Warm temps have got people prepping for summer outdoor activities. The Sioux Empire hosted its 49th annual Sportsmen's Show Saturday.
Avid angler Tom Traxinger has been coming to the event for as a long as he can remember. In fact, he travels all the way from Marshall, Minnesota, to Sioux Falls just for the show.
"I’ve been coming here, it seems like forever. I just come and see what's new and what's improved, and see people you haven't seen for a while," Tom Traxinger, Marshall, MN, said.
Traxinger usually comes to the event to connect with family and old friends, but others say they come to get first dibs on new and improved outdoor gear. Hundreds of people are exploring exhibits with top of the line hunting, camping, and fishing products.
"If the water is your thing, we've got lots of fishing boats, pontoons, all the brand new docks if you like to go camping, we've got the latest in RVs," Barry Cenaiko, Sportsmen's Show Manager, said.
There were more than 200 different outdoor vendors at the Sportsmen's show. Event staff expected about 25,000 people to come to the event.
Other people came to the show for plain old family fun, including seeing Twiggy, the waterskiing squirrel.
Whether people come to buy the latest gear, grab a bite to eat, or just spend time with family and friends, Traxinger admits it’s just great to be out and about, enjoying the warm weather.
“It’s a spring fever thing. Just to get out of the house after a winter and go out again, and get excited about summer," Traxinger said.