Each winter on Anchorage's Jewel Lake, hundreds of families take to the ice to try ice fishing, many for the first time. On the first weekend in February, most of them do it for free.
Organized by the Swim Like a Fish Foundation, a nonprofit water safety group, the annual Jewel Lake Ice Fishing Jamboree offers dozens of pre-drilled holes in Jewel Lake, thousands of fish stocked by the state, and free poles, bait and hot chocolate.
"There aren't a lot of outdoor, family-friendly events in the winter," says Swim Like a Fish president Jeannette Menchinsky, "especially ones that are completely free."
The jamboree is supported by many different groups including the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, who help pre-drill dozens of holes and stock the lake with thousands of fish in the days leading up to the event.
Related slideshow: 27th Annual Jewel Lake Ice Fishing Jamboree
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