A young angler shows off a bluegill he caught at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Pocket Park, located on the Upper Peninsula State Fairgrounds in Escanaba. (Courtesy photo)

ESCANABA — The Pocket Park on the Upper Peninsula State Fairgrounds begins its summer hours today. From now through Sept. 6, people can explore, learn and play at the Escanaba destination from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.

Operated by the Department of Natural Resources, the Pocket Park has been a fixture since 1999, when it debuted to the public at the Upper Peninsula State Fair. Fair week remains the busiest time for the little park, but its programs and activities are meant to provide free, outdoor fun to kids all summer.

The park is perhaps best-known for its pond stocked with bluegill, for which visitors allowed to fish. An archery range and pellet gun range are also on-site.

This past weekend, the park hosted Kids Fishing Day, which has been organized in Michigan for 33 years — before the Pocket Park opened. The day aligns with “Three Free” weekend, which allows people without fishing licenses, off-road permits and recreation passports to fish, ride trails and visit state parks.

“Our fishing event at the Pocket Park … offers plenty of space for the traditional fun favorites at Kids Fishing Day, and the Pocket Park offers a beautiful natural-like setting right in the middle of Escanaba,” said Brenda Madden, longtime Kids Fishing Day team member and organizer.

Saturday’s event including bluegill fishing, minnow races and face painting, along with free food and prizes.

Event partners included the Bay de Noc Great Lakes Sportsfishermen, Michigan DNR and the U.S. Forest Service’s Hiawatha National Forest. The Kids Fishing Day team extended “a special thank you to all the volunteers, as this event would not be possible without them.”

Today’s schedule brings another collection of activities. From 1 to 2 p.m., there is a program about the history of archery. For the remainder of the season, programs on different subjects will continue to take place on Wednesdays through Sundays from 1 to 2 p.m.

Subjects of upcoming programs are invertebrates, bats, black bears, trout, mammals, porcupines and fishers, raptors and more.

From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, fishing is available at the Pocket Park; the archery range is open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and pellet gun shooting is available on weekends only in June from 2 to 4 p.m.

The Pocket Park is looking forward to introducing a new, adults-only program on Friday nights in July. More will be shared as the the summer progresses.

The DNR Pocket Park is located nearest Gate Number One at the fairgrounds, which can be accessed from 12th Avenue North.