FORT SMITH (KFSM)-The Arkansas Tackle, Hunting & Boat Show got underway Friday (Jan. 16) at the Fort Smith Convention Center.
The Channel 5 sponsored expo features boats, fishing tackle, hunting gear and much more.
“I like to come out and see what the new products are and get a chance to check out some of the seminars too,” Chris Kesner, spectator said.
Montgomery Productions brought the production to Arkansas in 2011. The Tackle, Hunting &Boat Show started 18 years ago in Tulsa. Organizers say there are more than 200 vendors this year from seven different states.
“They come in knowing that they have to be very competitive because they have somebody else maybe selling the same things right beside them,” Vance Montgomery, organizer said.
In addition to all the wholesale items, the expo has lots of fun for kids of all ages, including a dog show, archery exhibit and a fishing pond.
“We have rainbow trout from the Ozarks, Southwest Missouri, and we`re here to make some youngins happy,” Tom Breedlove, vendor said.
If you work up an appetite after all shopping and activities, there are also plenty of food vendors.
“One thing I think that`s kind of set our show apart is that we kind of create a festival, and there`s a lot of entertainment around our expo, so you can come out, bring the whole family,”
General admission is $10. Kids ages 6-12 get in for $5 and kids under 5 get in for free. The expo runs through the weekend. For a full itinerary of the events going on, click here.