Having never attended the event (or any large industry trade show, for that matter) but residing just five hours south of the Pennsylvania state capital, I decide to pack my bag, grab my hat and gloves, put on best walking shoes and set off for the last Saturday of the event.
Three-hundred miles later, I arrive at “Disney World for the outdoors.” Divided into 11 halls and arenas, I began my day in the shooting sports hall on the east side of the complex. Judging by the crowd, apparently so did everyone else.
New to the show since the NRA came aboard as a sponsor in 2014, the hall has already attracted it’s fair share of household names in firearm, accessory and ammunition manufacturers. Brands like Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson, Remington, Beretta, CZ, Walther, IWI US and others were out in full force with new product straight from last month’s SHOT Show. From rifles to revolvers, shotguns to handguns, uppers to lowers, cases to vaults, there was something for everyone, including first-time buyers like myself.
Next were the archery halls, where guns were traded for compound and crossbows and bullets for arrows. Climbing stand retailers were also popular, gathering small crowds as they showcased the unique features of their stands strapped to large, tree trunk-like posts. At the end of the hall a range was set up with multiple lanes, backed by lines of attendees waiting to put the latest and greatest toys to the test. Bullseye!
Heading to the west side of the complex, I enter the YETI fishing hall and am promptly greeted by the Hawg Trough. A mobile 5,000 gallon fish tank built on a tractor trailer, the company travels to boat shows, sportsman expos, fairs and festivals across the country and provides educational seminars and fishing demonstrations for event attendees. Having just missed the latest demonstration, I continue on, amazed by the sheer number of charter companies from up and down the East Coast and beyond. Little did I know, this group would prove nothing in comparison to the number of hunting guides just one hall over.
From African safaris to Alaskan adventures and seemingly everywhere in between, guides and trophy hunts filled the room. Even if hunting doesn’t appeal to you, it’s hard not to admire a well-taxidermied animal. Bringing living creatures, often only seen on television or behind glass, back to life with stunning realism is a true art form.
I finish my day browsing the outdoor product halls, bird calls attracting attendees into the room in masses like a flock of geese, and backtrack my way through the complex past the special events arena where Lee Brice is running through sound check, an Orange County Chopper-custom motorcycle and finally the exit into the unforgiving Pennsylvania winter.
More than four hours, three miles and one hundred photos later, I had survived the world’s largest outdoor show. And while it was only my first year in attendance, it’s easy to understand why so many have planned their lives around the event for decades. The Great American Outdoor Show not only offers outdoorsmen suffering from cabin fever a winter sabbatical, but also a cultural experience built on tradition that provides both educational and entertainment opportunities for the whole family and a much-needed economical boost for the local community.
Both Harrisburg and the NRA hope that boost, which brought in $70 million dollars to the city in 2014 alone, will continue to grow with the show, having recently signed a five-year contract that will keep the event at the Farm Show Complex and celebration of the outdoors alive until at least 2020.
