2021 Sports Show is a no-go after 80 years
For 80 years, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sports Show returned like a harbinger of spring.
World War II didn’t stop it. Blizzards couldn’t pause it.
But the coronavirus pandemic, which has changed so much of our lives over the last year, has presented a hurdle too high to navigate.
The 2021 Sports Show has been canceled due to the unavailability of its venue.
The Wisconsin Exposition Center at State Fair Park in West Allis is serving
as an alternate care facility for COVID-19 patients.
State Fair and health officials plan to continue reserving the center for health care purposes through at least April.
“The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Gannett are obviously disappointed by this news that preempts us from hosting the 81st annual Sports Show, especially because we know that interest in outdoor activities has increased significantly during the pandemic,” said Jason Taylor, president of the show’s producer, USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures. “We’ve been working hard to bring enthusiasts a fresh show with many new activities for the entire family. However, we do understand the decision and we support the local health and government officials who are acting responsibly to keep everyone safe.”
Space in the Wisconsin Exposition Center was fitted last spring with partitions and beds and the first patients were moved there in October.
Despite the recent decline in COVID-19 infections, deaths and hospitalizations in the state, the facility is still needed as a safeguard for hospitals, according to officials.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sports Show is the state’s longestrunning and largest traditional gathering of fishing, hunting and boating products, travel destinations and entertainment.
Event managers are already contracting with exhibitors and planning for the next edition of the show, scheduled for March 2022.
Since mid-March 2020, virtually all in-person shows and exhibitions have been canceled in Wisconsin.
The trend has continued through this winter, including the cancellation of the Milwaukee Boat Show in January at State Fair Park. The Realtors Home & Garden Show, which canceled its 2020 event at the venue, announced earlier this month it won’t return this spring.
One show that still plans to go on is the NARI Milwaukee annual Spring Home Improvement Show, which is scheduled to return to the Expo Center from May 21-23.