'Ugly sturgeon contest' honors prehistoric fish's less than good looks
PRINCETON (WLUK) -- It's a celebration for a prehistoric fish, and it's underway in western Green Lake County.
"The sturgeon spawn is Princeton's most-ancient tradition. Sturgeon have been coming to the banks of the Fox River for literally hundreds of years. These giant dinosaur fish are so cool that we want to celebrate them," said Laura Skalitzky, Princeton Public Library Director.
Skalitzky says celebrating sturgeon might come with a catch.
"And sturgeon, unfortunately, are not the prettiest fish. We still love them," she said.
Enter the "Ugly Sturgeon Contest."
Debbie May owns Whimsy Mountain, the arts and crafts store down the block. She came up with the concept using paper mache fish as the medium.
"By calling it ugly, it takes away a little bit of inhibition of how to create an art project," said May. "It's kind of an 'anything goes.' There's no right or wrong. It's just your creativity. And a nod to the fact the sturgeon is not known for its good looks."
Out of 22 entries, winners were chosen in six different categories, including prettiest sturgeon, most realistic sturgeon and the ugliest -- a purple-painted one.
"The ugliest sturgeon has real animal teeth, painted egg shells, turkey feathers, birch bark, real moss, real feathers, lures and stick teeth," said Skalitsky.
All the fish will be on display through Saturday before heading home with their owners,
"Being a librarian is not just about books. It's about all kinds of education, and that includes education about our local wildlife and our local traditions," said Skalitsky.
Saturday's event runs from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Next year, the "Ugly Sturgeon Contest" is expected to include 50 fish.