T-R PHOTO BY LANA BRADSTREAM — Firearm enthusiasts will have the opportunity to peruse and buy a variety of guns and accessories at the annual Marshall County Gun Show. It will be held Friday through Sunday at the Central Iowa Fairgrounds.

Welcome to the annual Marshall County Gun Show.

Beginning Friday in the Central Iowa Fairgrounds Activity Building, organizer Brandon Kelley said there is no more room for additional vendors.

Kelley, owner of BK Productions, said this will mark the third year his company has hosted the show.

“It’s not huge,” he said. “The building holds 112 tables and we’re full. It’s going to be tight this weekend.”

The fairgrounds building is the largest venue Kelley said they could acquire for the show.

“This is the biggest building we could do it in,” he said. “It’s completely full. No other tables are going to fit in there. The vendors really turned out for this one.”

Even though the Marshall County Gun Show might not be as large as the annual Wanenmacher’s Gun Show in Tulsa, Kelley said the event will feature a large selection of new and used firearms, military surplus supplies, knives, ammunition and more.

“It’s up to the vendors what they bring,” he said.

Sometimes the vendors bring unique stuff or accessories. Kelley said some deal in antique firearms. In addition to looking at the variety of guns and ammunition, last year’s attendees also perused tables with tripods, optics and USA-made body armor and ballistic helmets.

“This is a trade show for guns,” he said. “You never know what you’re going to get. If you have a gun collection and want to show it off, or if you want to acquire guns, this show is a great place to do that.”

Kelley is expecting between 800 to 1,100 people to attend the weekend-long event. One reason for that is the restrictions people encounter when trying to buy or sell guns or related items online.

“You can’t sell it on eBay or Amazon,” he said. “This allows people to do just that. They can also connect with like-minded people who have a passion for the Second Amendment and firearms in general.”

EVENT INFO:

Name: Marshalltown County Gun Show

Location: Central Iowa Fairgrounds Activity Building

Address: 1308 E. Olive St.

Hours: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday

Tickets: $10 for the whole weekend; children 12 and younger are free

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Contact Lana Bradstream

at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or l

bradstream@timesrepublican.com.