With summer just around the corner, southcentral Kentuckians can get a head start on their plans for the warm months by attending the Great Outdoors Expo this weekend at the Patsy Sloan Convention Center. The event, sponsored by Prime Time Events, a non-profit organization that helps sponsor various activities in Bowling Green throughout the year, is the first of its kind in the city, coordinator Jennifer Smith said. This is the first time weve done an expo like this but hopefully it will be the first of many, Smith said. Expos are a good event to have this time of year because they work well indoors. Summer in Bowling Green is marked by several festivals and other outdoor events, but the colder months are often less filled, Smith said. Were hoping this will grow into an annual event, she added. Visitors to the expo can look at or purchase all sorts of warm-weather and outdoors gear, from lawnmowers to sport utility vehicles and hot tubs to speedboats, as well as getting information from organizations including Warren County Parks and Recreation and environmental groups like the Wild Turkey Federation and Ducks Unlimited, she said. For those looking to buy, the event will offer many great deals with merchandise priced at far below what it would cost at a dealership, Smith said. Mike and Renee Bushray of Glasgow were among the first people to come into the expo when it opened Friday afternoon. The Bushrays were at the event to look over a large selection of riding lawnmowers on display, Mike Bushray said, but took the time to check out some of the motorcycles on display at a booth operated by Sams Cycle Shop of Munfordville. He left his own bike, a Harley-Davidson, at home, but was interested in how the Indian and Yamaha cycles at the expo compared to the Harley, he said. These people might laugh at me if they knew I had a Harley, Mike Bushray added. So I left my Harley jacket in the car. In the next few weeks, the Bushrays will have to buy a large riding mower, so they were primarily checking out prices on those at the convention center, Mike Bushray said. Im going to have to break down and buy one soon, so I thought Id come down here and see what they had, he said. So far, this has been a very nice event. While not as large as similar events he has attended in Louisville and other areas, the expo is a nicely run event, said Glenn Eisert of Bowling Green, who came to look at sport utility vehicles with his wife, Pam. Were going to be buying a new vehicle in the next month or so, so I wanted to check out some of the prices they have here, Glenn Eisert said. Others came to the event to look, but not to shop. One of them, Virgil Rose of Jackson County, said he came to the expo while killing time between games of the girls high school basketball state tournament being held this weekend at Western Kentucky Universitys E.A. Diddle Arena. Im just a looker, not a buyer, Rose said. But Ive really liked what Ive seen here. The Great Outdoors Expo will be at the Patsy Sloan Convention Center from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $3 for adults and free for children under 6.