Outdoor Expo draws big crowd at Shikellamy State Park

Francis Scarcella, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
·2 min read

Jun. 4—SUNBURY — The second annual Susquehanna Greenway Outdoor Expo group is already planning its event for 2024 after more than 50 exhibitors arrived at the Shikellamy State Park with hundreds of patrons checking out the new equipment for the outdoor life on Saturday.

Alana Jajko, director of communications and outreach for the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership, which hosts the event, said she was thrilled with the weather and the attendance for the second annual event.

"We were all looking forward to this," she said. "We had so many vendors want to participate this year."

The event ran from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and patrons had the chance to explore gear vendors, chat with the experts and discover opportunities for hiking, biking and paddling in the Susquehanna River Valley.

The event also featured live music, food trucks, a beer garden, and chances to win a kayak and other outdoor-themed prizes.

Ian Maize, 29, who owns Ski Valley Bike, Board, Ski & Skate, in Danville, said he was looking forward to the day.

"We are displaying the new bikes we have for rent," he said. "This is a big market now, and when we put out the first few for rent, they were gone that day."

Jajko said she expected to see big crowds walking around and enjoy the day.

"The expo became the perfect opportunity for outdoor lovers to check out what is out there and participate in some of the educational opportunities at the event," Jajko said.

Jajko said she hopes the expo will encourage more outdoor businesses to come to the region to help serve the public's growing interest in the outdoors. The mission of the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership is to continue to build connections along the Susquehanna River and grow the Greenway, a corridor of connected trails, parks, river access points, and communities.

Funders for the expo are the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Degenstein Foundation, the PPL Foundation. Greenway Sponsors are Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau and M&T Bank, officials said.