Participate in a sturgeon release at this annual event featuring the “Great Lakes Gentle Giant”
By Friends of the St Clair River
PORT HURON, MI – The public can experience a live sturgeon encounter on ship and on shore, Saturday, June 1, 2024 from10 a.m – 3 p.m. at Friends of the St. Clair River’s 11th annual Blue Water Sturgeon Festival at Fort Gratiot Lighstation Park, 2802 Omar Street in Port Huron. Thousands of lake sturgeon migrate to the Blue Water Area each June to spawn, and since 2013 thousands of visitors have gathered on shore to celebrate the occasion.
The Blue Water Sturgeon Festival is centered on providing close encounters with Lake Sturgeon, affectionately called the Giants of the Great Lakes. The theme “Sturgeon and Friends” continues this year with Michigan wildlife including sea lamprey, native frogs, turtles and snakes. The festival features live animal shows on stage by Nature Discovery and MI Avian Experience, a live sturgeon touch tank, hands-on activities, vendor booths, a hand-release of baby sturgeon into the wild, sturgeon adoptions, food trucks, a live band, and more.
The Huron Lady Sturgeon Cruise is part of Sturgeon Fest with cruises available at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Advanced ticket purchase of $35 is required. Aboard the Huron Lady, riders experience a rare Lake Sturgeon encounter underneath the Blue Water Bridges to interact with biologists who know them best as they are catching, tagging and releasing sturgeon.
Sheri Faust, Executive Director, said “The story of sturgeon is 136 million years old, and we’re just doing our part to tell the their Great Lakes comeback. Nearly 10,000 sturgeon call underneath the Blue Water Bridges home, which makes it possible to see one of these gentle giants. Culturally, lake sturgeon were a celebrated part of the Great Lakes. Today, it is uncommon to see a sturgeon in the wild or in person. We’re changing that.”
Blue Water Sturgeon Festival is Friends largest fundraiser which supports year-round conservation and education programs. Festival admission is free. For festival details, visit www.SturgeonFestival.com. Friends of the St. Clair River is Michigan Thumb Coast’s largest environmental organization. Their mission is to protect and restore the St. Clair River watershed through community education, environmental monitoring, hands-on stewardship, and advocacy. Visit www.scriver.org and “Friends of the St. Clair River” on social.
