by Mike Carey, January 05, 2018

The 2018 Tri-Cities Sportsmen Show will open the doors of the TRAC Expo facility in Pasco on January 19, 20 & 21. Being the first show of the season in the Pacific Northwest, this popular event is the perfect place for the entire family to check out what’s new in outdoor gear, learn at one of the many free seminars, or just take in all the things to see and do.

This is the 25th year of the annual three-day event and it has become a wintertime favorite destination for area hunters, anglers, and anyone else who enjoys the great outdoors. Show promoters, Shuyler Productions, each year fills up the entire TRAC facility with quality exhibits, displays, and presentations that will please the entire family.

This year’s event will feature the return of “The Great Bear Show,” the always awesome NW Big Game Display, the 15-lane indoor 3-D Archery Shoot, and the popular Outdoor Cooking Camp with Cee Dub Welch. Sunday is once again Kids’ Day, sponsored by Sportsman’s Warehouse. Every kid age 6-12 will be admitted to the show at a reduced rate and fishing will be free all day long on Sunday only at “Lunker Lake,” compliments of Sportsman’s Warehouse. Other activities are planned on Sunday for the kids including cooking for the kids at the Outdoor Cooking Camp, learning to tie a fly at the Columbia Basin Fly Casters booth, and special drawings just for the kids.

“The Great Bear Show” from Jefferson, Texas will be making a return trip to the 2018 Tri-Cities Sportsmen Show and will be a great addition to this year’s show. This black bear display will be on exhibit inside the Arena all three days for your viewing pleasure and there will be several informative presentations each show day.

The Seminar Room at the 2018 Tri-Cities Sportsmen Show will be busy all three days of the show with fishing and hunting experts sharing their knowledge during hourly presentations. This year’s fishing speakers include: walleye fishing expert and guide, Dave Hedden on walleye fishing; author, Wayne Heinz on depth sounder tips and early season bass fishing; WDFW Paul Hoffarth covering warm water fishing as well as salmon and trout fishing in the Tri-Cities area; full time guide and salmon expert, Shane Magnuson talking about salmon fishing from spring Chinook to the fall upriver bright Chinook; and Red’s Fly Shop from the Yakima River Canyon presenting several fly fishing seminars.

Hunting speakers at this year’s show include: champion waterfowl caller, Abel Cortina; elk hunting expert, Brian Robertson; turkey hunting expert and NWTF Regional Director, Richard Mann; and the Sand and Sage Hunting Retriever Club.
The 2018 Tour of NW Big Game animals returns to Room 4 at the show with an impressive display of northwest big game trophies including several life-size mounts. You can also bring in your trophies to be scored. The top scoring entries will be eligible for special prizes that will include Bushnell binoculars and a chance to win a new Savage rifle. The latest edition of the Record Book for Oregon’s Big Game Animals as well as the current edition of the Record Book for Washington Big Game Animals will be available for purchase at this year’s show. Also in Room 4 will be Kids’ Korner where there are activities just for the kids each day with special activities planned on Sunday only, which is Kids’ Day.

“The Great Bear Show” will be set up on the south side of the Arena with several presentations each day. Also in the Arena, Colyak Bowhunters will once again set up and manage the popular indoor 3-D Archery Range and kids’ Balloon Shoot. The free Crosman kids’ Air Rifle Range, hosted by the Richland Rod and Gun Club will teach young shooters how to correctly handle a rifle while shooting at paper targets. The target range is located on the north side of the Arena. Lunker Lake will once again be full of hungry trout and also manned by the Richland Rod and Gun Club during the three-day show. And remember, fishing if free for all kids on Sunday only, courtesy of the Kennewick Sportsman’s Warehouse.

Also back by popular demand for the 18th straight year, Cee Dub Welch and his wife, Penny return to the Outdoor Cooking Camp, teaching outdoor and Dutch oven cooking that is informative as well as entertaining.

The 2018 Tri-Cities Sportsmen Show will offer something for the entire family to enjoy and is the perfect place to start off the new year. Show attendees will have a chance to save money on general admission and can also sign up for one of the many door prizes given away hourly all three days of the show. The grand door prize this year is from Northwest Wildlife Jewelry and you can enter to win every day you attend the show. A winner will be pulled from the combined entries on Sunday.

General admission is $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children ages 6-12. Children under 6 years old are admitted free all three days of the show. Friday is Seniors’ Day when everyone 60 and older gets into the show for $5.00 and Sunday is still Kids’ Day, where all kids ages 6-12 are admitted for $1.00 off the normal admission price. The special return policy of pay the daily admission price once and return to the show free the rest of the weekend is very popular for those wanting to spend more than one day at the show.
There is also a military discount of $1.00 off any admission any day with a military ID. Parking is free all three days of the show.
For those willing to come to the Tri-Cities Sportsmen Show early, a special prize will be handed out as you come through the doors on all three days. On Friday and Saturday, the first 150 adults will receive a goody bag from Grigg’s Sporting Goods of Pasco. On Sunday, the first 100 kids will receive special early bird prizes courtesy of the Tri-Cities Sportsmen Show and Atomic Bowl. Show hours are Friday 1-7; Saturday 10-6; and Sunday 10-5.

This year’s show should have something for everyone and will be a great place to spend the weekend. So no matter what the weather is doing outside, it will be warm inside the TRAC at the 2018 Tri-Cities Sportsmen Show. For more information including seminar schedules, visit ShuylerProductions.com.