ST. PAUL, MN, August 18, 2014 --- People who love to explore the abundant natural wonders of the Carolinas will find a new kind of fun this weekend. The grand opening celebration for South Charlotte's new Gander Mountain store will abound with celebrities, special demos and giveaways. Special events and appearances are happening all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 22, 23 and 24, to celebrate the nation's largest and fastest-growing retail network of outdoor specialty stores opening its newest North Carolina location.

"We're excited to officially open our doors to serve even more of the countless outdoor enthusiasts in the Carolinas, and bring Gander Mountain's thousands of products and great customer service to South Charlotte," said Steve Uline, Executive Vice President of Marketing for Gander Mountain. "We've put together a fun grand opening weekend that will fit nicely with our new neighbors' passion for the outdoors and active living."

The new 45,600-square-foot Gander Mountain store in South Charlotte is located at 13610 Hoover Creek Blvd., in the new RiverGate South development, near the junction of Steele Creek Road and Walker Branch Drive. The attractive exterior design and interior layout reflect Gander Mountain's new store prototype featuring innovative interior elements, displays and fixtures.

Special events and giveaways include:

• Troy and Jacob Landry, stars of History's hit TV series Swamp People will appear Saturday from Noon to 3 p.m.
  
• Professional quarterback Derek Anderson will appear Sunday from Noon to 1:30 p.m. Free autograph cards will be available, and no memorabilia will be signed.
  
• Randy Birdsong, Host of Headhunters on the Outdoor Channel will appear Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Former and current NASCAR drivers Ward Burton and Jeb Burton will appear Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
  
• The Carhartt Experience will be on-site Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., allowing visitors to see the newest innovations from Carhartt.
  
• The Daisy Inflatable Shooting Range will be on-site Friday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  
• The first 100 customers through the door at the South Charlotte location on Friday, Saturday and Sunday will receive a free $10 Gander Mountain gift card.
  
• The first 250 customers to make a purchase at the South Charlotte location on Friday, Saturday and Sunday will receive a free Gander Mountain gift.
  
• Customers can register for a chance to win a trip for two to the CMA Awards in Nashville, TN.

South Charlotte's new Gander Mountain features the best selection of gear and accessories for hunting, fishing, camping, boating and archery in North Carolina. The store offers an extensive selection of men's and women's active performance outdoor and lifestyle apparel featuring exciting brands like The North Face, Columbia, GSX, Under Armour, Guide Series, Carhartt and a wide variety of men's and women's active footwear featuring brands like Asics, Merrell, Rocky, Reebok, Reef, Keen, Irish Setter, Teva, New Balance, LaCrosse, Itasca, and Saucony.

The on-site Gander Mountain Firearms Super Center mission is to provide responsible citizens the highest quality solutions for their firearms needs, including safety, security, education and training. Gander Mountain has launched a campaign to emphasize personal firearms responsibility via a call to action: "With Rights Comes Responsibility; Secure Your Firearms." This effort is designed to help keep firearms from getting into the hands of the underage, untrained and unauthorized. Gander Mountain is encouraging firearms owners to take a responsibility pledge at www.GanderMountain.com and to use the hashtag #responsibilitypledge in social media to raise awareness and encourage accountability on the subject of firearms ownership.

The South Charlotte store is the ninth Gander Mountain location in North Carolina, joining existing stores in East Raleigh, Fayetteville, Gastonia, Greensboro, Monroe, Mooresville, Raleigh (Morrisville) and Winston-Salem.
Those interested in careers with Gander Mountain can explore current opportunities and submit an application on-line at www.GanderMountain.com/careers.


About Gander Mountain Company
Gander Mountain Company headquartered in St. Paul, MN, is the nation's largest and fastest-growing retail network of outdoor specialty stores for hunting, fishing, camping, marine and outdoor lifestyle products and services. Since 1960, Gander Mountain has offered the best selection of outdoor equipment, technical apparel, active casual wear, and footwear featuring national, regional and specialty brands at competitive prices. Focused on a "We Live Outdoors®" culture, Gander Mountain dedicates itself to creating outdoor memories. Gander Mountain has 143 conveniently-located outdoor lifestyle stores in 25 states. For the nearest store location call 800-282-5993 or visit www.GanderMountain.com Gander Mountain is also the parent company of Overton's (www.overtons.com), a leading catalog and Internet based retailer of products for boating and other water sports enthusiasts.