The Bass Pro Shops World’s Fishing Fair is coming to Springfield, Missouri, for a special 50th-year anniversary party. Organizers are raising tents at this very moment in anticipation of the five-day event, which begins on March 30. This year’s World’s Fishing Fair will include live music, fishing seminars, big sales, and opportunities to meet fishing professionals.
Lee Beasley, senior market general manager for the retail giant, said the fair has grown considerably since it began in 1988.
“It’s fun to explain the big party that we’re fixing to have,” Beasley said. “It’s going to be, I would say, one of the biggest parties.”
Over 150 manufacturers and 200 exhibitors will display the latest and greatest in outdoors equipment. Organizers also plan to raffle close to $250,000 worth of prizes to participants over the course of the week.
“We’re gonna have so many different folks from all facets of the outdoors,” Beasley said.
Beasley also noted that he expects a lot of fresh faces, too, since one of the positive byproducts of the COVID-19 pandemic was an increase in outdoors activities and enthusiasm. Many new hobbyists looked to the various outdoors adventures as a way to safely interact with others.
“We have had families coming in and they come to us and ask, ‘I want to take my kids fishing. I want to take them hunting. I want to take them camping. And, I’ve never done it before,'” Beasley said.
Bass Pro Shops is also hosting a concert series during the World’s Fishing Fair
Tickets to the event are extremely affordable, as well. One-day general admission tickets are on sale for $8 for ages 9-15 and $20 for 16 and up. Two-day passes are $10 for ages 9-15 and $25 for 16 and up. Three-day passes are $12 for ages 9-15 and $30 for 16 and up. Children 8 and under are free.
Bass Pro Shops will also donate half of all gate proceeds to local conservation groups. Some of the recipients include Ducks Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the Safari Club International Foundation, and the International Game Fish Association.
The fair will also feature a concert series with some of the biggest names in country music. Luke Combs, Luke Bryant, Dierks Bentley, Hank Williams Jr., and others will play for fair patrons; but you need to buy a separate ticket in order to attend the concerts.
All attendees must first purchase a fair ticket. Then, if you want to attend the concert, you have to buy another ticket. Both tickets can be bought on the company’s website. Concert tickets begin at $95 for a single day.
