Orlando is considered the “New York City” of Florida. This is part of what makes UCF so unique. Every type of food, store, and entertainment imaginable is within a ten minute drive. However, while this may provide a variety of activities nearby, it leaves little opportunity for the students who crave the outdoors.
Luckily, the Old Florida Outdoors Festival has been established in Apopka, a city only thirty minutes away from Orlando! This festival is a three day series, featuring hands-on exhibits for fishing, hunting, shotgun sports, paddle sports, archery, landscape art, and wildlife conservation. There is also a nationally sanctioned dog competition, a farmers market, a chili cook off, boat displays, kids’ activities, and bird watching through the Lake Apopka Restoration Area. Celebrity anglers, exhibition shooters, and Discovery Channel’s Swamp Brothers made their appearances throughout the day. At night, festival goers attended a concert featuring country singers Jake Owen and Tracy Lawrence. February 10-12 was the festival’s debut, and with its huge success, it will most likely become an annual tradition!
Larry Carter is no stranger to the outdoors. He is politically active in the United Waterfowlers of Florida foundation and is avidly involved in conservation efforts. Being experienced in similar festivals, it was Larry’s job to rally the boat dealers and gun manufacturers. He also assisted in the setup of the events. This is the first year for this kind of high activity in the outdoors category, for both Apopka and Florida. “The festival is separated into little pieces for people to handle, and it all comes together as one big event,” Larry explains. Since the Old Florida Outdoors Festival is a non-profit event, the goal is not to make money. Larry states that, “The goal is for people to recognize the types of outdoor activities around Apopka.” He hopes it will ignite people’s love for the outdoors, especially the youth. “If they experience these activities, they might find it better than sitting on the Internet.”
Of course, with these activities comes the stereotype of “men’s sports.” Her Campus ladies have not been forgotten in this article! While men may have accomplished much over the years, women are emerging in the outdoors industry, particularly in fishing and shooting. This festival is not only a milestone for the city, it also provides opportunities for women to get involved.
Fishing Pavilion and Casting Pond
The fishing portion of the Old Florida Outdoors Festival is partnered with Costal Angler Magazine. This area has everything an angler could ask for: equipment, apparel, artwork, guide information, and island getaway opportunities. Also, there are seminars given every hour by various award-winning anglers.
Outside of this pavilion is the casting pond, where lessons on fly fishing and fly tying are given. Keith Browning, a UCF alumni, is the Outings Director of the Backcountry Fly Fishing Association (BFFA) of Orlando. He assisted in providing fly fishing lessons. Although the wind was rough, Keith’s passion for this fishing was evident in the instructions he gave.
In regards to women anglers, he states, “Women are often talented at fly fishing and tend to make great fly casters. Men sometimes use too much force in their casting, while women often learn better technique. Artistic women tend to find themselves drawn to fly tying. Some women don’t even use the flies, they just enjoy tying them.” For those ladies (or gentlemen) interested in fly fishing, they are welcome to join the BFFA. Keith also recommends Casting For Recovery, an organization that fly fishes to help breast cancer patients.
Trick Shooting
The Old Florida Outdoors Festival features many exhibition shooters. One of them was Tim Bradley, an elite shooter for Benelli USA. Bradley showcased Benelli shotguns with an exciting technique. He started off with clay pigeons, and as the jokes and stories unfolded, he moved to food, baseballs, and colored chalks. There was an interactive portion of the show, where children threw eggs above a brave volunteer’s head as fast as they could. Of course, Bradley would shoot each egg before it hit the ground. As the show was nearing its end, he shot red, white, and blue chalk in honor of our troops. All of the sudden–BAM–a spontaneous explosion surprised the crowd. While everyone remained in awe of this climax, firefighters were waiting behind to clean up the mess. This show was a true demonstration of marksmanship for all to enjoy.
“I love women who can handle a gun,” states Bradley. “Girls tend to have a better shot than guys, since they are usually better listeners. Guys tend to think they know it all. More women are starting to hunt and shoot because they know they can.”
If anyone in the UCF area is interested in shooting, they can do so at the festival next year. In the meantime, there are many gun ranges around Orlando where equipment is available to rent.
This festival proves itself as an event for all, whether you’re a man or a woman. Its inaugural year was a great success, so imagine what the following years could bring. Everyone could use a little outdoors in their life. Be sure to check it out!
Full details of the festival and its events can be found at http://oldfloridaoutdoorfestival.com/