Eastern Mountain Sports will host a grand opening of its new store in Danbury, CT on April 26-28. Located in the Shops at Marcus Dairy across from Whole Foods at 3A Sugar Hollow Road, the 13,336 square-foot-space is nearly twice the size of the company’s previous location at 7 Backus Avenue.

“Danbury has been an important market for Eastern Mountain Sports since we opened our first store here in 1994,” said Mark Walsh , CEO of Eastern Mountain Sports. “This location presents an opportunity for EMS to improve our customer experience by offering more products, brands, and service in a fresh environment. We appreciate our loyal customers and look forward to seeing them and serving new enthusiasts in this exciting store.” The new Danbury store will feature a new section for kids as well as an expanded kayak and stand up paddleboard department. These improvements complement an extensive selection of outdoor apparel and gear for backpacking, camping, climbing and hiking.

A grand opening community celebration will take place April 26-28, with a portion of the weekend’s proceeds donated to The Audubon Center at Bent of the River, a sanctuary for animals and people located in Southbury, Connecticut.

Founded in 1967 by two New England rock climbers and based in Peterborough, N.H., Eastern Mountain Sports is one of the nation’s leading outfitters of outdoor gear, clothing, footwear and accessories with 68 retail stores in 12 states.