The 14th Annual Fishing, Hunting and Outdoors Sport Show BY: Robert E. Lee

3/16/15The Ruby Memorial Center hosts many events year round, but this weekend, its venue is chosen for the 14 th annual fishing, hunting and outdoors sport show . Just under one roof, this event includes all aspects of the outdoors, but without the bugs. The event lasts from March 7th to March 8th, with doors opening at 10 am for people to see any new upcoming outdoor sports gear. People interested in attending this event have to pay an admission fee according to their age:

$7 for those above 12 $1 for those between 7 and 12 Free for children under 6

The first 50 people to arrive early even have a chance of receiving a free gift. Though, the free gift was a nice gesture, the vendors were the real reason why most people attended. This event included over 150 vendors participating from states all over the country. Some were:

Hungarian Smokehouse On point outfitters West Virginia State Parks Perfection turkey calls, LLC Mountain tackle West Virginia DNR Jumbo Bait Lelands Lures

Vendors return each year for various reasons, but for one vendor sales were the most important. “The machine we sell, it’s a niche and nobody does what we can do. So, the nice thing for me is when I sell someone a machine, I never have anybody come back and say I wish I had bought something else,” said veteran vendor Barry Frey. This event attracts thousands of people annually because each vendor sells something uniquely different. These products consist of:

All terrain vehicles Snow removal gear Trucks Boats Hunting gear Fishing gear

Curtesy of West Virginia Outdoors Sports Show

“To keep up in fishing and hunting, you really need new products,” said fishing enthusiast Ted Webber.

To ensure that parents weren’t the only ones enjoying themselves, the event included a family fun zone for children:

Rocking climbing wall Face painting station Girl scouts Smokey the bear

Curtesy of West Virginia Outdoors Sports Show

For children who are afraid of heights and may not want to take on the rock-climbing wall, the event looked to the sky and included a raptor rehabilitation center for an intimate view of these birds.

Curtesy of West Virginia Outdoors Sports Show

Though, many vendors were from all over the country, the people attending came mostly from West Virginia and surrounding states. “People from Maryland, people from Ohio and Pennsylvania. We have a lot of people who drive up to two hours to be here,” said event coordinator Labeth Hall. For the most part, the only complaint people have while attending this event is not bringing enough money to spend.