Bass Pro Shops Opens Bristol Store with Evening for Conservation and Ribbon-cutting Ceremony
OutdoorHub 08.04.14
Celebration to be one of the company’s biggest and features free concerts, celebrity appearances, exhibit booths, and giveaways. Conservation groups to benefit from opening night event.
The grand opening of the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Bristol, Tennessee, expected to be the one of the company’s biggest, kicks off Wednesday, Aug. 20, at 6 p.m. The event features an all-star cast of celebrities from the world of sports, entertainment and the great outdoors who will join together to help Bass Pro Shops celebrate a spectacular Evening for Conservation. The grand opening event will continue through Sunday, Aug. 24 with free concerts, interactive vendor exhibits, giveaways, and food sampling from a variety of grill vendors in the parking lot.
Celebrities scheduled to appear and sign autographs Aug. 20 from approximately 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. include:
- Co-host for “Mike and Mike in the Morning” on ESPN radio, Mike Golic.
- Driver of the 2014 No. 14 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Tony Stewart.
- Racer, NASCAR broadcaster and host of “Track and Trail Adventures” TV show, Wally Dallenbach, Jr.
- Driver for Faulk Racing late model team sponsored by Bass Pro Shops and SHE® Outdoor, Kate Dallenbach.
- Host of “Hank Parker’s Flesh and Blood” TV show, Hank Parker
- Former Miami Dolphin NFL player and Bass Pro Shops/NITRO Pro team member, Kendall Newson
- America’s Billiards star, “The Black Widow,” Jeanette Lee
- Former PBR World Finals champion and PBR Last Cowboy Standing champion, Luke Snyder
- RedHead pro hunting team member and host of “Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World” radio show, Rob Keck
- RedHead pro hunting team member, John Paul Morris
- Competitive shooter, “World’s Best All Around Shooter,” Doug Koenig
- First Lady of Hunting and RedHead pro hunting team member, Brenda Valentine
- SHE Outdoor pro staff member and host of the upcoming Outdoor Channel “Limitless with Theresa Vail” TV show, Theresa Vail.
- Knight and Hale Game Calls, Harold Knight
Legendary angler and television host Jimmy Houston, of “Jimmy Houston Outdoors” will serve as emcee for the event.
Musical entertainment for the evening will be provided by rising country music artist, Chelsea Bain. In addition, visitors will have the opportunity to meet “The Mayberry Deputy,” David Browning, and Camo, the camouflage clown. Visitors can get a hands-on experience as a member of a pit crew in the Coca-Cola Pit Crew challenge. In addition, the No. 25 Bass Pro Shops and SHE® Outdoor Chevrolet race car will be on display.
Located at 1 Bass Pro Drive in Bristol, Tennessee, the 100,000-square-foot store will officially open its doors for a preview celebration during the fundraising event and ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday, Aug. 20 from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
For every dollar spent during the Evening for Conservation, 50 cents will be donated to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation, Wonders of Wildlife, and the American National Fish and Wildlife Museum. Matching donation sponsors for the evening include Toyota Motor Sales and Johnny Morris Conservation Creel of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Local conservation groups and agencies on hand Wednesday evening will include Ducks Unlimited, Congressional Sportsmen Foundation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Quality Deer Management Association, National Wild Turkey Federation, The Nature Conservancy, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation. In addition, the Ducks Unlimited booth will be selling Coca-Cola® products for $1 and the National Wild Turkey Federation will be offering hot dogs for $1. Monies collected for those sales will go directly to those conservation groups.
Special guests and displays throughout the event include:
- Autograph sessions with Jimmy Houston, Hank Parker, Kendall Newson, and Harold Knight Aug. 21, 9 a.m. – noon.
- Country music artist, Billy Dawson, in concert, Aug. 21, 4 p.m.
- Meet Richard Childress, owner of Richard Childress Racing, Aug. 21, 6 p.m.
- Austin Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Aug. 21, 6 p.m.
- Ty Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Aug. 21, 6 p.m.
- Season 12, top 5 finalist, American Idol, Janelle Arthur, in concert, Aug. 21, 7 p.m.
- Fireworks, Aug. 21, 10 p.m.
- Recording artist, songwriter, Liz Moriondo, in concert, Saturday, Aug. 23, 1 p.m.
- Bass Pro Shops No. 14 Sprint Cup Series car, Aug. 20 – 24.
- RCR’s No. 3 NASCAR Nationwide Series Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro, Aug. 20 – 24.
- King of Bucks exhibit featuring world-record trophy white-tailed deer mounts, Aug. 20 – 24.
- Other vendor displays include: Remington, Toyota, Beretta, Maui Jim, and Parker Bows, Aug. 20 – 24.
Bass Pro Shops, named as one of the “Top 10 Hottest Brands in America” by Advertising Age magazine, will continue to celebrate its 68th store’s grand opening Thursday, Aug. 21 through Sunday, Aug. 24. The store will open at 8 a.m. Thursday and at 9 a.m. (normal opening hours) Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday.
The celebration includes special exhibits, storewide savings on a huge assortment of products, and fantastic giveaways. Experts on fishing, hunting, boating and more will be available to talk with customers. In addition, factory representatives from the industry’s top manufacturers will be on hand to answer new product questions.
- Thursday, Aug. 21 – First 200 customers 18 years of age or older will receive a Bass Pro Shops gift card ranging in value from $5 to $100 in a logo tin.
- Friday, Aug. 22 – First 200 customers will receive a Columbia® Omni-Freeze ZERO Neck Gaiter.
- Saturday, Aug. 23 – First 200 customers will receive Bass Pro Shops Life Straws (personal water filter).
- Sunday, Aug. 24 – First 200 customers will receive a Bass Pro Shops Tervis Tumbler.
Visitors can also register to win a Bass Pro Shops race car go cart and other prizes to be given away after the event.
The store offers the area’s largest selection of quality gear for fishing, hunting, camping, boating and marine. Bass Pro Shops also offers equipment for hiking, backpacking, outdoor cooking and more. Shoppers will find outdoor apparel for men, women and children along with a selection of outdoor, casual and athletic footwear. A gift and nature center includes a wide variety of outdoor-related items from lamps and dishes to bird feeders and furniture.
Known for providing a fun outdoor experience indoors, a typical Bass Pro Shops retail store features more than 3,500 antiques and artifacts, up to 400 trophy fish and wildlife mounts, and many murals depicting local scenes.
Free Bass Pro Shops outdoor skills workshops will be offered throughout the year on a regular basis and will include topics such as outdoor cooking, nature photography, fly fishing, camping, archery and more. Bass Pro Shops is widely recognized for their efforts in conservation and outdoor education.
Bass Pro Shops will host more than 116 million people visiting their 87 stores and Tracker Marine Centers across America and Canada this year. The average customer stays two and a half hours and drives an average distance of 50 plus miles. The company also has been named by J.D. Power & Associates as one of the top eight retailers in America for customer service excellence.
For more information about the Bristol Bass Pro Shops visit http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CFPageC?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&appID=94&storeID=81&tab=3.
