Bowfest Ongoing with Extra Safety Precautions

Even though COVID-19 has canceled many summer events, Bowfest has continued on with extra precautions in place at what organizers call the world's largest outdoor archery and music festival.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Archers have targets in their sights at Bowfest which is running through Sunday this week at Mont du Lac Resort in Superior.

Even though COVID-19 has canceled many summer events, Bowfest has continued on with extra precautions in place at what organizers call the world’s largest outdoor archery and music festival.

“We have everything out here this is a paradise an archer’s paradise,” said Hunter Anderson, an outdoor maintenance supervisor at Mont du Lac.

The festival has four courses with 3-D targets in many forms such as deer, snakes, and boar.

“This is high stakes everybody wants to be here this is the shoot to be at,” said Anderson.

This year, officials at Bowfest are being extra careful.

They are using the chairlift to transport archers instead of using enclosed shuttles along with other safety measures.

“We had to ramp up the masks ramp up the hand sanitizer and just make sure everybody’s aware. It is at your own risk out here and it is an outdoor event but we wanted everybody to stay safe,” says Anderson.

Bowfest also attracts families to the archery tournament with many activities for children including a kids shooting range and water park.

– “This is one of the very few bow outings that we get to go to as a family…not all of them are like this,” said Cassie Kimmerling who traveled to Bowfest with her family from Kenosha, Wisconsin.

For shooters, the payouts are in the thousands so many are taking the competitions seriously.

“I expect a lot out of myself but we’ll see what comes out I’ve been shooting pretty much 2 to 3 hours a day for the past 2 to 3 weeks trying to get ready for this,” said Michael Kimmerling who is participating this weekend.

After several months of social distancing and stay-at-home orders, Bowfest is allowing families to get out and have fun together.

“There hasn’t been a whole lot of fun this summer so to get out and do something like this is pretty important to us,” said Michael Kimmerling.

Bowfest goes through Sunday at Mont du Lac Resort.