The Grand Marais Harbor in Summer by David Johnson.
Greetings from the North Shore where the heat of summer is here. Turns out that technically, the days from now until about Aug. 11 are the hottest days of the year, also known as the Dog Days of Summer. According to MPR meteorologist, Paul Huttner, the expression, Dog Days of Summer, dates back to the Romans. Apparently the Romans noticed that the Dog Star Sirius appeared in the sky with the sun at this time of year, and they assumed that extra light made the days hotter. Not so, Huttner says. It’s just the angle of the sun on the earth at this time of year that brings the extra heat. The basil and sunflowers are fine with that.
This is Fisherman’s Picnic weekend, a whirlwind of family, friends, reunions, cookouts, competitions, contests, games, music, sidewalk sales, craft fairs …. the weekend schedule is pretty overwhelming.
Here’s the schedule of events for Fisherman’s Picnic. Hard copies can be found at the Visitor Center and many businesses around town.
In downtown Grand Marais you’ll find music in Harbor Park, bingo, food trucks, craft sales, loon calling contest, cutest puppy contest, rock skipping contest, a fish toss and more. There is also a Fisherman’s Picnic Trail Run/Walk Saturday morning on the Pincushion Mountain trails as well.
There will be lots of live music in Harbor Park during the Picnic. Photo courtesy of Visit Cook County.
Fireworks are on Saturday night at dusk over the harbor.
There will be fireworks on the harbor on Saturday night. Photo courtesy of Visit Cook County.
Fisherman’s Picnic has changed a lot over the years, adding and subtracting events. One might assume that fish burgers are definitely part of the long-time tradition, as is the fish toss and the parade. There were water events, at one time, if the photo below is any indication.
Waiting on the beach during Fisherman’s Picnic in 1936. Photo courtesy of Historic Cook County.
One thing is for sure, the parade on Sunday is a must-see every year.
The Fisherman’s Picnic Parade on Sunday is the best of the year. It starts at 1 pm.
The Lions Club, which sponsors the Picnic, holds raffles as a fundraiser. They include a grand prize of $10,000 and lots of other great prizes for $5 a ticket. Tickets are available at the Lions Club kiosk. Enjoy the Picnic everyone.
There are lots of other events that will be happening this weekend, too.
Art Night, a weekly event at Joy and Company offering participants the chance to create with a selected group of art supplies, will be from 3:30-5 pm at the shop. Open to all and free, with a suggested $5 donation .
Also on Thursday, the Grand Marais Farmer’s Market opens in the parking lot of the Cook County Community Center at 4:30 pm.
Tomatoes are finally ripening and will be at the Grand Marais Farmer’s Market on Thursday. Photo courtesy of Creaking Tree Farm.
This week, look for lots of locally produced vegetables, including tomatoes, baked goods, fresh flowers and more. The market closes at 6 pm. Open to all.
Also on Thursday, Cook County Trivia will be held at Up Yonder from 6-8 pm. Hosted by the Cook County Historcial Society, the event is free. Open to all.
Also on Thursday afternoon, the Cook County Historical Society will present “Stories That Matter: Women of Cook County” at 5:30 pm at the Johnson Heritage Post.
“Stories that Matter: Women of Cook County” will be presented at the Heritage Post at 5:30 pm on Thursday.
This year’s event will feature stories of Darragh Aldrich (writer, author, and radio commentator), the first woman columnist in Minneapolis; Andrea Peterson (teacher, mayor, author), award-winning teacher, and Grand Marais’ first woman mayor; and Betsy Bowen (artist, co-op founder, gallery owner), whose art is recognized as a staple along the North Shore. She is also one of the founders of the Cook County Whole Foods Co-op.
The presentation is free and open to all.
The Grand Marais Summer Theater Festival, a production of the Grand Marais Playhouse, continues with performances at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts Thursday through Sunday. Two plays are featured this year, which are performed in repertory or every other night. “Curtains Up!,” a comedy, and “ I will Be Back Before Midnight,” a drama. Performances are at 7 pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday and at 3 pm Sunday. For tickets, click here.
