MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The annual Ice Fishing Derby hosted by the Meridian Township Parks and Recreation Department took place last weekend and the community came out, braved the cold and enjoyed some quality winter time.

Families came out from the local area to enjoy snacks, warm beverages and of course, some ice fishing.

Whether you were a professional or just somone looking for a fun activity, the fishing derby was for all ages.

Residents were recommended to bring their own equiptment but were provided bait at the pond.

The fishing took place at Central Park Pond from 9 am to noon.

With the warmer winter weather coming in last weekend, organizers weren’t sure if the ice would be safe enough for people to walk on and fish.

Organizer of the event Kelsey Dillon, Park Naturalist for Meridian Township, said that she and her colleagues had to come the day before to run some tests and follow protocol to ensure safety for the event.

“We went out to the center and checked and we were at about six inches of ice, which was perfect and we felt very comfortable letting kids out on that amount of ice," Dillon said.

This event was held during the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR)'s free fishing weekend, were residents can fish without a license.