Show organizer Kevin Renfro invites attendingindividuals and families to find their own brand of adventure at this year’s Ford Indianapolis Boat, Sport and TravelShow, February 15-25 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. “We have hundreds of unique exhibitors folkscan talk with about all manner of outdoor products and services,” saysRenfro. “They’re the true backbone ofour show… but our constantly evolving lineup of exciting, informative and educationalfeatures and attractions represents the icing on the cake”, he continues.
Tackle Town
The ever-popular Tackle Town will once again greetvisitors with nearly two-acres of all things angling. Like your neighborhood bait shop on steroids,Tackle Town shows visitors over 100 unique exhibitors offering cuttingedge, hard-to-find fishing tackle, gear and accessories at special show prices.Tackle Town has everything for the fisherman or fishing family, includingcharter fishing captains and guides who can take you to the big ones, the Kids’Zone casting area and trout fishing pond, and an incredible array of otherinteresting events and attractions.
Jason Roberts owns HoneyCreek Tackle in Bargersville, IN and has been exhibiting at Tackle Town forseven years. “We’ve been one of the larger exhibitors in Tackle Town the pastfew years”, says Roberts, who is donating 500 rods and reels to give away tothe first 500 kids through the door of Tackle Town during ‘Kids Day’ onSaturday, February 16. “People come tothe show to see the very latest fishing tackle and electronics, so they expectto see us there and it is a great opportunity for our staff to share itsknowledge and expertise with existing and new customers… it’s great exposurefor our store”, he concludes.
Check out the latest anglingtricks and techniques from the nation’s top fishing pros at daily seminarsconducted atop the 4,000-gallon Hawg Trough – a massive aquarium loaded withall manner of lunker gamefish. Additionally, an all-star panel of FLWpros will talk fishing and answer your individual questions during theinteractive ‘Ask the Pros Seminar Series’, taking place during both weekends ofthe show. Angling superstars BabeWinkelman, Joe Thomas, three-time FLW Fisherman-of-the-Year David Dudley, 2012FLW Forrest Wood Cup Champion Jacob Wheeler and FLW pros Ted Takasaki, ToddHollowell and Billy McDonald will headline this year’s all-star fishing seminarlineup. Outdoor communicator, DanArmitage will also return this year with his popular and entertaining kidsfishing seminars, while a who’s who of Indiana and the Midwest’s best proanglers will shed welcomed light on species-specific tips and tactics for bass,crappie, muskie, stripers, catfish and carp. Mike Delvisco will provideinvaluable insights on bass fishing, while well-known Indiana fishing guidesChae Dolsen and Mike Hulbert share their experiences chasing giant muskies onNorthern Indiana’s blue ribbon muskie waters Additional can’t-miss seminars will be given by Charlie Hildreth on crappies,Randall Gibson on striped bass, and Gilbert Huxley on carp.
If Tackle Town doesn’thave the gear and information you are looking for, neither does anyone else!
Boatand RV Pavilions
Boats and RVs have alwaysbeen a mainstay of the Ford IndianapolisBoat, Sport and Travel Show, and over seven acres will be dedicated tothese vessels for family fun at this year’s show.
From 40-foot cruisers toall manner of fishing boats, ski boats and personal watercraft, the BoatPavilion will showcase hundreds of the latest watercraft along with boatinglifestyle products and accessories from many of the best dealers acrossIndiana.
Mike Gross of Pinecrest Marineis excited to return to the Boat Pavilion at this year’s show. “We have three dealerships in Indiana and doa lot of consumer sports shows,” says Gross. “The Indianapolis Boat, Sports and Travel Show is by far the best showwe attend… it’s a big show, the people are super and it’s a great opportunityfor folks to come out and get a really great deal on a new boat,” hecontinues. Visitors to Pinecrest’s boothin the Boat Pavilion can expect to see a variety of brand new watercraftmodels, including Mastercraft’s cutting-edge XStar wakeboard boat and thesporty 24-foot R5 from Cobalt.
Likewise, visitors willfind the RV Pavilion jam-packed with great deals on all kinds of cutting-edgeRVs. From lightweight towables to motorhomes to fifth wheels, the RV Pavilion is the one place to see them all.
Of course, boat and RV dealersattending the show don’t want to take their inventory home with them, so makean offer! On the spot financing, factory incentives and special show pricespromise to make purchasing a boat or RV at the show easier and more affordablethan ever.
