National Trappers Convention kicks off in Escanaba

The U.P. State Fairgrounds in Escanaba were abuzz with activity Thursday.

The morning marked the opening of the 55th Annual National Trappers Association Convention hosted by the U.P. Trappers Association. Visitors from all around the country poured into the fair grounds excited to experience what organizers say is the largest gathering of trappers in the world.

“We’ve got nine entire buildings full of trapping supply and vendors of every description,” U.P. Trappers Association NTA director Bob Steinmetz said. “We have demos every hour, on the hour, for trappers and predator callers with some top names, some of the best trappers in the country.”

“Although this is the National Trappers Convention, it’s also an outdoor expo, so they’ve got hundreds of different vendors with things like hunting and fishing equipment and of course the trappers equipment as well,” Bays de Noc Convention and Visitors Bureau marketing assistant Rick Elrod said.

The convention is also providing entertainment for the entire family throughout the weekend, including games, a dance with live music and fur fashion shows. The turnout for the event has been beneficial to the Escanaba area.

“This event has been great for the community and the economy. We’ve got most of our hotels and motels in town are all full and have been for a few weeks and months even,” Elrod added. “We’re expecting about 6,000 to 9,000 people in town for this event, and it looks like already this morning we’ve got a few hundred people here already.”

The convention will continue from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from 8:00 a.m. until noon on Sunday. Admission for the entire weekend is $10.