Illinois’ Two Rivers Family Fishing Fair Moved to Jersey County Fairgrounds
The Two Rivers Family Fishing Fair held annually at Pere Marquette State Park will be held on Saturday, June 8 at the Jersey County Fairgrounds in Jerseyville due to flooding this week at Pere Marquette.
The free Two Rivers Family Fishing Fair, held in observance of Illinois Free Fishing Days and National Fishing and Boating Week, offers fishing fun and educational activities for the entire family!
The Fishing Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 8 at the Jersey County Fairgrounds/American Legion Grounds located on U.S. Rt. 67, north of Jerseyville, Illinois.
“Getting families outdoors to have fun together is what the Two Rivers Family Fishing Fair is all about,” said Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Director Marc Miller. “This free festival happens each year because volunteers provide the manpower and sponsors provide the funding to make it happen. On June 8, children can experience the fun of fishing and spending time outdoors thanks to this event’s many sponsors and more than 225 volunteers.”
There will be many informational stations for beginning anglers and lots of fun and educational activities for kids of all ages. Fair goers will learn knot tying, fish identification, fish cleaning, casting and many other skills. Every child that completes at least seven stations will receive a prize and have the chance to catch a trout at the Trout Pond.
Some favorite stations returning this year are the Bluegill Pond, where the children will have the opportunity to catch a fish and have their picture taken; the popular One-Cast station where everyone wins a prize; along with the popular Bowfishing Stations where children can shoot in a pool and at a 3D target. Our favorite nature enthusiast, Camo the Clown will be returning with his educational seminars.
The giant 4,000 gallon mobile aquarium stocked with many of the local fish found in the Illinois River will also be back this year. Fishing seminars will be presented by professional anglers all day, including our local experts demonstrating a variety of fishing techniques. There will also be two Dog Retriever shows and a Noodling demonstration.
Some exciting new activities will be introduced this year: The Audubon Center in West Alton will be hosting an educational station including games and activities for kids. QEM Fire Department will sponsor a “Smoke House” demonstration, where children can experience what it is like and learn techniques to escape from a burning building. The Center for American Archeology in Kampsville will host a station on fishing in Ancient Illinois. Be sure to stop by their station to explore all the different ways prehistoric people used the resources of the river before the Woolly Bugger and stink bait were ever invented!
“We are very fortunate to have Phillips 66 of Wood River as a Premier Sponsor, together with Wal-Mart and Cabela’s of St. Charles, whose mission is to reach out into the community and help events that promote the continued growth of a healthy, outdoor lifestyle and to help form the next generation of fishermen,” said Scott Isringhausen, Urban Fishing Coordinator for the IDNR. “We want to get kids hooked on fishing and not on some of the less desirable things that are available for our kids to choose from.”
