In a time when many need to cut costs and end programs and businesses, the Arnold Fitness Expo flourished.  This year there were 170,000 attendees, easily topping last year's attendance.
 
Franklin County Veterans Memorial has always been at the center of the Arnold Sports Festival.  In 1976, Jim Lorimer and Arnold Schwarzenegger teamed up to promote the "Mr. Olympia" contest held at Franklin County Veterans Memorial.  They continued their close working relationship when they kicked off the 1st Annual Arnold Classic in 1989.  In addition to the Arnold Classic, Veterans Memorial was the initial location for the Fitness Expo which began in our North Hall in 1994.  The Expo continued to gain popularity and by 2000 it had outgrown our hall. 
 
The Arnold Classic, IFBB, Strongman Finals, Amateur Bodybuilding and Arnold Fitness Training Seminar are presented on our stage.  This year the Bikini contest, new to the Arnold Weekend, was added to our on-stage schedule Thursday night.  Another welcomed change for the 2009 schedule was the addition of the Cheerleading and Dance competition in our North Hall.  Thousands of dancers, cheerleaders and fans came through our doors for this flashy and exciting event.
 
Each year we look forward to this event and we are already counting down the days until next year's Arnold Sports Festival, which we are sure will continue to be bigger and better year after year.