Alaska Outdoorsman Show starts Oct. 18

The Alaska Outdoor Council (AOC) and Alaska Gun Collector’s Association (AGCA) will be hosting the Alaska Outdoorsman Show on October 18 and 19 at the Curtis Menard Center. Doors are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is $5, kids are free.

Roughly 50 local vendors will be in attendance to provide Alaskans with an opportunity to restock and resupply after the fall hunting season.

“It’s a modified outdoor show/gun show,” AOC Executive Director Caleb Martin said. “[Vistors] can expect everything that they’ve come to know from the Alaska Gun Collectors gun shows from around the state and a hybrid mixture with a lot of local vendors featuring outdoor products from around Alaska.”

Vendors will be selling firearms, knives, ammunition, reloading supplies and more. Attendees can purchase apparel and artwork while supporting local businesses. Attendance in previous years ranged from 3,000-4,000 people and Martin expects a similar turnout this year.

Proceeds from the event will go towards outdoor education programs that are sponsored by the AOC and the AGCA. Programs include youth shooting sports scholarships, youth outdoor programs, the youth hunter education challenge and more.

“Not only does it bring opportunity for the community to help fund outdoor education for youth of Alaska, it also brings a variety of products at a time of year where they have just experienced hunting season and they know what they need for next season, what worked and didn't work for them this season,” Martin said. “While all those outdoor experiences are fresh on their mind, it comes at a time of the year where they can actually take action on that.”

The outdoorsman show occurs during that same weekend as the AOC Alaska Outdoorsman Banquet, also held at the Curtis Menard Center on October 18 from 5-10 p.m. Tickets for the banquet are still available to purchase online.

“The community has really gotten behind the outdoor show and our banquet,” Martin said. “It’s grown rapidly the last few years. When we first started this three, four years ago, it started as a 300 person event. Now it’s grown to over 800 folks and several hundred small businesses involved in this. I think the more the people see the direct benefit to their community on programs and issues, they’ve got more and more behind it.”

The event is also sponsored by Lithia Superstore South Anchorage, Royal Flush Septic Pumping, Timber and Tundra Leather Co., Upstream Counseling and Able Locksmiths and Security Center.