Sarley: Tinley Park outdoors expo is worth the trip
Do you know what the longest running fishing show in Northern Illinois happens to be? It is the Tinley Park Fishing, Travel & Outdoors Expo.
The expo began as a small endeavor started by Rich Komar and a group of parents from the Tinley Park High School football program. Over the years Komar and crew raised enough money to fund the football program along with many other athletic activities. COVID ended the expo as its 30th year was about to happen.
Clyde Sana, a south suburban business owner, decided he would like to try bringing the expo back to life. It was more difficult to stage the new expo. The original show was staged at Tinley Park High School, which would not be available to the new expo.
Sana had to go out and contract for the Tinley Park Convention Center. He had to iron out a few things, and now the 2026 version of the expo should prove to be the best edition yet.
The expo will cover 68,000 square feet of floor space. That is a lot. Transportation to the convention center is very easy, and parking is ample and free.
Sana always makes a healthy donation to charity from the gate receipts. The show, for being as large as it is, is known as “the biggest little fishing show in the area.” It’s true. The show is big in size but tiny in feel. Everybody walking the aisles seems like a friend or neighbor. This is a great place to take the whole family and to have good time.
Education is always something that gets me going when I attend a fishing show. Tinley Park has a stupendous lineup of seminar speakers that runs continuously while the show is open. The speakers are on both the seminar stage and on the Hawg Trough.
You’ll be able to see hall of fame fishermen, as well as some of the top sticks on the water all over the Midwest. I have heard 90% of the show’s speakers and I swear by all of them for their abilities to present quality talks. I’m certain the ones I haven’t heard yet will be just as good.
I have to mention that Mike Norris will be onstage talking about big smallmouth bass, which is one of his specialties. Jerry Costabile is a great multispecies fisherman who gives a great talk that should improve your fishing skills. Johnny Wilkins is a great speaker and he is noted for being able to teach kids to fish. He has the ability to captivate the young ones.
Ken “Husker” O’Malley is a Tinley Park favorite, and I am sure his seminars will be standing room only. Ryan Whitacre is an entertaining speaker who can explain the ins-and-outs to cracking the mysteries of southern Lake Michigan’s giant bronzeback fishery.
I am often accused of being a master of hyperbole, but I am not kidding about how wonderful the Tinley Park Fishing, Travel & Outdoors Expo is going to be. The Tinley Park Fishing, Travel & Outdoors Expo takes place this weekend. The hours are noon to 8 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and veterans, and $5 for kids ages 7 to 12. Kids 6 and under are admitted free. You can get an adult three-day pass for $20, and that is available to seniors and veterans for $14.
• Daily Herald Outdoors columnist Steve Sarley can be reached at sarfishing@yahoo.com.