By Kinny Haddox
Thank You.
It sounds simple, but those two words really mean a lot when it comes to the 2022 Louisiana Sportsman Show and Festival held Father’s Day weekend at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales.
Vendors and visitors came from across Louisiana and other states as well. It was a great way to get things cranked back up for the lovers of the Louisiana outdoors following a couple of tough years. And while things aren’t back to normal yet, the work put in by vendors and exhibitors and the loyalty and interest from attendees made it special for sure.
“I thank God that we were able to have a show in 2022 and that it was so successful. Thank you all,” said Lisa Cuccia, President of Louisiana Publishing, which includes the Louisiana Sportsman magazine. “We wanted to give the vendors and sponsors a chance to recoup some of what was lost when we had to shut down in 2020 and then we had to miss 2021 due to Covid. I think we accomplished that.
“We received wonderful feedback from them and from the thousands of people that came out to the show. We appreciate your loyalty and we thank each and every one of you. We look forward to seeing you next year.”
Looking ahead
Cuccia also announced the next show is already being planned for 2023 on March 17-19. It’s never too early to mark your calendar and plan on being there.
“Everyone has been affected by the pandemic, whether it is inventory shortages or staffing issues and more,” Cuccia continued. “I think it will be wonderful to return to our regular spring show time because people are really getting pumped up about the coming fishing season and it will also be a lot cooler for attendees and vendors alike.”
Besides the great vendors, displays and booths, the 2022 show also featured live music, which was a big hit. Feature performers were Adam Pearce and Dominick Michael. As usual, the fantastic Fetch-N-Fish presentations captured the attention, laughter and applause of young and old alike. Jason Reynolds and his high-flying dogs put on a show at the 41-foot long tank.
This year’s show was presented by Shell, who also had one of the most popular booths at the show.