Family Fun, Conservation Still Highlight 46th Annual Outdoorama February 28-March 3 in Novi
It’s hard to fathom that Southeast Michigan’s premiere outdoors show could get significantly bigger and better, but that’s what show patrons can expect at the 46th annual Outdoorama, February 28 through March 3 at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.
Showspan News
Family Fun, Conservation Still Highlight 46th Annual Outdoorama February 28-March 3 in Novi
Outdoorama 2019 runs February 28 through March 3 in Novi at Suburban Collection Showplace. Photo Credit: Showspan
Novi, MI — It’s hard to fathom that Southeast Michigan’s premiere outdoors show could get significantly bigger and better, but that’s what show patrons can expect at the 46th annual Outdoorama, February 28 through March 3 at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.
The corner stones of the show – conservation and family fun – remain intact, but with a 100,000-square-foot expansion completed at Suburban Collection Showplace, this year’s Outdoorama will feature more hunting and fishing gear, boats, marine accessories, informative and entertaining seminars, and guides and outfitters from across the country and beyond. Whether it’s watching the thrilling head-to-head Timberworks Lumberjack competitions, enjoying an up-close encounters with Live Birds of Prey, catching a feisty trout in the Trout Pond, or attending one of the non-stop Educational Seminars there is something for everyone at Outdoorama.
Conservation continues to be the foundation of Outdoorama, but family fun also keeps folks coming back year after year. Patrons can’t wait to return to Outdoorama to see Big Buck Night (Thursday only) and some of the biggest racks taken in Michigan in 2018, battle a king salmon or a dorado on the Video Fishing Simulator, plink around at our Pellet Shooting Range or “pig out” at the Ultimate Sportsman’s Hog Roast.
Patrons will find door-buster deals at Outdoorama, too. With over five acres of boats, hunting and fishing gear, and outfitters and guides from across North America and beyond, deals abound for everyone.
A diverse lineup of entertaining seminars provide hours of education for anglers, hunters, wildlife watchers and their families.
“For more than four decades we have been combining family fun, conservation and outdoors education to make Outdoorama the best and longest-running outdoors show in southeast Michigan,” says Show Manager Ben Nielsen. “With the addition of 100,000 square feet of floor space at Suburban Collection Showplace, this year’s show will feature more hunting gear, fishing gear, boats, motors, and accessories than ever before. We’re excited about this year’s show and can’t wait for the doors to open at 1 p.m. on February 28.”
Features & Attractions
Returning to Outdoorama this year by popular demand is the Timberworks Lumberjack Show. These lumberjack world championship competitors use the same skills used in logging camps in the 1900s to thrill the crowds with entertaining dialog and head-to-head competition in skills including log rolling, pole climbing, ax throwing, crosscut sawing and more. The Timberworks Lumberjacks have nation-wide appeal and have appeared on television shows including Wide World of Sports and Fox and Friends. They are sure to be a hit with the crowds at Outdoorama.
New to the show this year are two of special features including the Whitetail Kings Collection Display, featuring some of the most famous whitetails ever shot in the U.S.; and a Locked Antler Display, featuring over 20 sets of locked antlers from white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moose.
Big Buck Night returns to Outdoorama Thursday, February 28 at 7PM featuring celebrity hosts Jimmy Gretzinger and Jenny Olson (seating starts at 6:30 PM). Photo Credit: Showspan
Big Buck Night-East, an annual family staple on Michigan Out-of-Doors TV, will be filmed on Thursday beginning at 7 p.m. It’s free with admission and doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Commemorative Bucks of Michigan measurers will be on hand all four days of the show providing free scoring of trophy deer, bear, elk and turkey. Patrons who have their trophies scored are encouraged to display them on the Outdoorama Buck.
On Saturday, deer hunters can learn how to process their own deer when Steve Francis, owner of Country Smokehouse in Almont, will give a demonstration on field dressing, skinning, butchering and packaging a whitetail.
The Michigan B.A.S.S. Federation Nation will again provide one of the best indoor Trout Ponds in the state. For a nominal fee kids can try their luck at catching a live rainbow trout. In addition there is a Pellet Shooting Range with certified instructors offering free lessons and shooting and an Archery Range for kids, staffed by members of the Michigan Bowhunters Association.
