By Navar Watson

Cars littered every curb and parking space as far as the Hamilton 16 IMAX theater Aug. 20, as hundreds of people gathered for the grand opening of Cabela’s in Noblesville.

But unlike other ribbon cutting ceremonies, a pair of scissors didn’t do the trick. Instead, Dean Widmann, manager of the archery department, shot through the ribbon with a bow and arrow.

Every Cabela’s store uses a bow and arrow at its ribbon cutting, holding an archery contest with the store’s employees to see who does the honor. Widmann and two other employees won the contest, and then each had to write an essay to the CEO on why he or she wanted to shoot on opening day. The CEO then made the decision.

“I’m not a writer by no means,” Widmann said, “but I just happened to write from the heart because my passion is bow-hunting and archery and stuff like that, ever since I was a little kid.”

Reaching children and young adults is a main focus for the Noblesville location, Senior Operations Manager Shannan Bauer said. Bauer wants youth to get “passionate about the outdoors” rather than stay inside playing video games.

Hamilton County has several outdoor opportunities, Bauer said, thanks to Geist and Morse reservoirs and the White River, which provide opportunities for fishing and kayaking.

Noblesville was an ideal place to open up Cabela’s, Bauer said. Cabela’s corporate office tested the market through Internet catalog sales and found many outdoor enthusiasts in the area.

Bauer said every customer who steps into Cabela’s will be helped according to his or her specific outdoor project, whether its camping, fishing or hunting.

“We want to outfit them for that entire experience to make sure they have everything,” Bauer said. “It’s kind of your one-stop shop before you go out on your adventure.”

Cabela’s

Location: 13726 Cabela Parkway, off Exit 210 and Interstate 69

Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday