Huge "Outdoor Sports Shows" like those in Sacramento, and even Los Angeles or Las Vegas are a powerful draw. I often see folks from Chico and around the North Valley whenever I attend them.

This weekend's second annual North State Outdoors Sportsman Expo at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds is a worthy member of that club, with an extra helping of our own local outdoor flavor. Organizers estimate that this years' show is 35-percent larger than last year's version.

In addition to the popular Splash Dogs, the event will also feature a casting pool, bungee trampoline, paintball demo, dog training demo, little tykes fishing pond, and lots of seminar speakers. Fishing instruction and seminars will be given by such well-known guides as Rick Kennedy on Eagle Lake and landlocked salmon, Bryan Roccucci on Lake Almanor, Lance Gray on Feather River steelhead, and Jim Clarkson of Chico's Raptor Rod Works on selecting the correct rod.

Exhibitors will include companies making waterfowl calls, boats, and all kinds of outdoor gear, along with area resorts, and even the California Deer Association's trophy deer display, and the Chico Rod and Gun Club.

The event will take place at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, on Saturday and Sunday [April 14-15]. Admission is $5 per person, and children age 15 and under are free.