Do battle with a Great Lakes king salmon or dorado at Outdoorama on the Michigan Charter Boat Association’s Virtual Fishing Simulator, or learn to tie flies at the Michigan Fly Fishing Club’s Fly Tyer’s Corner.
Live wild animals and birds of prey will be on display by the Howell Nature Center and the Michigan Hawking Club.
Outfitters Expo provides show patrons with nearly unlimited family vacation and adventure travel, including hunting and fishing destinations throughout North America and beyond. You can book a fishing trip to Canada, an elk hunt in Idaho, a family houseboat adventure in Kentucky, or a safari in Africa.
Antique & Classic Fishing Tackle will be on display at Outdoorama, some of which has its roots right here in southeastern Michigan. Got some antique lures lying around? Bring them in and have Antique Tackle Expert Terry McBurney appraise them for you. There also will be several Vintage Boats and Vintage Motors on display at the show.
With a 100,000 square-foot expansion completed at Suburban Collection Showplace, this year’s Outdoorama will feature more hunting and fishing gear, boats, marine accessories and more! Photo Credit: Showspan
Seminars
More than 75 seminars are scheduled over the four days and cover topics ranging from fishing and hunting to training your bird dog or grooming your land for wildlife or hunting. All seminars are free with admission and many in-booth demonstrations attract crowds throughout the show.
Headlining the All-Star Seminar Lineup are deer hunting experts John Eberhart (Whitetail Hunting Tactics), Tim Andrus (Game Cameras), Tony LaPratt (What You Need to Know for Killing Mature Bucks), Tom Richardson (Calling Whitetails) and Jason Herbert (Hunting on a Dime). They’ll be joined by turkey hunting expert and calling champion Seth McCullough (Calling Turkeys); and expert dog handler Len Jenkins (Training Your Dog to Hunt).
On the fishing side of the seminars are professional walleye experts Mark Romanack (Trolling for Walleyes), Mark Martin (Walleyes in Open Water), and Lance Valentine (Sonar Basics and Beyond, and Jigging on the Detroit River). Some of the other fishing seminar leaders are Jake Romanack (Walleyes), Wayne Carpenter (Bass), Kevin Backus (Muskies) and Mike Pittiglio (Muskies).
John Borkovich, a retired conservation officer and book author, also will be presenting seminars at Outdoorama.
Kids and adults enjoy collecting the commemorative Dardevle spoons that Eppinger Manufacturing Co. in Dearborn hands out each year on Thursday and Friday to the first 500 show patrons. On Saturday and Sunday the first 250 patrons will receive a K&E Bass Stopper lure from Stopper Lures in Hastings.
An added bonus for Outdoorama patrons is free crossover admission to the 12th annual Cottage & Lakefront Living Show, held concurrently at Suburban Collection Showplace.
Show Information
Show Hours:
- Thursday, 1 PM to 9 PM
- Friday, 11 AM to 9 PM
- Saturday, 10 AM to 9 PM
- Sunday, 10 AM to 5 PM
Admission:
- Adults: $12
- Children 6 to 14: $5
- Children 5 and under: Free
Parking
On-site parking is $5.
For More Info
For more information, visit www.Outdoorama.com or call 616-447-2860. You can also follow late-breaking news and developments on Facebook at ULTIMATESPORTSHOWTOUR or Twitter: www.twitter.com/Outdoorama. Make sure you stop by the GreatLakesBass.com / GreatLakesIceFishing.com booth 5714 during the show! (2nd aisle from west end of building)
The Suburban Collection Showplace, a state-of-the-art Exposition, Convention and Conference Center in Novi, Michigan, is owned and managed by Blair M. Bowman. The Suburban Collection Showplace offers approximately 320,000 square feet of space, including 30,000 square feet of meeting space. Other attractive amenities include a full-service kitchen capable of serving a sit down meal to 3,500 people, formal banquet halls, full-service concession areas, two major atrium style entrances with 25,000 square feet of lobby space for pre-function and registration activities. For more information, visit www.SuburbanCollectionShowplace.com.