ESCANABA — A brand new event being held in the Ruth Butler Building at the U.P. State Fairgrounds this weekend promises to bring the best of ice fishing and hunting to Escanaba.

The first-ever U.P. Ice Fishing and Hunting Expo, which is sponsored by the Daily Press in conjunction with other businesses, kicked off Friday. The free event will continue today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Thirty-five vendors covering everything from bait and tackle shops to lure manufacturers and gun dealers will be present. In addition, food vendors are available on site and children will be able to participate in games and minnow races, making the expo an event for the whole family.

Interest in the expo has been far-spread with some vendors traveling from as far away as Illinois to attend. Other vendors and exhibitors are local, such as Kipling’s Blade’s Bait and Tackle, Gladstone’s Old Glory Firearms, and a plethora of other local businesses that embody the outdoor-spirit of the Upper Peninsula.

Anglers who are at home on the ice will have access to a wide range of products to make them more successful on the ice this season.

The expo also caters to those who prefer a blind to an ice shack. In addition to fire arms, many of the vendors will also offer other hunting and trapping related items.

The large amount of interest has already prompted the scheduling of a second U.P. Ice Fishing and Hunting Expo. That expo is planned for Oct. 6 through 8 of 2023.