GRAFTON - The 34th annual Two Rivers Family Fishing Fair will return to Pere Marquette State Park near Grafton on Saturday, June 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free, family-friendly event will be jam-packed with outdoor activities, live music, food, drinks, prizes, and much more.
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Fishing poles, bait, and supplies are all provided at the fishing fair, and no fishing license is required to participate. Scott Isringhausen, urban fishing coordinator for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said the event is a great opportunity for some free family fun.
“It’s such a wonderful thing, it’s all free, and if you’ve never been to it, bring your kids because I think people will be truly amazed,” Isringhausen said.
This year’s Fishing Fair will see several favorite attractions return, including the catch-and-release Bluegill Pond where young anglers can have their photos taken with their catch, the One-Cast station where everyone wins a prize, and bow-fishing stations where children can shoot at moving targets in a pool or at a three-dimensional target.
“The best thing about this is that every single child that comes to this will actually leave with a prize - whether it be a fishing pole, a tackle box - as long as they do seven of the 30 different activities, they will actually leave with a prize,” Isringhausen said.
The event will also feature a massive 4,000-gallon aquarium with 30 species of fish, dog shows, Camo the Clown, and a tournament rig from Twisted Cat Outdoors. Live musical entertainment will be performed by the Lodge Brothers band and Wildheart.
Conservation officers will also be on-site to educate visitors on water safety, a group from Kampsville will teach visitors about ancient fishing techniques, and many more educational activities will take place throughout the day.
Isringhausen added he would like to thank this year’s generous sponsors, which include but are not limited to the following:
The Two Rivers Family Fishing Fair is hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge (administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), and Pere Marquette State Park (administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources).
For more information, contact Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge at (618) 883-2524 or Pere Marquette State Park at (618) 786-3323 ext. 1.
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