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A tornado warning sent our daughter and me to join others along an interior wall March 31 at the Peoria Civic Center on opening day of the Illinois Deer Classic.
That was the most memorable moment in the past season for outdoors shows. The classic will be at a more opportune time (March 8-10) in 2024.
Corey Gregory and daughter Riley work on a deer mount in March at the Illinois Deer Classic in Peoria.
Show season looks as though will be back to normal after years of being affected by COVID.
The season begins Friday, Dec. 1, with the St. Paul Ice Fishing and Winter Sports Show in Minnesota. Even in these days of internet information and sales, some Chicagoans will trek north for what they consider to be the best ice-fishing show.
In Illinois, the kickoff show remains the Let’s Go Fishing Show, which opens Jan. 5 at the Gateway Convention Center in Collinsville.
Our family favorite is the Chicago Boat Show, which starts the Chicago-area shows Jan. 10-14 at McCormick Place South.
The big show, the Chicagoland Fishing, Travel & Outdoor Expo at the Schaumburg Convention Center, is scheduled for Jan. 25-28, its usual time frame. Matt Robertson is a ‘‘confirmed new and engaging’’ bass angler, show manager Tod Alberto emailed. He also emailed that they already have more exhibitors committed than they did last year.
The All-Canada Show on Feb. 1-4 settles in again at relatively new digs at the Kane County Fairgrounds in St. Charles.
The Henry Decoy Show — small but a personal favorite — on Feb. 11 also settles into relatively new digs at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe.
The Tinley Park Fishing, Travel and Outdoor Expo (tinleyfishexpo.com) looks to be settling in after a bumpy start. Clyde Sana indicated it will double in size Feb. 16-18 at the Tinley Park Convention Center. The seminar speakers read like an all-star lineup for Chicago fishing.
It’s nearly time.
For the complete master list of outdoors shows, classes, swap meets, major fundraisers and major ice-fishing events, go to
One of the notable themes at outdoor shows last winter were ebikes, such as these in January at the Chicagoland Fishing, Travel & Outdoor Expo in Schaumburg.
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