ELK COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) – The 2022 Elk Country Alliance Annual Elk Expo is set for Saturday, August 20th, and Sunday, August 21st.
The annual Elk Expo is one of the largest elk celebrations in the Northeast. This year at the expo there will be over 100 different vendors. Each brings something new to the table.
“This is probably one of the largest events in this region. And you know we bring over 100 vendors here, we have a ton of activities, and seminars all day long in two different spots,” Director of Communications and Marketing Josiah Jones said.
The event is free to the public. However, there is a $5 shuttle service if people park outside of the main area.
One of the major attractions for guests at the expo is the chance to snag one of the very few available elk tags.
“The Pennsylvania Game Commission will be raffling off their elk tag at 1 p.m. on Saturday, August 20th, and the Keystone Elk Country Alliance has their one elk tag, the governor’s tag that we raffle off on Sunday at 1 p.m,” Jones said.
Each year the annual expo is different and Jones credits this to the dedication of those behind the scenes.
“Each team member puts a little bit of their flavor on the event so it makes it really fun and I can guarantee it’s going to be a more exciting this year than ever,” he said.
One of the 100 plus vendors at the expo is Behind the Lens Wildlife and Landscape Photography. Owner John Schatz was injured at work and decided that he would calm down and take up photography.
“We’ve been in the wildlife photography for a couple of years now, as you can see we do most of our wildlife photography in the Cameron, Elk, Clinton, McKeen, Potter, and Cameron Counties. It’s very calming, it teaches you, patients. If you don’t have patients the animals don’t cooperate. And if you don’t have the patients and they don’t cooperate you go home with an empty camera,” Schatz said.