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This past weekend saw Southwind Plantation kick off for quail season, but that wasn’t the only draw to the hunting lodge, as they also hosted their own sip and shop event at the Southwind Pro Shop. In addition to complimentary snacks and drinks, a large selection of goods, from clothes to guns, were on sale for up to 50% off.

This will be the first year the shop is open to the public, seven days a week, from October 1 to March 31. The shop had been previously only available to Southwind’s hunters. “We will always be here, so why not open it up and let everyone come and shop,” sales manager Josie Dennis explained. She elaborated on opening to the public, saying, “We have more than just hunting clothes. We have everyday clothes for people, we’ve got shorts, clothes that kids can wear to school… it’s a wide variety.”

According to shop manager Kelly Erving, the reception from hunters so far has been good. “The feedback, they love the items, because it’s convenient. And then it does have that Southwind personal touch, because some of these clients have been coming here for 20 years, so to be able to take a piece of Southwind back with them is really special.”

Carla Smith, wife of founder Tim Smith, elaborated on the creation of the Pro Shop. “We actually have had an Orvis shop. It started out small, over in the main lodge, the first building Tim ever built,” she said. “We had just a small room, and it just grew from that. Then last year, we just decided we needed to expand, and definitely needed a much larger space to accommodate our customer base.”

Smith encouraged more people to visit. “We welcome everyone to come out and shop with us, and we’re here to serve the community.”

Shop hours are from 7:30 AM to 9:00 PM.