We don’t fear winter in Wisconsin. We learn to live with it, even love parts of it.
We know the snow and cold present a challenge and contribute to our character.
But that doesn’t mean we don’t look forward to spring.
Come early March, we’re ready for a change. It’s time for Old Man Winter to release his gray, frozen grip and make way for flowing water and green growth.
We’re eager for wood ducks in breeding plumage to grace our marshes, for trout lilies to push skyward, for wild turkeys to strut and gobble.
We can’t always count on the timing of winter’s departure, however.
But there is a reliable harbinger of spring in our midst. For 76 years, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sports Show presented by Chevy Silverado has provided an indoor celebration of the great outdoors.
Like a faithful partner, the show has returned each March, no matter the weather or the economy.
This year the Sports Show runs Wednesday through next Sunday at State Fair Park in West Allis.
As usual, children age 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult.
In its early days, the event was known as the “Fishermen’s Party.” The 2016 edition will include a creel full of angling content, too, from vendors with the latest gear to seminars by leading experts.
But the show has evolved to include a wide array of boating, hunting, shooting sports, outdoor recreation, travel and entertainment.
Interested in a new boat? Check out the latest models at the Mercury Marine Boating Pavilion.
Our love for Green Bay Packers football never goes out of season. This year two Packers players, John Kuhn and Scott Tolzien, will make appearances and give autographs at the show.
Want to learn a thing or two?
The Lake-Link Seminar Stage will once again feature presentations by top names in the outdoors world, including Keith Kavajecz, Gary Nault and Larry Smith.
Do you dream of hunting in Africa? You owe it to yourself to hear Reon van Tonder’s presentation titled “Preparing for your First African Safari.”
If waterfowl hunting is your thing, you’re in for a rare treat. Charlie Potter, former executive director of Delta Waterfowl; Buddy Melges, Hall of Fame sailor and avid waterfowl hunter from Zenda, Wis.; and Bryan Muche, regional development director for Delta Waterfowl, will address “Facts & Fictions of Ducks and Duck Hunting in Wisconsin.”
Deer hunters constantly debate the most important sources of mortality on the herd, especially coyotes, bobcats, bears and wolves. CJ Winand will address exactly that in “Predator Impact on Deer.”
And for anglers searching for the best regional destinations, John Gillespie will share his decades of experience in “Fishing Opportunities Around the Midwest.”
The Sports Show affords opportunities to participate, too.
West Town Archery will offer a kids archery range as well as an archery tournament.
And Daniel Boone Conservation League will provide an air rifle shooting range and conduct an air rifle contest.
If you’d like to wet a line you can do it in the temperature controlled comfort of the convention center at the trout pond.
A climbing wall will be available, too, for those who like to get above ground level.
Dan Basore is back with his “Old Tackle Shop” historical fishing display. Stop by to see vintage angling equipment or to get a free appraisal on your gear.
No Sports Show would be complete without man’s best friend. The Milwaukee Dog Training Club and Donnybrook Kennel Labrador Retrievers will give demonstrations of dog handling.
They’ll be plenty of impressive human performances, too. The IRONJACKS Timber Team will chop, throw and climb multiple times each day on the Chevy Dealers Main Stage.
And if your primary interest is dreaming of a vacation getaway, take a stroll through the Discover Wisconsin.com Travel Pavilion, where you’ll be able to talk with lodge owners and guides from Wisconsin and across North America.
That’s the magic of the Sports Show. For five days in early March, you can do it all, regardless of what’s happening outside.
See you at the show.
Send email to psmith@journalsentinel.com
