Fireworks on tap in Tofte, Grand Marais, and Grand Portage on July 4th, starting at dark. Photo courtesy of the Lake Superior Trading Post. (File photo)

The Fourth of July is a time for swimming in the lake, rock skipping, shopping, agate hunting, donuts, long hikes, canoe trips, barbecues, fireworks, art openings, and time with family and friends, to name a fw. It’s the true kick-off for summer on the North Shore.

The celebration starts on Thursday with the opening reception for a new exhibit at Studio 21 from 3-5 pm.

The RISING Arrowhead Artist Exhibition features work by  Ellen Cashman & Kimberly Baerg.

RISING opens at Studio 21 with a reception from 3-5 pm on Thursday.

This exhibition brings together the work of Baerg, an acrylic painter from Duluth, and Cashman, a bead artist from Ely. Baerg’s paintings center on the wildlife of northern Minnesota, capturing the presence and personality of animals through expressive color and layered brushwork. Her work reflects a deep connection to the region’s natural environment, where familiar creatures emerge with both realism and emotion.

Cashman’s intricate beadwork complements these themes through texture, pattern, and careful craftsmanship. Inspired by the natural world and regional traditions, her pieces invite close inspection and quiet reflection. Together, Baerg and Cashman create a visual conversation that celebrates the landscapes, wildlife, and creative spirit of northern Minnesota. The exhibit continues through July.

Refreshments will be served at the reception. The public is invited.

Also on Thursday, the Art Counter Project at Joy and Company will be held from 3-4:30 pm, offering the public an opportunity to make their own art.

Look for all kinds of art activities all weekend at Joy and Company.

The art projects vary this week, but an instructor will be there, and supplies will be available. The event is free with a suggested $5 donation. Joy and Company also encourages chalk art on the floors and art-making in the back lot. Open to all.

Also on Thursday, the Grand Marais Farmers Market is held in the Community Center parking lot from 4:30-6 pm.

The Grand Marais Farmer’s Market will be held in the parking lot of the Cook County Community Center from 4:30-6 pm on Thursdays.

This is a great market and features everything from locally-grown vegetables, flowers, baked goods, artisan breads, maple syrup, and more. Open to all.

Also, two ongoing summer tours continue, including the Sawmill Tour at Hedstrom Lumber on Thursdays. (Click here to learn more) and the Harbor History Walking Tour, organized by the Cook County Historical Society on Friday evenings. Click here to learn more.

The holiday celebrations begin on Friday. Here are the planned events, by community:

The Blackflies, a local punk protest dance band, will play at the Gunflint Tavern for the 4th of July weekend. Expect lots of shenanigans. Members include Todd Miller, Michael McHugh, and Jesse Johnson.

The Blackflys will play at the Gunflint Tavern on Friday and Saturday.

This is e a classic three-piece power trio playing spartan, minimal, but powerfully rendered power pop/ dance/ punk tunes. They might even play some thoughtfully rendered and respectful covers of standards. Time to be determined. The public is invited.

Fourth of July 2026

Tofte:

• 9 am | Tofte Trek 10k Wilderness Run/Walk:

Tofte Trek starts from Birch Grove Community School at 9 am on Saturday.

The Tofte Trek is hosted by the Sugarbush Trail Association. Pre-registration is recommended, but same-day registration is available. Learn more here.  Tofte Trek starts from Birch Grove Community School.

  11 am| Tofte 4th of July Festivities:

Beginning at 11 am., the town of Tofte will have bouncy houses, minnow races, craft vendors, live music, a beer garden, food vendors, and more.

2 pm | The Tofte 4th of July Parade

The Tofte 4th of July parade starts in downtown Tofte at 2 pm on Saturday. It’s always a great parade.

• 10 pm | Fireworks at Tofte Town Park.

Grand Marais:

10 am | Cook County Market

The Cook County Market will be held in the parking lot of The Hub from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday.

This market features arts and crafts by local artists as well as live music. This week, Tom Van Cleve & Erik Hahn will play from 10 am to noon, and Michelle Miller will play from noon to 2 pm.

At the market, look for paintings and prints, cards, fused glass, baskets, hand-dyed scarves and clothing, Lake Superior rocks, baked goods, and more. (Note: there’s often a spontaneous dog parade around noon.)

