Welcome to the gun show

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Published on Thursday, June 9, 2016

Submitted photo. The Neepawa Wildlife Association’s annual gun and collectibles show included 26 exhibitors with 64 tables. Vendors were happy with the turn out and many plan to return in 2017.

By Kira Paterson

Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press

The guns were out last weekend in Neepawa. On Saturday, June 4, the Neepawa Wildlife Association (NWA) held their annual Gun and Collectibles Show at the Yellowhead Centre Arena.  Harris Lowe, one of the organizers of the event, said that although attendance numbers were down, it went really well. 

Last year, the show took place on the same weekend as the Neepawa and Area Fair, while this year, it happened the week after the fair. Lowe said that that was probably one of the reasons the numbers went down from about 400 last year to about 250 who came this year. However, last year, many in attendance were only there to kill time while they were at the fair. “The exhibitors are happier to have 200 people there to buy than 400 people just waking around, killing time,” he said. 

There were 26 exhibitors with 64 tables set up in total this year. Lowe noted that the exhibitors were happy with the outcome and most of them said they would come back next year. He said that next year, they hope to have about 30 exhibitors with around 80 tables. They would also like to expand a bit more in the antique and collectibles side of the show, just to get some more variety. 

The money raised from admission to the show will go to fund Lake Irwin aeration to keep the fish population healthy during the winter. 

The show also marked the kick off of a raffle contest this year, put on by three local clubs. The NWA, as well as the Yellowhead Bowhunters archery club and the Neepawa Rifle Club have partnered together to raise money through a raffle contest with several different prizes up for grabs. Anyone wanting to support these local groups in that way can contact a member of any of the three clubs for more details.