On Friday, an exhibit of work by fiber artist, Natalija Walbridge, opens in the Grand Marais Art Colony’s Gallery Store.
She is one of four Arrowhead regional artists who were selected to show work gallery store in 2024.
Great Blue Heron, fabric, applique by Natalija Walbridge, is one of the pieces the artist is exhibiting in the Art Colony’s Gallery Store this month.
Walbridge is a Duluth fiber artist who works in her home studio on Park Point. In 2014 she established a business making canvas bags with hand-printed art under the name Dock 5. She has recently returned to her roots as a fine art artist to create a series of large-scale fabric appliqués that are inspired by the local ecosystem and the importance of biodiversity. Her exuberant use of color gives the viewer a sense of joy, similar to experiencing the wonder of nature. Her dedication to her craft is evident in every stitch of her work.
A welcoming reception for the artist will be held at Studio 21 from 1 – 3 pm on Saturday.Open to all. Refreshments will be served. The exhibit continues through Aug. 31.
Also on Friday, visit the Bally Blacksmith and Metal Shops and step back in time.
The shops housed three generations of Bally family blacksmiths and witnessed the economic progression of the area from 1911-2009.
There will be demonstrations at the Bally Blacksmith shop from 1-4 pm Friday and Saturday.Live demos will be held from 1-4 pm on Friday and Saturday. Open to all. Free.
The Cook County Market, which is usually held in the parking lot of The Hub on Saturdays, will be held on Wisconsin Street beside the World’s Best Donuts on Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm.
The Cook County Market will be held on Wisconsin Street near the World’s Best Donuts during Fisherman’s Picnic on Friday and Saturday.
Look for a wide variety of locally-made arts and crafts, including pottery, painting, glass, stone work, jewelry and more, as well as live music.
Also on Saturday, Drury Lane Books will hold a Meet and Greet with mother-daughter duo Sandra and Sofia Hisakuni, author and illustrator of the beautiful Boundary Waters inspired haiku The Northland Beckons.
Sandra and Sofia Hisakuni will be at Drury Lane Books on Saturday.
The event will be held from 11 am to 1 pm.
Attendees can expect to learn about the process of haiku and get creative with a complimentary notebook, an activity for all ages.
Sandra Hisakuni is an English Language teacher who has taught in Japan, China, and the United Sates. She enjoys spending time in the wilderness and with her son and daughter. She lives in Minneapolis.
Sofia Hisakuni has always had a passion for expressing her creativity through art, drawing, and design. She currently works in marketing, enjoys spending time outdoors, and visiting her mom. She lives in Los Angeles.
Exhibits:
Embodying the North Shore, the Grand Marais Art Colony‘s summer exhibition, continues in Studio 21.
Batik by Jan Sivertson, 1992, is one of the pieces in the Embodying the North Shore exhibition at Studio 21.
Woodcut print by Betsy Bowen is one of the pieces in the exhibition, too.
The exhibit features works by several well-known North Shore artists including: Betsy Bowen, Jim Brandenburg, Dave Gilsvik, Keith Havens, Gene Martz, Lee and Dan Ross, Elaine Sivertson, Howard Sivertson, Liz Sivertson and Jan Sivertson.
Studio 21 is open from 10 am to 4 pm Thursday through Saturday. Free.
Of Place and Time, an exhibit of paintings by Paula Gustafson and Linda Ricklefs Baudry continues at the Johnson Heritage Post. This in-depth exhibit of paintings by artists working in different mediums, oil and pastels, is a great art experience. Both artists love painting landscapes, and Gustafson has also included a selection of abstract work as well.
Paula Gustafson has a few abstract pieces in the Heritage Post exhibit.
The exhibit continues through Aug. 14. The Heritage Post is open from 10 am to 4 pm Wednesday through Saturday and from 1-4 pm Sunday. Free.