Other events in the Grand Marais area on Saturday include:

• 1:30 pm | Devil’s Track Boat Parade | Line up at Skyport Lodge waterfront beginning at 1:00 p.m. All welcome.
• 11 am – midnight | 4th of July Yard Party at Skyport | feat. DJ Angel and Fireworks over Devil’s Track Lake. Following the annual Devil’s Track Lake Boat Parade, head to Skyport Lodge & Raven Rock Grill for an afternoon and evening of lakeside fun.
• 4:30 pm  | Community Barbecue and Old Fashioned Church Picnic | Grand Marais Rec Park hosted by the Cornerstone Community Church.
• 9 pm – midnight | 4th of July Karaoke Party | Hosted by Erik Stee  at Up Yonder
• 10 pm | Fireworks over Grand Marais harbor

Gunflint Trail:

12 pm | Poplar Paddle Parade 2026

Celebrate the 4th of July on beautiful Poplar Lake. Meet at the White Pine Lodge main dock at noon and paddle over to Poplar Haus with Allison from White Pine Lodge and special guest Jemma from @minnesotamermaid. Bring your own canoe, kayak, or paddleboard, or borrow one from White Pine Lodge (limited amount available, must reserve ahead of time).

Hovland

Hovland Arts Festival | Saturday & Sunday, July 4-5  | 10 am – 4 pm each day.

Hovland Arts Festival is held over the July 4th weekend.

The Hovland Arts Festival is a popular summer art festival showcasing the talent and artistry of Hovland area artists, crafters, and musicians, held at the historic Hovland Town Hall.

There is always a lot to choose from in this art fair, and refreshments are available.

Hovland Art Festival participating artists.

Lots of live music will be performed at the Arts Festival.

Grand Portage:

Rock the Lake Music Festival  | Friday & Saturday, July 3 & 4  | Free outdoor music festival at Grand Portage Lodge & Casino featuring live music from 4:30 – 10:00 pm Friday and 12:30 – 10:00 pm Saturday.

The Rock the Lake Music Festival is in Grand Portage this weekend. See the music schedule below.

10 p.m. Saturday, July 4 | Fireworks over Grand Portage Bay.

On Monday, the Monday Porch Talk series continues at the Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center at 1 pm.

Monday Porch Talks are held at Chik-Wauk at 1 pm.

Topics vary each week. This week, learn about Wild Cats. Free and open to all.

Also on Monday, Life Drawing Sessions with Tim Vahle and Neil Sherman will be held in the Log Cabin Building this summer.

Portrait Study by Tim Vahle. He and Neil Sherman are hosting figure drawing classes this summer.

Here is the schedule of sessions, which are held from 5:30-8 pm.

• Monday, July 6
• Monday, July 13
• Monday, July 20

Cost: $20 per session (payable in cash onsite). All are welcome.

Exhibits: 

The Johnson Heritage Post has opened an inspiring exhibit of batiks on paper: Natural Gestures, a solo exhibition by Emily Donovan.

Donovan uses historical methods to forage and procure natural pigments from plants and insects, blending traditional craft with a modern approach to batik.

Hyacinth, batik on paper, by Emily Donovan, is one of the pieces in the exhibit at the Heritage Post.

Because each pigment is physically tied to the land, Donovan’s paintings feature a “living mark” where materials like beeswax and organic dyes create unpredictable results. This collection is a visual “gesture” of respect and awe for nature’s abilities.

The exhibit continues through July 12. Free.

Weaver Julie Arthur is the July Artist of the Month at the Johnson Heritage Post.

Julie Arthur is the Artist of the Month at the Johnson Heritage Post.

The Heritage Post is open from 10 am to 4 pm Wednesday through Saturday and from 1-5 pm Sunday.

There are two weeks left to see the 2026 Member Show at the Duluth Art Institute.

The Duluth Art Institute 2026 Member Show continues.

More than 100 pieces in a wide variety of media are on view in this show. It closes on July 10.

Here is the QR code to see the pieces in the show.

To see all the works in the Member show, use this QR code.

The Swedish American Institute in Minneapolis is exhibiting “Eyes as Big as Plates,” a surrealist photography exhibition showcasing humans in harmony with nature by Finnish-Norwegian artists Riitta Ikonen and Karoline Hjorth.

Eyes as Big as Plates is on view at the Swedish American Institute in Minneapolis.