Traveland Tourism Pavilion
Planning a vacation usingthe online travel sites is always a gamble. How do you know that what you see on your computer screen is what you’llfind when you arrive? And how do youreally know you are getting the best value?
Deal directly with thefolks who can answer your questions.
The 50,000 square-footTravel and Tourism Pavilion is the definitive place to plan your next familyvacation, fishing trip, wilderness hunt or other unique outdoorexcursion. With over 150 private, local, state and even national travelprofessionals representing exciting destinations in 25 states and threecountries, no matter what kind of travel experience you’re looking for – fromwilderness lodges, houseboats and hunting and fishing resorts to beaches tofairways -- you’ll be sure to find it at the Travel and Tourism Pavilion.
Many of these exhibitorsare owners and operators of the lodges, resorts and camps they represent. Talk with them all and deal with those youlike. Since you’ll be dealing direct,you’re not paying a middleman so more of your money stays in your pocket. Bring the family and start gettingexcited. You’re almost on vacation.
Quiet Sports and Outdoor LivingPavilion
Human-powered adventure activities like, hiking, paddling, mountainbiking, rock-climbing and fly fishing may leave a small ecological footprint,but are as hard-core as the ever-growing number of enthusiasts who practicethem. Sometimes referred to as the quiet sports, these activitiesare some of the fastest-growing outdoor recreational pursuits. And in this case, quiet certainly doesn'tmean dull or mundane.
The 70,000 square-foot Quiet Sports and Outdoor Living Pavilion at the Ford Indianapolis Boat, Sport and TravelShow provides anunequaled opportunity to see the best quiet sports gear and learn from some ofthe best and most experienced adventure paddlers, backpackers, mountaineers andother quiet sports moguls in the world. Additionally,attractions like the Peak Adventure Rock Wall, the Fly Fishing DemonstrationPond and the Canoe and Kayak Challenge Pond provide hands-on opportunities.
One-of-a-kind seminars from some of the world's top experts are aprimary focus at this year's Quiet Sports Expo. Cliff Jacobson is one of North America's mostrespected outdoors writers, wilderness guides, national and foreignconsultants, and is the most published canoeing/camping writer of this century. He’ll be sharing his vast experiencesand providing a variety of seminars including Camping's Top Secrets. Noblesville school teacher and former OutwardBound instructor, Darlene Patterson will treat visitors to at least two uniqueseminars covering the nuts and bolts of canoe packing, as well as perspectiveson solo paddling in the fabled Boundary Waters Canoe Area of northeasternMinnesota and Ontario's Quetico Provincial Park. The man known as Tuts is one of NorthAmerica's greatest adventurers and foremost experts on long distance hiking.Tuts will be at the Quiet Sports and Outdoor Living Pavilion during the secondweekend of the show to give a fascinating seminar on the logistics of backpackingthe Appalachian Trail -- one of America's greatest and most challenging markedhiking trails, extending approximately 2,200 miles from northern Georgia tocentral Maine.
Of course, the Quiet Sports and Outdoor Living Pavilion offers much morethan top-notch seminars. Over 100exhibitors will provide opportunities to see, touch and in some cases even trythe very latest adventure sports equipment, from climbing and mountaineeringaccessories to kayaks, bicycles, fly fishing gear and more. Other exhibitors will be on hand to provideattendees with hard-to-find, where-to information on quiet sportsopportunities in and around Indiana.
For more information, visit www.quietsportsexpo.com
Beginning Monday, January 21st, adultssave $2 on admission when they purchase Advance Discount Tickets to the Ford Indianapolis Boat, Sport and TravelShow at Marsh Supermarkets. SaturdayFebruary 16th is Kids’ Day! The first 500 kids through the door receive a free rod and reel combocourtesy of Honey Creek Tackle! For thelatest show features, seminar schedules and information, or to purchase ticketsonline, go to www.indianapolisboatsportandtravelshow.com.
Ford Indianapolis Boat,Sport and Travel Show hours:
Fridays, February 15 & 22, 3 p.m. - 9p.m.
Saturdays, February 16 & 23, 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Sundays, February 17 & 24, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Monday, February 18, 1 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Tuesday-Thursday, February 19-21, 3 p.m. - 9p.m.
Admission prices:
$13 Adults
$11 Seniors (60+)
$8 Kids (6-12)
FREE All kids 5 years of age and under