The exhibit of pastel work by artists Michelle Wegler and Cheryl LeClair-Sommer continues in the Great Hall at Tettegouche State Park through this weekend.
Flowing, pastel, by Michelle Wegler, is one of the works in the show.
In Duluth, “Musings,” an exhibit of works byAdam McCauley and Sue Rauschenfels continues at Lizzard’s Art Gallery.
Artists Adam McCauley and Sue Rauschenfels are exhibiting at Lizzard’s Art Gallery.
A new exhibit has opened at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Entitled “Latin American Art at Mia II,” the exhibition features works collected by Mia since the 1940s.
The Family, 1936, oil on canvas, by Rufino Tamayo (Mexican, 1899 – 1991).
The collection includes paintings, ceramics, objects in gold, and textiles produced by art-makers of the ancient civilizations that populated Central and South America. The collection has significantly increased over the years, largely because of donations and purchases of works by historical and contemporary artists. These artworks constitute today the foundation in which the museum plans to build a more consistent and inclusive collection, one that can better represent the diversity and creativity of Latin American artists. The exhibition continues through March 2, 2025.
The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis opens an exhibit of contemporary paintings by Walter Price on Thursday.
Hold the umbrella tight while viewing my rain, acrylic, by Walter Price.
At the opening, Price will give an Artist Talk about contemporary painting and drawing, art historical legacies, the politics of color, as well as the challenges that artists face in navigating a cultural landscape overtly fixated on race and identity. A reception will follow. Free. To register for tickets, click here.
Upcoming:
Next weekend is the second big summer event in Cook County: Rendezvous Days and the Celebration Pow Wow in Grand Portage Aug. 9-11.
The Celebration Pow Wow, hosted by the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, draws drums and hundreds of dancers from the region and Canada.
The Celebration Pow Wow will be held next weekend, Aug. 9-11, at the Pow Wow grounds in Grand Portage. Photo by Stephen Hoglund.
Grand Entries are at 1 pm and 7 pm Saturday and 1 pm Sunday. This cultural celebration also features great food, including Indian tacos, and arts and crafts vendors.
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Rendezvous Days, a celebration of the historic traditions and life ways during the Fur Trade Era, will be held at the Grand Portage National Monument site Aug. 9-11. The event features workshops and demonstrations, a large re-enactment encampment, food, dancing, games and more.
Rendezvous Days at Grand Portage will be held Aug. 9-11.
Visitors are also invited to see the exhibits at the Heritage Center as well as visit the encampment and reconstructed buildings. Free and open to the public. For more info, click here. And stay tuned.
Also next weekend, the North Shore Music Association and Mixed Precipitation will present The Pick-up Truck Opera Vol. 4, Faust.
The Pickup Truck Opera brings a new opera to the North Shore next weekend.
The opera will be performed at 6:30 pm at the Hovland Town Hall on Friday, Aug. 9 and at Sweetheart’s Bluff in Grand Marais at 3 pm Saturday, Aug. 10.
All performances are offered for a suggested donation ($5 – $45). Free for children under 12. Audiences are encouraged to bring a lawn chair and beverages for comfort and hydration.
The Pick-up Truck Opera Vol. 4, Faust is French Romantic opera and new wave disco beats. It’s a deal with the devil as humanity shoots for the moon. It’s Mixed Precipitation’s 16th annual summer opera extravaganza.
The music of Depeche Mode is laced into this tale, featuring the work of songwriters Vince Clarke and Martin Gore.
The public is invited.
And at the beginning of September, an exhibit of work by the North Shore Artists League will be featured at the White Bear Lake Art Center.
Northern Lights by Deb Birkeland. One of the works at the upcoming North Shore Artists League exhibit at White Bear Lake.
Entitled “Earth, Air, Fire & Water” the multi-media exhibition will have an opening reception Tuesday, Sept. 3 at 10 am. Stay tuned.