In release, the Institute said: “This stunning photography series began as a playful exploration of characters from Nordic folklore and has evolved into a project spanning over 160 uniquely crafted portraits created in 17 countries across five continents. They camouflage humans in organic materials sourced from the surrounding environment, creating surreal, other-worldly photography that blends artistry and curiosity with anthropology, activism, and education. Each portrait features one person, often an individual Hjorth and Ikonen met organically in their travels, who is actively impacted by the changing environment. The duo has documented farmers, surfers, grandmas, citizen scientists, wild boar hunters, mycologists, philosophers, and many more in their natural environments, capturing and challenging how humans view relationships with the living world. Ikonen and Hjorth’s artistic process blends humans into their surroundings and affirms co-existence as the only sustainable path forward.”

The exhibit continues through October 25.

Opportunites:

Tim Vahle is holding a series of four-hour workshops this summer entitled: How to See Like an Artist.

Many of the workshops have already sold out, but there is still some space. To find out more and register, click here. 

Upcoming:

The Lutsong Music Festival will be held July 9- 12.

Lutsong Music Festival will be held  July 9-12.

The  Music Festival includes live music, an artisan market, food, and more. Events will be held at Caribou Highlands and the North Shore Winery. To find out more and see the music schedule, click here. 

The Grand Marais Arts Festival is next weekend, July 11-12, in downtown Grand Marais.

The Grand Marais Arts Festival is July 11-12. File photo by Dennis Chick.

The Arts Festival brings artists from all over the region for the two-day event, featuring a wide variety of media as well as demonstrations, art-making activities, and live music.

The festival is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.

The booths are open from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturday, July 11, and from 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday, July 12.

To find out more, including artists who will be participating, click here.

Borderlands, an exhibit featuring works by  Betsy Bowen, Jeanne Hedstrom, Stephan Hoglund, and Heidi Sobanja, opens at the Johnson Heritage Post on July 17.

Borderlands opens at the Heritage Post on July 17.

The opening reception is from 5-7 pm. Stay tuned.

Artists at Work:

Rebel Loon, acrylic, by Rae Rae Klesser. She is one of the artists who will be at the Hovland Arts Festival this weekend

Lunch under a fig tree, oil, by Carmen Mansilla.

Corals ll, stoneware, Elizaveta Nenarakova.

Making vessels with potter Sungho Lee. Photo furnished.

Quail teapot, stoneware, Suzanne Crane.

Skua, St. Abbs, textile and stitch painting, by Pat Beveridge.

A plein air outing by Sue Rauschenfels.

A large fish eye Isle Royale Greenstone: Chlorastrolite and a dark green and Red Thomsonite by Stephan Hoglund. He is one of the artists in the upcoming Borderlands show.

New work, mixed media by Martin DeWitt.

Online Findings:

Click to hear A set by Summoning Circle on WTIP with Will Moore.

Online Music:

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Photography:

Here’s a selection from what we found this week:

Wildlife:

A big’un by Gary Arands.

Super Mom by Don Davison.

Swan mama and signets by David Johnson.

Waiting for breakfast by Paul Ostrum.

Stare down by Chris Artist.

Albino White-tailed Deer with normal fawns by Paul Sundberg.

Look what is hanging around my back door by Paul Ostrum.

Loon family by Paul Ostrum.

Gathering by David Johnson.

Potpourri:

Lilac season at its peak by Betsy Bowen.

Jane’s Fish House, Croftville Road, by Don Davison.

The Hjordis on a glassy Lake Superior by Betsy Bowen.

First strawberry by Brigette Binesikwe Nies.

A Calypso (Fairy Slipper) orchid found in a lowland conifer swamp by Jill Lavro Beim.

Purple Haze Phase by Maryl Skinner.

Ferns, photo illustration by Don Davison.

Showy Lady Slipper about to bloom by Roxanne Distad.

You will probably find a treasure here by Bryan Hansel.

Landscapes, Skyscapes & Waterscapes:

Sunrise by Don Davison.

Kadunce waterfall by Chuck Olsen.

A shiny new lighthouse by Hayes Scriven.

Irish countryside ruins by Carl Anderson.

Sunday’s Moonlit Night by Maryl Skinner.

Strawberry Moon Dream by Roxann Berglund.

Hovland on a foggy morning by Gary Arands.

Waterfall Magic by Bryan Hansel.

a great weekend, everyone!

Happy 4th!

4th of July in Cook County. Photo courtesy of Visit Cook County.

Celebrate the 4th by contributing to NorthShore ArtScene today. We’re here for you every week with art, music, events, and great photos. Just click on the icon below, and thank you!

Thank you! Jeremy Lopez (Live Music Schedule, tech advice) and Yvonne Mills (proofreading) for your continued support. Thanks also to Visit Cook County for its outstanding Events Calendar.