GSGun Show Schedules
What's Next

Upcoming Gun Shows

A rolling forward view rather than a fixed calendar year. What is coming next in your state, how far ahead dates get published, and when it makes sense to book travel.

Updated 2026-08-25Reviewed by 2027-02-016 min read

What's Coming Up

Filter forward from today by state to see the next confirmed dates in your area.

Live Schedule Feed

Filter by state to see the next confirmed shows coming up near you. Confirmed dates are pulled from our national calendar, which is updated as promoters publish and verify them. If the calendar is empty for your area, no dates have been confirmed yet — we do not publish unverified listings.

How Far Ahead Dates Get Published

The publishing horizon varies by promoter size, and knowing which kind you are dealing with tells you how much to trust an empty result:

Promoter typeTypical horizonReliability once published
Large multi-state circuit12–24 monthsHigh — recurring venue contracts
Regional, single or adjacent states6–12 monthsGood, with occasional venue swaps
Collector association annual show12+ monthsVery high — same weekend most years
Small independent operator6–10 weeksModerate — competing for venue dates

The practical read: if your state looks thin more than three months out, that is expected and not informative. If it looks thin four weeks out, the season is genuinely quiet in your area.

When to Book Travel

For anything that needs a hotel, the timing rules are straightforward:

  • Large destination shows: book as soon as the date confirms. Nearby lodging around a major show fills months out, and rates climb steeply as the date approaches.
  • Mid-size regional shows: four to six weeks is usually fine. Enough supply exists that early booking buys convenience rather than availability.
  • Local shows: no booking needed. Just confirm the date the week of.

One thing worth checking early: whether the show weekend collides with anything else at the same venue or in the same city. Fairgrounds host multiple events, and a gun show sharing a weekend with a large convention or a home game turns parking into the defining feature of your day.

Building a Shortlist Worth Traveling For

Not every show justifies a drive. Rough filters that work:

  • Table count is the best single signal. Under 200 tables is a local errand. 400–800 is a solid regional show. Over 1,000 is worth planning around.
  • Check the show's focus. Some are collector- and antique-heavy, others lean modern sporting and tactical, others are effectively general flea markets with a firearms core. The name rarely tells you; the promoter's description usually does.
  • Recurrence tells you about quality. A show that has run at the same venue for twenty years has a stable vendor base. A first-year show is a gamble.
  • Look at whether dealers travel to it. If out-of-state dealers consistently attend, the show is worth attending.
Tip

If you are considering a long drive, the largest shows in the country are a better use of the same mileage than three mid-size shows. Selection compounds with size in a way that does not average out.

Get Notified Instead of Checking

Two approaches, and they work better together than either alone:

  1. Subscribe to the promoters who cover your region. They announce changes to their own lists before anywhere else. Three or four promoter lists cover most of what is reachable in a typical state.
  2. Use our alert list for a consolidated view across promoters, so you are not tracking four separate sources.

If you run shows or book tables, send us your dates. Listings are free, and promoter-submitted dates are the most reliable data in the calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find the next gun show near me?
Filter the calendar forward from today by your state. If nothing appears within the next month, widen to bordering states — a two-hour drive across a state line frequently reaches a busier schedule than staying local.
How far in advance are gun shows announced?
Large multi-state promoters typically publish twelve to twenty-four months ahead because they hold recurring venue contracts. Small independent operators often confirm only six to ten weeks out. An empty calendar six months out usually means nothing yet, not nothing coming.
When should I book a hotel for a gun show?
For a large destination show, as soon as the date confirms — nearby lodging fills months ahead and rates rise sharply near the date. For mid-size regional shows, four to six weeks is generally sufficient.
How do I know if a gun show is worth traveling to?
Table count is the most useful single signal: under 200 tables is a local errand, 400 to 800 is a solid regional show, and over 1,000 justifies planning a trip. How long the show has run at the same venue is the second-best indicator.
Can I get alerts when new shows are added?
Yes — subscribe to the alert list for a consolidated view across promoters. Subscribing directly to the two or three promoters who cover your region as well is worth doing, since they announce changes to their own lists first.