The Family Night kick off celebration for the annual Mancelona Bass Festival was a super success. 

The event took place on the grounds of the middle school, May 30^th.  The evening featured a rock wall for climbers, basketball shootout contest, face painting and fun food. 

Tim Smigielski, Lead Fisheries Biologist was on hand with a display promoting awareness of invasive species.  He explained the measures that resource users need to employ to prevent further spread of such invasives as Zebra mussels, Round gobies and Eurasian water milfoil. 

He fielded many questions about the newest issue in the Great Lakes region, Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) and Tim applied about seventy bass tattoos during the event.  His wife Janet assisted in keeping the long line of kids moving.