YOU CAN CALL ME DALE SHOWMAN
OMICRON MIGHT BE A PROBLEM, BUT I EXPECT TO BE BACK AT MAJOR SHOWS THIS WINTER
The last outdoors show I attended was March 6, 2020, at the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo in Birmingham, Alabama. The last big show locally for me was Feb. 8, 2020, on opening day of the Tinley Park Fishing Show.
I expect to be back at major shows this winter. I felt definite about that until word came of omicron. There’s one major change. The Chicago Boat Show, the area’s longest-running show, was postponed again to 2023.
Officially, it is “a result of current needs and economics of the Chicagoland market, including the supply-chain disruptions and historically low market-specific boat inventory.” Take that with a grain of salt. The Muskie Expo Chicago opens the show season Jan. 7-9 at the Kane County Fairgrounds in St. Charles. The show moved there after Pheasant Run closed in 2020. The All-Canada Show also moved there Jan. 20-23.
The big fishing show — the Chicagoland Fishing, Travel & Outdoor Expo — is in its usual slot Jan. 27-30 at the Schaumburg Convention Center.
The delayed arrival of the Illinois Deer Classic is April 1-3 at Peoria Civic Center.
The Henry Decoy Show, now the longest-running show in Illinois with the Boat Show postponed, plans to move to Exposition Gardens in Peoria. That change to a non-school setting also will allow Jason Baldwin to expand the options for what is allowed.
The Tinley Park Fishing Show also grows.
“I have expanded the field house for the 2022 show,” show manager Rich Komar emailed. “We are excited and are looking forward to bringing it back.”
The show is on its usual second weekend of February (Feb. 12-13) at Tinley Park High School.
The expansive list of shows, classes and swap meets is posted (and updated as needed) at chicago.suntimes.com/outdoors.