Every year since 1957, in mid-September, thousands of Bowhunters journey to the small town of Forksville, in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, for the Pennsylvania Bowhunters Festival, the oldest gathering of Bowhunters in the world. The three-day event offers a wide variety of educational and shooting activities and events designed to prepare Bowhunters for the upcoming archery season and entertain them at the same time.


The Festival features the famous “Forksville Running Deer” target, mechanical bear and turkey targets, pop-up and moving small game targets, a timed clay pigeon shoot, stationary targets set at variable distances, and three game trails designed to simulate bow hunting in a northern hardwood forest. All targets are McKenzie style 3-D targets. There are vendors and manufacturers, clinics and seminars, entertainment, and great food.

The Pennsylvania Bowhunters Festival Committee is a 501-C-4 non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of archery and bow hunting and the support of charitable and service organizations. Our Organization consists of a 13 Member Board, a 50+ Member Operations Committee, and about 400 volunteers who help during the Festival. No one involved in organizing or running the Festival is paid for their services or reimbursed for any personal expenses.

All profits from the Festival are donated directly to Sullivan County charities, youth groups, school teams and clubs, and service organizations.