Expanded Gander Mountain to open with a bang on Friday
Staff report
NILES
The new and expanded Gander Mountain will open with giveaways, live music and celebrity appearances Friday.
The 61,320-square-foot store, located at 2390 Niles Cortland Road SE, will open at 10 a.m. Friday.
The first 250 customers through the door Friday, Saturday and Sunday will each receive a scratch-off card. Every card comes with a prize. The prizes include gift cards valued up to $100, 50 percent off discounts and various gear.
Guests also can register for a chance to win a $500 gift card.
“The Niles store has nearly doubled in size to help the area’s outdoor enthusiasts find the gear they need for fishing, hunting, boating, archery and camping,” said Dustin Sumner, general manager of the Niles Gander Mountain, in a statement.
Gander Mountain has been in the area since 1999.
Events for the new location will start with a live performance at 9 a.m. before the doors open Friday by country artist and “Headhunters” TV host Nate Hosie.
The ribbon-cutting will take place at 9:45 a.m.
Hosie will do a meet-and-greet from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday.
Professional football player and pro bowler Gary Barnidge will be at the store from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday.
On Saturday, Troy Landry of History Channel’s “Swamp People” will sign autographs from noon to 3 p.m.
Professional football player and nine-time pro bowler Joe Thomas will be at Gander Mountain from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday to sign autographs.
Pro-staffers Carl Drake, Jesse and Ginger Morehead, John Gillman and Rob Ruckman will provide demonstrations and interact with customers throughout the weekend. There will be free line winding from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
The first 100 children in the door can design their own fishing lure at the Spro’s create-a-lure event from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday and noon to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The first 75 children each day can build a call and learn to use it with help of Buck Gardner Calls from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Children also can attend the casting event to learn to cast from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
A full schedule of events and appearances at the grand opening is available at gandermountain.com.