The Kinzua Outdoor and Travel Show is sure to hit the bull’s eye
this year with an Archery Extravaganza by S&S Archery.
The sixth annual event, presented by the Bradford Area Chamber
of Commerce, to be held from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 6
p.m. Saturday, will be bigger and better, moving into more space in
the Bradford Mall.
“(The show is) more spread out and not as cramped,” said Jerry
Harvey, who does public relations for KOTS. “Last year, we had a
spill over into the mall, but this year there’s more (of the mall)
available to use. The show just keeps getting bigger and
bigger.”
Harvey said car dealers will be in the former Ames store from
the Ames entrance of the mall and the main entrance of the mall
will be open with vendors in the main corridor and the former
Payless store hosting the speaker series. The event will turn left
at the fountain down toward the former Fashion Bug store, which
will hold the Archery Extravaganza.
“We’ve (taken part in the event) for almost two years in a row,
but nothing this big,” said Bob Williams, manager of S&S
Archery. “This is all brand new that we’ve started. We’ve had a
tremendous last two years, but we wanted to increase and do
something different. At first, we wanted to do our own thing in the
City of Bradford. (But the Chamber of Commerce talked to us), and
we’ve been working together (well).”
The Archery Extravaganza will host two youth archery programs
Saturday with a “Pro Archery Shootout” in between. In the
professional shootout, Team Hoyt and Team Matthews with three
professional archers each will go head-to-head and do some fancy
shooting. Then, those in the public who bring their own bow will be
able to challenge a pro in an one-arrow shoot-off.
“Anyone that beats them will be given a door prize,” Williams
said. “We will be talking to the kids (during the youth programs)
and passing out DVDs to the parents about getting archery in the
schools. They will also be shooting a bow.”
Also, at 4 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday, S&S Archery will
have their new bows at the outdoor show, allowing anyone who shoots
three arrows to sign up for a free bow giveaway.
“We spent $300 for a net behind (the targets), and the kids will
not be that far away from a target,” Williams said when asked about
the safety of the set-up. “That way (with the net in place), there
will be no ricochet. In the other (shooting events), they will just
be shooting into the wall. Then, we just have to worry about
(damage to) the wall. I talked to maintenance about that, and they
OK’d it. We’ve made sure we’ve got it all taken care of.”
Amber Bacha of Zippo Manufacturing Co., chair of the marketing
committee for KOTS, said there is a small weekend admission fee for
both days of the show for anyone 12-years-old and older.
“The archery extravaganza should bring in a bunch of people,”
Bacha said. “I don’t think the $2 will deter anyone from coming.
Another big grab for people are the speakers we have coming.”
In addition to the speaker series, there will also be children’s
programs on Friday evening, done by the University of Pittsburgh at
Bradford’s Science in Motion, and on Saturday, organized and taught
by Helen Cummiskey, a research scientist from American Refining
Group.
“The NRA program will be having Eddie the Eagle in,” added Becky
Plummer, event coordinator. “The McKean County Raceway will be
bringing in some cars. They’re also bringing in some race car
drivers to do some autographs.”
Harvey said the Pennsylvania Game Commission is trying to bring
in a full deer mount and bear mount, and the Pennsylvania Fish
Commission will be setting up a tank of fish.
“It’s definitely not a boring time,” Plummer said. “There is
something for everybody of every age.”
Plummer said they have 29 percent new vendors this year than
last with a total of 92 vendors, who are a mix of returning and new
ones.
“Some of our larger sponsors dropped out, but a lot of new
sponsors stepped up,” Bacha said. “We’re up almost 10 sponsors from
last year with vendors.”
Zippo Manufacturing Co. and W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. are
the major sponsors again this year with the Zippo/Case Visitors
Center display inside the former Ames store from the mall entrance,
where the food court will also be. They will host Case’s knife
sharpeners and two Watkins Glen Twisted Tour Simulators.
“We will be doing a little giveaway (to) raffle off a ticket of
the 200 for our race over the summer,” Bacha said. “What it is is a
memory matching game. The idea is to match the car with the driver.
And we time it and add that time to the contestant’s fastest
qualifying time. The fastest (combined) time will win the
ticket.”
Bacha said people at the event will have the first opportunity
to sign up to win a gift basket holding Zippo’s 75th anniversary
items that will be given out at its anniversary celebration in
July, and the chamber will be using Zippo’s Slinko Board for its
giveaways.
For the fourth year, the Bragging Wall, in the former Ames
store, will host many private entries of those that “didn’t get
away.” Each entry will be numbered and displayed with the donor’s
name and a brief description. Prizes will be awarded in five
categories: big game, white tail, furbearer, foul and fish. Winners
are determined by people’s choice, and ballots will be done using
money cans.
Also, the Pennsylvania Deer Association and the Bucktail Branch,
QDMA, will sponsor a white-tailed deer antler and black bear
measuring. Any legally obtained white-tailed deer mount head,
antlers with the skull plate intact, or black bear can be submitted
for scoring. Official scorers and capable, but uncertified scorers
will be available throughout the two-day event.
To have your trophy mount or catch displayed in the Bragging
Wall area or to register for scoring, contact the Bradford Area
Chamber of Commerce. Pre-registration is preferred and recommended
to participate in either or both features. Those bringing a trophy
to be part of the Bragging Wall get into the event for free.
While supplies last, one can purchase the first in a series of
the Bradford pin from the Chamber of Commerce with a handstamp and
get free admission to the Kinzua Outdoor and Travel Show. For more
information about the show, contact the chamber office.
