BANGOR, Maine — After a two-year hiatus, the Bangor Camping and RV Show will be back at the Bangor Auditorium and Civic Center for the 23rd time this weekend.
Dexter Osborn’s “A Grizzly Experience” show, which features an adult grizzly bear and two cubs, will debut in Maine as the highlight of the three-day show, which starts at 2 p.m. Friday and runs until 4 p.m. Sunday.
Bass Park Director Mike Dyer said he’s excited to have the show, featuring dealers and businesses specializing in recreational vehicles, as well as camping and outdoor equipment and supplies from all over New England and the East Coast. Campground and recreational area representatives will also be present.
“The co-op money the dealers get from manufacturers to help defray the cost for shows like this dried up, so they weren’t doing as many,” explained Dyer. “I’ll be honest, it was a struggle to put it together this year, but Webb’s RV Center [in Bangor] and McKay’s RV and Marine Center [in Bar Harbor] were very enthusiastic about it and took an aggressive role in helping us organize it.”
Dyer said the show has routinely attracted 1,800 to 3,000 people per year.
Admission is $5 for adults with children under 12 free if accompanied by an adult. The show runs from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday.
A main prize drawing will be held for a deluxe camping package including a four-person tent, North Face sleeping bags, ground pads, folding chairs, backpacks and gift certificates — all worth more than $1,000.
The genie promised me that Rebecca Hupp and Mike Dyer would BOTH be going to Boise. FAIL!
They should have this show the first full week in March – it will attract many Canadians who are on March Break.
I was thinking the same thing. That would also be closer to when most of us will be getting our gear ready for the camping season. I wonder if they’ll have the Tailgater at this show? It’s this little box that looks like a cooler but inside it there’s a self-pointing dish that gets full HD signals. So not only does it send my receiver/TV a better picture, but it’s also way easier to set up than my old dish-on-a-tripod. That was my favorite purchase for last years’ camping. Unfortunately my employer, DISH, released the Tailgater pretty late into the camping season last year so I didn’t get the opportunity to use it a whole lot, but I’m looking forward to this season a lot. If they have a Tailgater at the Bangor Camping Show, I recommend you check it out.