Bass Pro Shops open their doors in Harlingen

HARLINGEN — Thousands of spectators cheered as the red ribbon with the Bass Pro Shops logo was cut and the doors to the 144,000-square-foot store opened to the public for the first time Wednesday night.

After 20 minutes people were still in line to enter the hunting, fishing and camping super store.

Customers began lining up for the 6 p.m. Evening of Conservation, as it was called by Bass Pro, before 4 p.m.

By the time the doors opened, the parking lot was full and dozens of people had parked on a grassy area across the street.

Many celebrities such as Jimmy Houston, Chris Reed and Miss Texas USA 2012 Brittany Booker were on stage prior to the ribbon cutting.

Crowds roared to receive T-shirts and other treats thrown out by cheerleaders from Harlingen High School and Harlingen High School South.

Mascots from the high schools were also on hand to get the crowd excited for the opening of Bass Pro’s 58th store.

From the Evening of Conservation, Bass Pro will donate 50 cents of every dollar spent Wednesday night to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation “More Fish Campaign,” Bass Pro spokeswoman Katie Mitchell said earlier this week.

“Local groups involved in fish habitats can apply for grants from this foundation,” Mitchell said.

She could not say how much money Bass Pro has donated from its other store openings, but said that 8,000 people attended the latest opening in East Peoria, Ill. The donation from that store was a significant amount, she said.

Christian Borges and Ivan Montoya, two high school seniors from Early College High School, were among the first at the Bass Pro Evening of Conservation. The two said they were “window shopping” for their hobby, dove hunting. The two were very excited about the store opening.

Five-year-old Miguel Prado was at the opening with his family. Older brother Joseph Prado wants to one day be a fishing guide and hopes to buy a boat at Bass Pro.

Cheryl Read and Gilbert Duran of Brownsville are friends who were looking forward to the billiard room Bass Pro has to offer.

Read was excited to meet the “Black Widow,” Jeanette Lee, who was playing customers Wednesday night for $20 a game. The money from these games went to charity.

WW Woods, a company from Houston, cooked barbecue dinners for $5 each, and the money from the sales was donated to the Coastal Conservation Association of Texas.

John Blaha of CCA said all the money from Bass Pro’s event will go to Texas initiatives, which include those in the Rio Grande Valley.

Sales from Coca-Cola products at the event went to the Valley Proud Environmental Council, which preserves the local environment of the southern Rio Grande Valley.

Bass Pro opens its doors for a full day of sales today at 8 a.m. with a special city ceremony in front of the store at 7:30 a.m.