Artists at Work:
Kansas wheat field, acrylic, by Joyce Cowan Shupe.
Drill press, Bill Bally Blacksmithing and Welding Shop by Layne Kennedy.
Garden Party, metal, by Jim Sannerud. It has been installed in Cook County.
Studio Floor by Andy Ness.
Social Distance Pow Wow, multi-media, by Dan Beaver.
Today’s View, acrylic, by Martin DeWitt.
100 Days to the Election Dragonfly Project by Mary Beams.
Up On Poplar, oil on linen panel by Tim Vahle. His gallery at 11 Birch Alley is open this weekend.
Online Findings:
The ultimate wave. Watch it break here. Video by Adam Zimmer.
Baby foxes have a group howl by Daniel Dietrich. Listen to them here.
Online Music:
Live Music:
Thursday, August 1:
- Fisherman’s Picnic, Harbor Park
- 11 am – North Shore Swing Band
- 1 pm – Fred Anderson and Friends
- 3 pm – Moonshot
- 7 pm – Street Dance with Zulu Link
- Tommy Wotruba, Raven Rock Grill at Skyport Lodge, 6-8 pm
- Bump Blomberg, Gunflint Tavern’s Rooftop Bar, 6-9 pm
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6:30-8:30 pm
Friday, August 2:
- Fisherman’s Picnic, Harbor Park
- 11 am - Michelle Miller
- 1 pm – Bug Lite
- 3 pm – Bump Blomberg and Gordon Thorne
- 7 pm – Street Dance with Evening Stars
- John Gruber, Cook County Saturday Market (Senior Center Parking Lot), 10 – 3 pm
- Kevin Buck, Birch Terrace Supper Club, 5-8 pm
- Timmy Haus, Moguls Grille and Tap Room, 7-9 pm
- Bump Blomberg, Bluefin Grille, 8-10 pm
- D.J. Birthday Gurl, Up Yonder, 8-11:59 pm
Saturday, August 3:
- Fisherman’s Picnic, Harbor Park
- 11 am - Emma Tweeten
- 1 pm – Portage Band
- 3 pm – Brothers in Arms
- 7 pm – Street Dance with DJ Mouwthe
- Joe Paulik, Cook County Saturday Market (Senior Center Parking Lot), 10 – 3 pm
- Kenna Rose and Joe Paulik, Birch Terrace Supper Club, 4-8 pm
- D.J. Birthday Gurl, Up Yonder, 4-11 pm
- Bump Blomberg, Moguls Grille and Tap Room, 7-9 pm
- Southpaws, Gunflint Tavern’s Rooftop Bar, 7-9 pm
- D.J. Unity, Gunflint Tavern’s Rooftop Bar, 10-11:59 pm
Sunday, August 4
- Bug Lite, Gunflint Tavern Raven’s Nest, 2-6 pm
- Briand Morrison and Roxann Berglund, Harbor Park, 3-5 pm
- Medicine River, Gunflint Tavern, 3-6 pm
- Teague Alexy, North Shore Winery, 3:30-5:30 pm
- Timmy Haus, Moguls Grille and Tap Room, 5-7 pm
Monday, August 5:
- Shane Martin, Bluefin Grille, 8-10 pm
Tuesday, August 6:
- Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 5-7 pm
- Joe Paulik, Bluefin Bay behind Bluefin Grille campfire on the beach, 6-9 pm
- Open Stage, Up Yonder, 6-9 pm
Wednesday, August 7:
- Joe Paulik, Gunflint Tavern Raven’s Nest, 6-9 pm
- Jim Miller, Bluefin Grille, 8-10 pm
Thursday, August 8:
- Pat Eliasen, Raven Rock Grill at Skyport Lodge, 6-8 pm
- Briand Morrison and Roxann Berglund, Schaap Community Center, Gunflint Trail, 6-8 pm
- North Shore Swing Band, Schaap Community Center, Gunflint Trail, 6-8 pm
- Bump Blomberg, Gunflint Tavern’s Rooftop Bar, 6-9 pm
- Fred Anderson, North Shore Winery, 6:30-8:30 pm
Friday, August 9:
- John Gruber, Moguls Grille and Tap Room, 7-9 pm
- The Landscapes, Gunflint Tavern’s Rooftop Bar, 7-10 pm
