Hunting, Fishing, Shopping

Cabela's (Sidney, Neb.), the growing large-format outdoors gear retailer known for extravagant in-store interactivities, will celebrate the opening of its seventh store, in Dundee, Mich., with week-long festivities this month. From September 15-24, the 225,000-square-foot store will feature celebrities and national hunting and fishing experts telling stories and giving advice; shooting and fishing demonstrations and seminars, in-store giveaways, promotions and special grand opening prices. The appearing celebrities will include three-time Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race champion Jeff King; hunting editor for Outdoor Life Jim Zumbro; retired Air Force Brigadier General Chuck Yeager; retired University of Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne; wildlife artist Jim Killen; and pilot and astronaut Maj. Gen. Joe Engle.

The store official opened on August 30, and opening-day crowds were estimated at 16,500. From opening day through Labor Day, September 4th, 206,000 shoppers visited the store. If Cabela's meets its estimated six million visitors a year, it will rank as Michigan's top tourist attraction.

The Dundee store, built by Kraus-Anderson Construction Co., is the seventh retail store in the Cabela's organization. The original store, adjacent to the company's Sidney, Neb., headquarters, is the state's number-one tourist attraction with 1.5 million visitors a year. The Owatonna, Minn., store is Minnesota's Number Two attraction with 4.5 million visitors annually, second only to Mall of America. Other stores are in Kearney, Neb., Prairie du Chien, Wis., East Grand Forks, Minn. and Mitchell, S.D.