Annual Big Horn Show set to begin Thursday in Spokane

Melannie Jones thinks this is going to be the best Big Horn Outdoor Adventure Show in years.

Jones is in her second year as the executive director of the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council, and her first year planning the nonprofit’s big annual fundraiser from start to finish.

She had a vision for it. Instead of filling the space solely with vendors trying to sell something, make sure there are fun things to do.

“I want the whole show to be an experience where it’s vendors plus activities for the kids, activities for the adults,” Jones said.

Looking at the lineup, it seems this year’s show, which runs Thursday through Sunday, is going to deliver.

There’s going to be a climbing wall. An archery range. An air rifle range. The fishing pond, a longtime staple of the show, will be there and it will be full of fish.

There will also be a dedicated kids’ activity zone, where youngsters will be able to learn skills like knot tying and take a look at a display of animal skins and skulls.

There’s also a lounge, where adults can find a cold beverage, and there will be a concert on Thursday night. Seminars will be held across all three days, offering tips on fishing, hunting, bird dog training, outdoor survival skills.

Meanwhile, there will be more than 200 vendors spread throughout the Spokane Fair & Expo Center, with RV dealers, hunting and fishing guides, representatives from local nonprofits and more.

“I’m actually really proud of this show,” Jones said.

This is the 63rd iteration of the Big Horn show. It started as an event for hunters to show off trophy antlers.

A trophy room is still part of the deal, but the overall show has since evolved into a more family-oriented event with plenty of activities for everyone.

For nonprofits and government agencies, it’s also a chance to meet people and explain what they do. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will have a booth, as usual. Staci Lehman, a WDFW spokesperson, said the show gives the agency a good chance to meet people and answer questions about regulations and any changes, like chronic wasting disease rules.

“We really enjoy being at the show because it lets us talk to our core traditional constituents,” Lehman said.

Federal agencies won’t be at the show this year as a result of budget cuts, Jones said. She had expected to have officials from the Army Corps of Engineers and the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area attend but they canceled.

Tickets cost $15 online and $18 at the door. Proceeds go back to the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council to fund their projects around the region, such as improving access for disabled hunters, releasing pheasants and improving habitat.