10th annual gun show this weekend

The only annual gun show in Grimes County will take place this weekend at the fairgrounds as the 10th Annual Friends of Grimes County Gun Show will start Saturday morning and run through Sunday afternoon at the County Expo Center.

Vendors from all over Texas will fill the hall with almost every kind of gun imaginable, including handguns, shotguns, rifles, pistols, women’s guns and antique weapons.

The show will have vendors selling knives, ammunition, hunting accessories and self-protection devices. This year there will also be new vendors selling custom-made holsters and leatherwork, automated hog traps and gun parts.

Some vendors in the past have sold cannons and gun safes, and there will also be booths available to purchase everything from clothing to candles, food, purses and other nick knacks.

The two-day event kicks off Saturday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and it will be open 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Sunday.

The $5 admission is good for both days, but peace officers and children 12-and-under get in free. Parking is free at the expo center. All proceeds go directly to causes supported by Friends of Grimes County.

Friends of Grimes County originated in 2007 with a barbeque and music festival (Bubba Can Cook), and the Gun Show began in 2010. The Gun Show typically has more than 100 vendor tables and around 1,500-2,000 who pay to attend.

The 13th Annual Bubba Can Cook will be Sept. 13-14, 2019, at the Grimes County Fairgrounds.

In the last 13 years Friends of Grimes County has given away more than $300,000 to causes within the county. They purchased a van for the Grimes Health Resource Center and in 2011 helped families whose homes were destroyed by the Dyer Mill Fire.

More recently they donated $2,000 worth of individual first aid kits to be placed around each of the county’s schools in the case of a mass shooter or any other kind of mass casualty. Friends of Grimes County also purchased bulletproof vests for the Navasota Fire Department for when they assist law enforcement.

The Friends have donated $1,000 to the Anderson-Shiro CISD to help purchase Chrome Books, donated money to help the Grimes County Sheriff’s Department purchase body cameras and a few years ago helped the Navasota Police Department purchase tasers. Every year at Christmas the organization donates gift bags of necessary household items to seniors living in Navasota.

The registered 501c3 group has also helped purchase various things at the expo center (ice machines, RV hookups and RV dump stations) and continually donate to local food banks, athletic organizations, cheerleader groups and many more.

Friends of Grimes County has no overhead costs, no building space and no paid employees. The effort is accomplished 100 percent by volunteer.

For more information about the gun show or to learn more about joining Friends of Grimes County, email Dianna Westmore-land at ostrich@txcyber.com or Pam Beard at jlplbbb@yahoo.com.

Donations can also be made directly to the group or by signing up through smile.amazon.com to have a portion of all purchases go towards the Friends of Grimes County.