TWO RIVERS FAMILY FISHING FAIR returns to Pere Marquette State Park June 6
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By Steven Spencer
The Two Rivers Family Fishing Fair returns to Pere Marquette State Park on Saturday, June 6, with plenty of fun and educational outdoor activities for the entire family.
This summer marks the 37th year of the free event that sets out to educate, develop a connection with the outdoors, and provide a chance to pick up a pole, catch a fish, and even eat what you catch.
“We want to get kids hooked on fishing, and the Family Fishing Fair helps connect kids and families to fun outdoor activities,” Scott Isringhausen, Illinois Department of Natural Resources Urban Fishing Coordinator. “Thanks to our generous sponsors, we are able to continue to offer this free event. We are very fortunate to have the support of the Phillips 66 Wood River Refinery as a Premier Sponsor, along with Farm and Home Supply, the Jersey County Board, Jerseyville Walmart, State Farm Insurance of Jerseyville, Carrolton, and Godfrey and many others.”
This year will feature a 4,000-gallon mobile aquarium stocked with native fish species, providing an opportunity to learn what type of fish live in the local water ways. Hall of Fame Fisherman Jimmy Houston will return this year, sharing his “wit and wisdom” about the outdoors, as will Duck Dynasty’s “Mountain Man,” Tim Gurney, and “Camo the Clown.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge and Pere Marquette host the event and no fishing license or gear is required to participate in any of the activities.
“The annual Fishing Fair will include a wide variety of outdoor activities,” IDNR said in a press release. “Participating children will find a catch-and-release bluegill pond where young anglers can have their photograph taken with their catch; the popular 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 3D target. Every child who completes at least seven stations will receive a prize and have the chance to catch a trout in the trout pond.”
Parking is free for the event, and the fair will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information about the 37th Annual Two Rivers Family Fishing Fair, contact Pere Marquette State Park at 618-786-3323 or Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge at 618-883-2524.
