WILTON – From the Benoit brothers’ big bucks to Saddleback skiing, the Bob Nichols Expo Center will be brimming with activity this weekend.
In its first bid to make part of the former G.H. Bass manufacturing facility into an exposition center, Nichols Development LLC, partnering with Northwoods Promotions, will be presenting the Pine Tree State Sportsman Show on Friday through Sunday. As of Tuesday, all but seven of the more than 200 booths at the newly constructed expo center were rented, according to Gil Reed, one of the Nichols Development partners. Encompassing more than 44,000 square feet of open space, the center is the largest exposition center in the state, he said.
Featured at the show will be live wild animals from Spruce Acres Refuge in North Amity, including a black bear, mountain lion and bald eagle. Seminars throughout the weekend include the Benoit brothers of Vermont, deer hunters who will present information on tracking big bucks; Charlie Bowe of Troy with bass fishing tips; and Bill Saiff III of New York, teaching duck and goose calling.
Children will be able to fish for trout from Dunham’s fish hatchery of Avon in a small pond built in the corner of the hall. There will be an outdoor stage where dog training demonstrations will take place. Vendors will be hawking hunting and fishing apparel, gear and guide services, real estate, campgrounds, motorcycles, crafts and custom trailers and campers.
Walking through the sunlit space Tuesday, Reed pointed to forest green tarp cloth booths, which were manufactured on the premises and are expected to be permanent. The partners have several shows in the works, including a bridal show, a home and garden show, and a logging, construction and farm show. No specific dates have been set for these yet.
Though the expo center was not in the Nichols group’s original plans when it purchased the factory, the group decided to give it a try when Northwoods proposed the idea. With a $13,000 heating bill every three weeks, said Reed, “Failure is not an option.”
More information on the show is available on the Internet at www.pinetreesportsmanshow.com.
Comments are no longer available on this story