- Pete Kavanaugh, Bluefin Grille, 8-10 pm
- Will Seaton Band, Up Yonder, 8-11 pm
Saturday, August 10:
- Zahir Orest, Cook County Saturday Market (Senior Center Parking Lot), 10 am
- Adam Moe, Bluefin Bay behind Bluefin Grille campfire on the beach, 6-9 pm
- Jim Miller, Moguls Grille and Tap Room, 7-9 pm
- The Landscapes, Gunflint Tavern’s Rooftop Bar, 7-10 pm
- Shotgun Ragtime Band (Grateful Dead Tribute band), Up Yonder, 8-11 pm
Sunday, August 11:
- Medicine River, Gunflint Tavern Raven’s Nest, 3-6 pm
- MorningBird, North Shore Winery, 3:30-5:30 pm
- Timmy Haus, Moguls Grille and Tap Room, 5-7 pm
- Southpaws, Raven Rock Grill at Skyport Lodge, 4-7 pm
Photographs:
Here’s a selection of photographs we found this week:
Wildlife:
Painted turtle in the process of shell shedding by Krista Morton.
The Little Ones by David Johnson.
Bert, Michael Furtman‘s porch companion for 20 years. He is gone now. File photo by Michael Furtman.
Loon’s Eye by Dennis Chick.
Tailgating. Photo courtesy of photo_beaver.
Happy by Chuck Olsen.
Risky. Photographer unknown.
A Shima Enaga, a long-tailed tit, lives in cold climates. Photographer unknown.
Nothing better than seeing a gorgeous, wild brook trout, swim back to its cold water haunts. Photo by Carl Swanson.
Potpourri:
First Dahlia bloom by Bre Schueller.
A Pyrola Genus orchid in my back yard by Ilena Hansel.
And they’re off! The Lake Superior Yachting Association’s race to Thunder Bay gets under way. Photo courtesy of Lake Superior Trading Post.
Wild orchid, Orchidaceae Calopogon, by Sandra Updyke.
Split Rock Lighthouse by Hayes Scriven.
Gunflint Trail ‘shroom by Dennis Chick.
Landscapes, Skyscapes, Moonscapes & Waterscapes:
The break wall in Grand Marais by Layne Kennedy.
Meteor (Delta Aquariids) in the aurora borealis over upper Temperance River by Chuck Olsen.
In honor of the 114th year of Split Rock Lighthouse by John Gregor.
Enjoying the Full Moon by David Johnson.
The Hjordis and the lighthouse by Nathan Klok.
Summer storm by David Johnson.
Chasing Aurora by Nathan Klok.
Split Rock Lighthouse by Scott Zerwas.
Ancient rocks on Artist Point by Layne Kennedy.
Aurora in Door County, Wis by Rebecca Ann Struck.
Beauty in the Northwoods by Roxanne Distad.
Undulatus Asperatus clouds over New Hampshire. Photo courtesy of lostfoundartny.
Fireweed blooming for Cathy Quinn’s birthday. Photo by Staci Drouillard.
Melting Moon by Paul Sundberg.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Note: Here’s hoping that we hear from you this week. I put a lot of effort and thought into crafting an interesting experience for you every week. Your support shows me that it is worth it. To make a contribution, click on the icon below. And thank you!
Thank you to Jeremy Lopez, Live Music schedule, tech advice; Yvonne Mills, proofreading; and Kari Carter, photo captions, for their support putting out this week’s issue. And a big Thank You to Visit Cook County for its outstanding Events Calendar.
{ 1 comment… add one }
Thank you sooooo much for doing this it keeps me updated on everything going on.