Southern Illinois Hunting & Fishing Days Draws Crowds and Community Together
Published on September 29, 2026
Perfect weather, strong attendance, and overwhelmingly positive feedback helped make this year’s Southern Illinois Hunting & Fishing Days a major success.
Held on the John A. Logan College campus, the annual event once again brought together outdoor enthusiasts, vendors, visitors, and members of the Southern Illinois community for a weekend celebrating hunting, fishing, and the outdoors.
From the crowds that filled campus to the enthusiastic response from vendors and attendees, this year’s event demonstrated the continued importance of Hunting & Fishing Days to the region.
Pulling off an event this size takes the work of an entire campus community. Behind the scenes, John A. Logan College employees worked throughout the weeks leading up to the event and throughout the weekend to prepare facilities, coordinate logistics, support vendors and visitors, and keep everything running smoothly.
The college’s Facilities team, including Grounds, Maintenance, and Custodial, played a key role, along with the JALC Police Department, IT Support, Marketing, Printing Services, and employees from departments across campus.
The event also required temporary changes to the normal flow of campus, including using and closing parking areas and moving equipment and event materials. Those adjustments, along with ongoing construction on campus, presented additional challenges, but the college community worked together to ensure the weekend could move forward successfully.
That spirit of collaboration was one of this year’s event highlights.
Departments stepped in to help one another, employees took on new responsibilities, and people across campus worked toward a shared goal: creating a successful experience for visitors, vendors, and the Southern Illinois community.
Next year will mark the 40th Southern Illinois Hunting & Fishing Days, providing an opportunity to celebrate the event’s history while looking toward its future.
Planning is already underway to build on this year’s success and continue growing the event in the years ahead. Each year brings an opportunity to improve, expand, and create an even stronger experience for the campus and community.
This year’s Hunting & Fishing Days was more than a successful weekend. It reflected what can happen when an entire college community works together.
The result was an event JALC can be proud of—and a strong foundation for an exciting 40th anniversary celebration next year.