37th Outdoor Weekend starts Friday 3pm, featuring retailers,
educational displays and great entertainment for the family
IMLAY CITY – The 37th Annual Woods-N-Water News Outdoor Weekend returns this weekend to the Eastern Michigan State Fairgrounds.
The show opens at 3 p.m. this Friday, Sept. 8th and runs through Sunday, Sept. 10th.
“We have an outstanding event for showgoers starting with great outdoor retailers, educational displays and exhibits with just about every type of product for the outdoor enthusiast,” said Woods-N-Water News Editor Tom Campbell.
“There’s also a bunch of great entertainment to see as well, artistic chainsaw carvers to Native American story telling and dancers, a climbing wall, refreshments and, of course, puppies for sale.”
There is plenty to see and do at the Outdoor Weekend and one thing you can bet you will see is piles of antlers, lots of antlers and more piles of antlers.
New New New
For this year’s entertainment side of the Weekend, we’ve added the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show! The show features lumberjack competitors known worldwide, with action-packed competition and plenty of laughter, good old-fashioned fun and family entertainment. You’ll see log rolling, underhand chopping, springboard chopping, standing block chop, crosscut sawing, axe throwing, and dragster chainsaw competition.
Seminars for Serious Hunters
Woods-N-Water News has always been proud of the hunting seminars offered at the Outdoor Weekend, but this year’s are the best! Incredibly informative with thinking outside the box, these deer hunting experts will take your hunting to the next level.
John Eberhart – Bowhunting Legend extraordinaire and author/writer/videographer – Eberhart Outdoors, www.deer-john.net! John has 34 bucks in the Michigan record book from 20 different properties and another 20 P&Y bucks from 14 different out-of-state properties and has co-authored 3 instructional bowhunting books and 3 DVD instructional series. John exclusively hunts public and free permission properties, and he’ll tell you how to be successful.
Adam Lewis – has 30-plus years of deer hunting experience and hosts the educational podcast, blog, and video series for deer hunters, “Deer IQ,” at
deeriq.com. Adam’s topic will be Ultra Pressured Public Lands–8 New Approaches to Beat the Crowds and Find Success.
Tony LaPratt – of Trophy Deer Management Specialists & Master Deer Hunter. His seminars will show you how to better manage your property for deer. He’ll provide the knowledge and understanding to better control deer habits, behavior and movements that will take your hunting to the next level.
Steve Francis of Country Smoke House completes our deer seminars with his amazing Field Dressing Demo! Learn the proper field dressing and skinning demonstrations of big game by Steve and Sue Francis and family, owners of Country Smoke House in Almont. Their seminars have been so popular they will be back again this year. You won’t want to miss these presentations on Saturday only at 3 p.m.
Raptor Returning
The Michigan Avian Experience was so popular last year we had to get them back. Using nonreleasable, wild, native Michigan raptors as teaching partners, they share an educational, conservational, and incredibly exciting experience with a “Raptor Meet and Greet”, Saturday and Sunday only!
Foss Locked Antler Display
If you love antlers and add the uniqueness of ‘locked antlers,’ you must see the Foss collection…it’s astounding! The Foss Brothers have been collecting locked antlers for a very long time and have amassed an incredible collection of locked antlers, and Ron will have it on display the entire weekend. You don’t want to miss it.
So Much More
•Back again will be three days of champion chainsaw carving demonstrations by Alonzo Montoya of Newaygo and Tom Gillman of Bay City. It’s amazing what these artists can do with a chainsaw!
•Terry McBurney, Woods-N-Water News staff writer, will answer questions and offer free appraisals about sporting collectibles, especially vintage fishing tackle. Remember the $114,000 spearing decoy a picker found in a garage sale? Well, what’s in your old tackle box? Terry gives you an idea of what it’s worth. He is also interested in purchasing items for his collection.
•Cribbage Challenge, back again this fall, is the “Cribbage Challenge.” Play with some of the best cribbage players in the U.S.: Jim Blough and David Aiken, and get some tips, tactics, and strategies and of course, it’s all just for fun.
•Commemorative Bucks of Michigan–the official scorers for the record book big game–will have scorers in Imlay City. Patrons can bring their deer, bear, elk, or turkey mounts to the show and have them professionally measured. Many successful hunters will have their trophies on display at the CBM booth under the big tent.
•Living history—Reg Pettibone and his family will teach Native American culture through interpretive dances and artifact displays of the Ho-Chunk nation on Saturday and Sunday.
•With the help of the Lapeer County Animal Control (LCAC) and the Michigan Hunting Dog Federation, the Puppy Area is new and improved to make a positive experience for everyone. The LCAC will assist puppy breeders, sellers, and buyers in understanding the importance of canine health and will not allow the health of puppies to be jeopardized by anyone in any way. There will be puppies to pet, photograph, and buy. Most major hunting breeds will be represented.
If you’re interested in selling quality, healthy hunting breed pups, check out the rules and regulations at www.outdoorweekend.net or call 810-724-0254.
•The Camp Chili Cook-off on Saturday, September 9, features teams competing for $750 cash with judging at 3 p.m. under the Rotary Beer Tent!
The show times: Friday, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will be held at the Eastern Michigan State Fairgrounds in Imlay City. Admission is $10 per person, and kids 12 and under free and free parking. For more information, check our Woods-N-Water News Facebook page, website www.outdoorweekend.net, or call 810-724-0254.
