Bemidji Outdoor Sport and Home Show Opens This Weekend at Sanford Center

Hundreds filled the Sanford Center Friday evening when the Bemidji Outdoor Sport and Home Show opened, and the event's final hours run Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with free admission throughout.

Main sponsors Bemidji Marine, Roth RV, and LePier Shoreline & Outdoors anchor the show floor with boats, campers, and waterfront equipment timed to Beltrami County's ice-out season. LePier, Minnesota's leading dealer for Floe docks and lifts, is among the vendors pitching spring installation packages for lakeshore homeowners comparing lift systems before the water opens.

Ironhide Equipment, the Bobcat dealership on Irvine Avenue NW, and Bergamo Campground out of Solway were among the exhibitors who set up Friday alongside home-service companies including ABC Seamless and Aurora Landscapes. The Beltrami County Sheriff's Department also had a booth, part of a broader mix of public-safety and conservation exhibitors sharing floor space with the outdoor and retail vendors.

For anyone comparing big-ticket items before signing at the show, a few questions are worth putting to any vendor: whether the quoted price is show-only or available after Sunday; what the lead time looks like for spring delivery and installation before the fishing opener; whether the company services what it sells out of a local shop; whether financing terms shown at the booth match what the vendor publishes year-round; and what the deposit and cancellation policy is before leaving a check.

For residents still working through yard and landscape damage from last year's severe winds, vendors including Aurora Landscapes and Anderson's Dirt Pro represent a more pressing draw than new gear alone. The Sanford Center's free lot accommodates up to 1,200 vehicles, and Sunday doors open at 11 a.m.