Four decades of tradition: How Michigan’s premier outdoor expo evolved from analog to high-tech

IMLAY CITY — Four decades ago, setting up an outdoor trade show meant hauling heavy wooden crates, setting up slide projectors, passing out thick paper tri-folds, and relying on payphones in dark corridors.

Today, those foam-core boards and paper fishbowls have been replaced by modular tension fabric, digital touchscreens, instant QR scans and tap-to-pay technology.

Yet, as the annual Woods-N-Water News Outdoor Weekend prepares for its 40th anniversary at the Eastern Michigan State Fairgrounds, organizers say one element has remained entirely unchanged: the power of a face-to-face handshake.

From inception to statewide tradition

What began as a quick marketing idea to promote a new publication has grown into the unofficial kickoff celebration for Michigan’s fall hunting season.

The idea struck during a drive past the fairgrounds after a fishing show in the mid-1980s. A quick meeting with then-fair manager Dennis Day secured the only available slot on the calendar — the weekend directly following Labor Day. 

While the initial event took just two months to organize and hosted a couple dozen exhibitors, today’s show requires nearly a full year of planning and attracts thousands of visitors alongside roughly 200 vendors.

Longtime exhibitors like Ray C’s Sports Center, Chapman’s Sports Center, Lumberjack Shack, and Freeways Sports Center have anchored the show floor for nearly the entire 40-year run.

Event highlights, attractions

Scheduled for the weekend following Labor Day, the three-day event balances long-standing fan favorites with new interactive experiences:

• Signature attractions: The Puppy Tent, Annual Chili Cook-Off, Imlay City Rotary Club refreshment tent, Ultimate Air Dogs competition, frontier encampment, birds of prey exhibits and live lumberjack shows.
• Demonstrations: Steve Francis, owner of Country Smoke House, returns with his popular whitetail field-dressing and meat-processing seminar.
• Interactive test track: Ray C’s Extreme store, in partnership with BRP and Can-Am, will host an ATV/ORV test track for visitors to test side-by-side vehicles.
• Live woodworking: Daily chainsaw carving demonstrations, with finished pieces available for purchase on-site.

Event schedule, location

Held annually at the Eastern Michigan State Fairgrounds in Imlay City, the event schedule is set for:

• Friday, Sept. 11: 3-8 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 12: 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
• Sunday, Sept. 13: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.