KALKASKA — With warmer weather and sunny skies comes fishing and festivals, and the only thing better than one or the other is both.
Festivals like the Kalkaska National Trout Festival combine our love of fishing with the love of festivals to create an almost week-long event full of rides, flea markets and more.
Diana Needham, President of the National Trout Festival, says that there is something for everyone
”We have a little tots fishing pond that’ll be over by the Station Seven Fire Department. We have an older kids fishing pond that’s out on 66 and they love it. We sell out of there every year.”
This is also the 88th period of the festival, meaning the history is a bit vague.
“This county and the state of Michigan have the most trout rivers and stuff,” Needham said. “Opening a trout season is very, very popular. Somebody just took it on themselves to start that. And you know, it’s not recorded very well what the original reason was and stuff. But it mostly centered around trout season. And we have so many rivers and streams.”
The fun kicked off at 6 p.m. on Wednesday with the opening ceremony, and everything will be wrapping up on Sunday.
There will be a shuttle service this year for those coming to have fun, with a free shuttle coming by at the following locations from 2-9 p.m. on Friday & noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday.
Village Mun. Parking Lot, 3rd St., south end
Kal. Middle School Dresden St Parking Lot
Fairgrounds Rd at the west side of the Kaliseum parking lot
Kal. High School (after 3 p.m. on Sat.)
Birch Street Elementary (after 3 p.m. on Sat.)
