Home, outdoorsman shows filling sports complex

April 15, 2007

By MATT TUNSETH

Frontiersman

WASILLA - Area residents came out in droves over the weekend for a chance to view and stock up on products ranging from flashy fishing lures to shiny kitchen sinks.

The combined Mat-Su Home and Garden and Mat-Su Outdoorsman shows at the Wasilla Multi-Use Sports Complex drew more than 100 vendors and thousands of people anxious to get a gander at the latest and greatest in housewares and sporting equipment. The shows began Friday and continue through today.

After taking a walk through dozens of booth-lined aisles, Palmer's Gabe Carmen said he was impressed with the variety of goods and services on display.

&#8220They really had a lot of stuff,” Carmen said. &#8220I thought it was pretty cool.”

Carmen said he was pleasantly surprised to see the sportsman's show running alongside the home show.

&#8220That was an added bonus,” he said.

Vendors said they were happy with the big crowds who showed up to check out housewares, appliances, hot tubs, siding, knives, reindeer sausage and everything in between.

Wasilla inventor Lyle Johnson took the opportunity to show off his new product, the E-Z Line Clamp and Cutter, a device that keeps fishing line from running off the spool and enables anglers to cut the line to a desired length.

&#8220No more of this wrapping stuff,” he said, promising that the device would help fishermen keep tackle boxes neat and tidy.

Johnson said response at the show to his device was positive.

&#8220I haven't had any negatives at all,” he said.

Not everyone at the show was there to hawk products or browse the aisles. Plenty of petitions circulated, and several booths were staffed by the likes of Army recruiters, chamber of commerce representatives and nonprofit groups circulating petitions.

Steve Keppel attended the show to sell tickets for the chance to win a 2006 Harley Davidson motorcycle valued at $21,000. Keppel said the raffle was a benefit for Nugen's Ranch, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility in the Valley.

A graduate of the ranch's program himself, Keppel said selling tickets for the motorcycle raffle is his way of giving back to the program that helped him turn his life around.

&#8220I've got over two years clean and sober,” he said.

He said sales were good Saturday, with people either buying tickets out of a desire to win the bright red bike or simply wanting to help out the facility.

&#8220A lot of people just do it to help out the ranch,” he said.

Both the sportsman's show and home and garden show will run through 5 p.m. today.

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@frontiersman.com