Fish, learn, eat, sail
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ESCANABA — Next weekend, a multi-part event offers people the opportunity to sail aboard a tall ship schooner, take part in fishing activities and enjoy a Friday fish fry. The sail is a ticketed event for which registration must be made in advance, but the other portside activities are free and open to the public.
The event, “Mi Fresh Fish Fest,” is hosted by Sea Grant through Michigan State University and sponsored by the Daniel J. Kobasic Foundation and the City of Escanaba.
To sail on Friday morning aboard the Inland Seas tall ship schooner on Lake Michigan and learn about the local watershed, fish identification, benefits of seafood and seamanship, people must register at qrs.ly/wdhepqo by July 22. The cruise is from 8:30 a.m. to noon, and the boat will launch from the Escanaba Marina at 17 Water Plant Road. Attendees are advised to bring water bottles, hats, and sunscreen.
Later in the afternoon, a fish fry on land at the marina takes place from 4 to 7 p.m. The Mi Fresh Fish Fry is free and open to the public with food, fishing activities, and more for the whole family.
“Mi Fresh Fish uplifts all fish produced in Michigan -- whether from farmed or wild harvests--and whether destined for food, bait, stocking, fee‑fishing, or ornamental markets. The goal is to educate and bring awareness to Michiganders the many values of local fisheries: food, fun, finance, function, and fellowship,” states a press release. People interested in learning more may dive in online at www.mifreshfish.com.
Separate from the public festival, exclusive sailing activities are offered while Inland Seas is in town. A Friday afternoon sail is available specifically for 4-H members; a Saturday morning sail is offered to all K-12 teachers; and the public may purchase tickets to sail on Inland Seas on Saturday afternoon.
The activities are coming to Escanaba and other areas because Michigan Sea Grant, a Michigan State University Extension program, “received funding from the Center for Great Lakes Literacy to host a teacher sail that will introduce K-12 teachers to place-based stewardship education,” shared Dr. Lauren Stigers, extension educator in fisheries and aquaculture.