Outdoors show this weekend
The annual Northeast Outdoors Show will be held this weekend at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany, with the 23rd annual event offering a wide variety of activities and exhibitors.
The show will run Friday through Sunday and offer 125 exhibitor booths focusing on such outdoor activities as fishing, hunting, hiking, camping, boating, climbing and other family-themed outings. Below is the press release we received the other day.
Click here to view the show’s website and all pertinent details.
– Don Lehman
ALBANY — As the traditional forerunner to spring and summer in the Capital Region, thousands of outdoors enthusiasts from the Capital Region and beyond will make their annual stop at the 23rd Northeast Outdoors Show at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany from March 20 – 22.
Sponsored by Stihl and Stewart’s Shops, the Northeast Outdoors Show is the only one of its kind from Rockland County to Canada devoted to a wide range of outdoor activities including fishing, hunting, boating, camping, hiking, climbing and other outdoor family activities. More than 125 exhibitor booths will showcase the latest outdoors products and services as the expo coincides with the annual kick-off to trout and turkey season. In addition, seminars and attractions mark all three days of the Northeast Outdoors Show.
SEMINARS
Each year, the Northeast Outdoors Show features preeminent experts who provide visitors with the best in outdoors-related educational seminars. Speakers will present on all three days of the expo.
(For the complete seminar schedule with dates, times and locations, please visit the show’s web site at http://www.northeastoutdoorshow.com).
One newcomer this year is outdoors guide and professional turkey caller Nick Smith. Smith lives in Vermont and spends his time operating his guide service, Vermont Outdoor Connections. Smith specializes in hunting for turkey and waterfowl. He also writes a monthly column for a variety of magazines, including Outdoors Magazine. Smith is a reigning turkey calling champion from the state of Vermont, and will pass along his tips and expertise at his seminars on Saturday and Sunday.
Ken Hammel brings expertise in calling and hunting to the Northeast Outdoors Show. He is a nationally known Whitetail deer hunter with more than thirty years of experience. Hammel owns and runs Mountain Hollow Game Calls, Inc. in the Mohawk Valley. His seminars focus on his knowledge of rattling, building grunt calls, and using deer scents.
Patrick Sisti, a veteran of the Northeast Outdoors Show and a licensed NYS outdoor guide, will offer information about fly-fishing, fishing trips on the Indian River and Adirondack ponds, and hiking, camping, canoeing and nature walks. His seminars will concentrate on Adirondack fishing, the best techniques for fishing and the recommended tackle to use. Sisti is a contributor to the book, “Chicken Soup for the Fisherman’s Soul.”
Local favorite John Vargo will angle his talks toward fishing in the Hudson River with seminars aptly titled, “The Magnificent Hudson River and the Millions of Striped Bass that Swim up it.” Vargo is the publisher and editor of Boating on the Hudson & Beyond magazine. He’s also written a book titled Hudson River Stripers: The Guide. Vargo is a lifelong fisherman who has honed his skills fishing the waters from New York Harbor to the dam in Troy.
In addition to educational seminars, there will be wildlife cooking demonstrations sponsored by Sodexo. The official food service provider of the Empire State Plaza, Sodexo will offer cooking tips and recipes for preparing wildlife and game throughout the weekend. The seminars will be held at the base of the egg.
ATTRACTIONS
Battlefield Live is a new, team-based game that will make its debut at the Northeast Outdoors Show. Designed for adults and kids ages six and up, Battlefield Live is comparable to laser tag, but without the paint, mess and projectiles. The game system has been built around safe, robust and reliable high-tech infrared weapons where players shoot an invisible and harmless beam. Battlefield Live has been influenced by military training scenarios and modern computer games. These scenarios provide players the opportunity to overcome adversity together, and gain greater understanding of team cohesion and the value of communication.
The Northeast Outdoors Show welcomes the return of the Paul Smith’s College Woodsmen Team from the northern Adirondack campus of Paul Smith’s College. The co-ed lumberjack squad will show off its unmatched skill in axe-throwing, sawing, chopping, and log rolling in demonstrations throughout the weekend. This sport has gained national acclaim in recent years with woodsmen athletes featured on ESPN, The Outdoor Life Network, The Travel Channel and The History Channel.
Andrew Simmons is a renowned wildlife expert who specializes in predators. He has studied and raised wild animals for nearly four decades and travels with large cats, bear cubs, carnivorous reptiles and birds of prey. Simmons will be on-hand at the Northeast Outdoors Show to entertain families, while providing an educated and accurate view of wildlife preservation.
Talons! A Bird of Prey Experience comes to the Capital Region from Earlville, NY. The group touts its sport as the oldest hunting sport, dating back 4,000 years. The group specializes in falcons, hawks, and owls and offers an up-close-and-personal view of these wild birds, in addition to education on birds of prey.
The Capital District Fly Fishers (CDFF) will return to help promote the sport of fly fishing for all fish, in all waters – cold, warm, salt, and fresh. The CDFF specializes in teaching the art of casting and fly tying, and will offer tips to children (ages 6 and older) who are accompanied by an adult. Instructors will include other children from the Saratoga 4-H Youth Group.
Cold River Mining’s mobile mining exhibit will unearth new entertainment for children and families as it offers kids an opportunity to scour a man-made mine for stones, shells, gemstones, fossils and rough rocks. For a modest fee, children will be invited to step into a 12-foot mine trailer equipped with a hard hat, a headlight, and a bucket to search for earthly treasures.
There are still more reasons for families to “give a hoot” about the outdoors show. A turkey calling contest, sanctioned by the Wild Turkey Federation, will be held on Saturday. Cash prizes will be awarded to the best impersonators.
There will also be a fully stocked indoor trout pond. For a small fee, kids can try their hand at reeling in a catch in preparation for the “reel thing” during the warmer days of spring and summer.
SHOW INFORMATION
The Northeast Outdoors Show runs: Friday, March 20 from 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.; Saturday, March 21 from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.; and Sunday, March 22 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for children ages 4 to 12. Children ages 3 and under are admitted free. Guests receive $2 off adult admission with a Stewart’s Shops milk club card and the Times Union SourceCard.
Patrons can enter to win the Ultimate Camping Package highlighted by a two-night, three-day RV rental (2008 Winnebago Chalet) from Alpin Haus. The package also includes a two-night stay at any New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Campground, courtesy of NYS DEC Public Campgrounds, and a $100 gift certificate to Stewart’s Shops.
Parking is available at the Empire State Plaza Visitor’s Lot (formerly known as P3 -North) for $2. All drivers and each adult passenger must have a valid photo ID. If the Visitor’s Lot is full, additional parking is available for no charge in the East Garage. The East Garage is joined to the Empire State Plaza via walkway.
