Johnny Morris, right, with his father John A. Morris, left. (Contributed photo)

Bass Pro Shops will open its Tyler store on Wednesday, April 16.

The public event begins at 5 p.m. and will feature entertainment and festivities to celebrate the highly anticipated opening of the outdoor retailer.

The community has shown excitement for the new store, which was first announced in July 2024.

The new 77,000-square-foot store is located at 151 Market Square Blvd., near the Village at Cumberland Park in South Tyler. The space was previously occupied by RVs.com as a Camping World, which closed in November 2023.

This will be the 17th Bass Pro Shops location in Texas, offering a wide range of outdoor gear.

The grand opening night’s “Evening for Conservation,” a tradition started by founder Johnny Morris, unites outdoor enthusiasts to support local conservation organizations. During the event, 20% of proceeds (on most items) will be donated to local conservation efforts.

The festivities will begin with a performance by country music singer and songwriter Blaine Holcomb. The official ribbon-cutting ceremony will start at 6 p.m., followed by the store opening. Guests are encouraged to arrive early.

The grand opening will feature appearances by renowned conservation leaders and fishing celebrities, including:

Roland Martin, winner of 19 Bassmaster tournaments and nine B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year awards, and the first professional bass fisherman to be inducted into the International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame, Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame and Professional Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.

Jimmy Houston, one of the biggest names in the history of fishing, a fixture on ESPN’s national-television coverage of the sport and member of both the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame and Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.

Wade Middleton, host of Whitetail Diaries and President of Careco TV. He is a proud Air Force veteran who has been active with various non-profit organizations and supports hunting and fishing initiatives nationwide.

Clark Wendlandt, national seminar and television host of George Poveromo’s Wolf of Saltwater Fishing, a three-time FLW Angler of the Year and Bassmaster Angler of the Year in 2020.

Brian “Pigman” Quaca and Junie Quaca, hunting legends throughout the state of Texas, these outdoor personalities host “Pigman: The Series” on the Sportsman Channel.

PAW Patrol characters alongside Hall of Fame angler Charlie Evans

After the grand opening ceremony, the celebrities will be available for meet-and-greets and autographs.

The store will open for business after the ceremony and operate under regular hours beginning Thursday, April 17. Hours will be Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The grand opening weekend, April 16-20, will offer exciting activities and promotions. Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s CLUB Members will receive 10% off almost everything during the entire event. There will also be thousands of dollars in giveaways, including gift cards valued from $10 to $500 for the first 100 customers through the door on April 17.

Other giveaways include Bass Pro Shops T-shirts, Yeti Yonder Water Bottles, trucker hats, and Johnny Morris signature steak strips. A Grand Prize giveaway will run from April 16 to April 30, with the winner receiving a $500 gift card.

Also, guests will enjoy the first public unveiling of the store’s 23,000-gallon aquarium, which features more than 135 fish species from nearby Lake Fork, including largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, and more.

For more information about the grand opening in Tyler, visit www.basspro.com/b/tyler-grandopening.

Bass Pro Shops, founded in 1972 by legendary angler and conservationist Morris, started in an 8-square-foot space in his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri. That location was the company’s sole store for the first 13 years. Today, Bass Pro Shops has a loyal customer base, with millions of outdoor enthusiasts shopping at its stores across the U.S. and Canada each year.

Bass Pro Shops has earned numerous awards, including being named “America’s Most Trusted Outdoor Retailer” by Newsweek in each of the last four years. It was also voted the leading outdoor retailer on Newsweek’s “America’s Best Retailers” list in 2024 and was recently named one of “America’s Most Admired Workplaces” by Newsweek.