Local hunters and fishers hoping to update their equipment for the spring will be in luck this weekend.

The Dowagiac Conservation Club will host its annual Gun and Outdoor Show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at its clubhouse, located at 54551 M-51 N. Vendors from around the area will attend the event, selling firearms, fishing and archery equipment, and other outdoor goods to visitors.

Admission to the event costs $5 for adults, and is free for children 14 years old and younger. Conservation club members will also sell refreshments during the sale.

Proceeds from tickets and food sales, as well as from registration fees from vendors, will go toward the conservation club’s operating budget, which includes maintenance of the organization’s clubhouse, said Mark Smith, one of the organizers of the show.

“It is a really nice facility, but unfortunately upkeep and everything else like that costs money,” he said. “We always have to raise money to keep things going out there.”

In addition to hosting the club’s meetings and activities, leaders also rent out the hall to people to use for banquets, wedding receptions and other private functions, Smith said.

The club hosts weekly activities on its property as well, including rifle and archery shoots. Members also have access to the conservation club’s rifle and pistol range, and may fish on the property’s lake, Smith said.

The gun show also supports the club’s youth education fund, which pays for free hunter safety courses throughout the year, as well as other activities and programs designed for children, Smith said.

Smith and fellow conservation club member Ron Hartline have organized the sale for the last several years as a way to supplement the club’s main fundraisers, including the Hunter’s Rendezvous and Wild Game Dinner in the winter.

Previous events have drawn hundreds of visitors to the clubhouse, as well as dozens of sellers. While a number of companies usually show up to sell their products, most vendors are local hunters or fishermen looking to unload some used gear, Smith said.

“Everyone who hunts or fishes always has a ton of stuff laying around their garage they could get a couple of bucks for,” Smith said.  “As we only charge $25 for tables, it is a very affordable event for people to bring in their odds and ends to sell.”

With so many outdoor enthusiasts under the same roof, the gun show serves as a gathering for local hunters as well, Smith said.

“We always have fun doing it,” he said. “That is the most important thing. We consider it a kind of social event.”

Visitors or prospective vendors who have additional questions may contact Smith at (269) 591-2067.