Bellefonte to host Outdoor Adventure Expo on June 9

Avid fishermen already know the draw of Bellefonte, Pa., located within the I-80 Frontier region of The Pennsylvania Wilds. The 8,000-resident town is home to the world-renowned trout fishing stream Spring Creek.

Spring Creek will be just one of the recreational assets that will be showcased during Bellefonte’s first Outdoor Adventure Expo, set for June 9 in the community’s Talleyrand Park. The event is meant to showcase all of the outdoor adventure opportunities, vendors and groups that are in the area — and there are a ton of them.

“Whether it’s hiking, biking, kayaking, camping, running or fishing, we have an abundance of local natural resources,” said Troy Weston, organizer of the event and member of Downtown Bellefonte Inc.’s events-planning committee. DBI is the host of the June event, which will run from noon to 5 p.m.

At the center of the mission for the expo is one thing, Weston said: education. Anyone that would like to learn more about the recreational opportunities Bellefonte has to offer are welcome to come. And it’s part of an economic development initiative through Downtown Bellefonte Inc. to attract more businesses to the area.

“Bellefonte is at the center of all these cool things happening in the area,” Weston said. “We have a world renowned fly fishing stream running through the town, we have several places to explore while hiking. We have several state parks and mountain biking trails within minutes of the downtown. A boost to our outdoor adventure tourism would be a boost to our local economy.”

What to expect

“Besides vendor and exhibitor booths, we have a full afternoon of workshops and demos from some of the best in our area,” Weston said. “There are kayaking demos by both Mach 1 Kayak and Tussey Mountain Outfitters. We will have bike safety demos and a BMX demo and State Park representatives on hand to talk local state parks.”

Plus, there will be fly fishing workshops on casting and fly-tying. Purple Lizard Maps will host a map reading demo.

“If you want to warm up your body, Elite Edge Athletics and Tri-Yoga will have workshops, too. Plus, we will have food trucks on hand and a vintage canoe as a door prize. Our downtown merchants have been generous enough to donate items for a silent auction,” he said.

The details

Bellefonte Outdoor Adventure Expo
Time: Noon to 5 p.m.
Date: June 9, 2019
Place: Talleyrand Park, downtown Bellefonte
Vendor Contact: Troy Weston, troy@3twenty9.com