Buck’s Beach by Kate Brady.
Greetings from the North Shore, where summer delights continue. The Big Lake is warmer and often swimmable, and the smaller lakes inland definitely are. The bugs are at an acceptable low, the fish are biting, and fruits and berries are ready to be picked, or have been picked. There’s a quickening in the art world, too, with a new exhibit at the Heritage Post opening this Friday, Pickup Truck opera performances and more this weekend.
Meanwhile, art-making continues:
First up is Art Night at Joy and Company, which is held from 3:30-5 pm on Thursday at the shop.
Art making at Joy and Company on Thursday during Art Night.
Topics and projects vary each week. The event is free with a suggested $5 donation and open to all.
Thursdays in summer are also the time to get locally grown produce at the Grand Marais Farmer’s Market.
Find locally-grown tomatoes at the Grand Marais Farmer’s Market.
The farmer’s market is held in the parking lot of the Cook County Community Center from 4:30-6 pm on Thursdays through the summer and early fall. Look for produce, artisan breads, baked goods, fresh eggs, maple syrup, and more. SNAP is accepted. The market is open to all.
This is also the week that the Dark Sky Caravan and Star Party events will be held along the North Shore, with the extra perk of the Perseid Meteor Shower, which also happens this week.
The Dark Sky Caravan and Star Party will be in Cook County this weekend.
Tonight, Aug. 14, the Dark Sky Caravan will be at North House Folk School from 8-11 pm with digital sky viewing as well as opportunities to look at the night sky with a telescope and other activities. Free.
The Dark Sky Caravan will also be at the Schapp Community Center on the Gunflint Trail on Friday, Aug. 15, from 8-11 pm, and at the Seagull Lake Community Center from 4-6 pm on Saturday, Aug. 16, and from 6:30 to 10:30 pm at the Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center. All sessions are free of charge.
For more information, click here.
Also on Friday, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro will hold its Grand Opening at Lutsen Mountains Ski and Summer Resort from 2-4 pm.
Charlie’s Alpine Bistro at Lusten Mountains will hold a Grand Opening on Aug. 15 from 2-4 pm.
Charlie’s offers a new dining experience with Alpine charm, featuring an open kitchen that brings the culinary action front and center. The menu focuses on locally sourced, wholesome ingredients.
Guests can dine indoors or on the outside patio with expansive views of the surrounding mountains and Lake Superior. Throughout the year expect to see live music on select weekday and weekend nights. The public is invited.
On Friday evening, “A Walk in the Woods,” an exhibit of work by Cook County fused-glass artists, opens at the Johnson Heritage Post with a reception from 5-7 pm.
Her Majesty, fused glass, by Sharon Frykman, is one of the pieces in the exhibit.
This should be an extraordinary exhibit featuring fused glass pieces by Mary Bebie, Sharon Frykman, Lissa Grover, Jeri Person, Tony Rau, Lee Ross, Nancy Seaton, Veronica Weadock, and Robert Pranis.
Here are a few more examples of the eclectic viewpoints in this show:
Deep in the Forest, fused glass, by Lee Ross.
Evening Calm, fused glass, by Nancy Seaton.
The exhibit continues through Sept. 7.
The Heritage Post is open from 10 am to 4 pm Wednesday through Saturday and from 1-4 pm Sunday. Free.
Also, the Pickup Truck Opera will be in Cook County over the weekend, performing at the Hovland Town Hall at 6:30 pm on Friday and at Sweetheart’s Bluff in the Grand Marais Rec Park on Saturday at 3 pm. (The Hovland performance is a fundraiser for the Hovland Volunteer Fire Department.)
This year’s offering: “Volume Five: The Return of King Idomeneo,” a mobile mash-up of Mozart, myth, and 1950s Doo-Wop.”
The opera is a joyful, genre-blending take on Mozart’s Idomeneo.
Pickup Truck Opera returns to Cook County this weekend.
Mixed Precipitation, in partnership with the North Shore Music Association, is bringing the opera to the county.
Idomeneo full cast 2025 for the Pickup Truck Opera, coming to Cook County this weekend.
These are always great fun with lots of dancing quips and wonderful music — a total entertainment package and highly recommended.
Suggested donation: $5–$45 (pay-what-you-can), children under 12 can attend for free. Note: Bring your own chair or blanket.
To learn more about Pickup Truck Opera, click here.
Saturday opens with the Cook County Market, which is held in the parking lot of The Hub from 10 am to 2 pm.
Gina Adams is one of the artists who will be featured at the Cook County Market. She has paintings, cards, and art tea towels.
All the artists and artisans exhibiting in this market live in Cook County. Look for paintings, fiber art, Lake Superior rocks, home-baked goods, pottery, fused glass, leatherwork, chain-saw sculptures, and more.
This week’s music will be provided by Briand Morrison. The public is invited.
Also on Saturday, the Grand Marais Public Library will host Power-Up Party: A Summer Reading Program Finale and Community Picnic starting at 11:30 am on the front lawn.
The Reading Program Finale party will be held at the library on Saturday.
The public is invited to enjoy a free picnic lunch featuring meats, cheeses, fresh fruits and veggies, chips, and cookies. Weather permitting, there will be bubbles, hula hoops, and ping pong!
Then, at 1 pm, there will be a live performance of Will Sings Songs. Naturalist and children’s musician Will Bjorndal delivers an interactive, high-energy concert for PreK and elementary-aged kids and their families. His original songs blend laughter, learning, and joy—with plenty of audience participation.
The event honors Summer Reading Program participants and the many team players who went game-on to support them—encouraging kids as they explored books, tracked their reading, and discovered the joy of stories.
The 2025 Summer Reading Program is supported by the Library Friends of Cook County and community partners, including Dairy Queen, Hungry Hippie Tacos, Java Moose, Superior Creamery and others. Special thanks to the Arrowhead Library System, sponsor of Will Sings Songs, funded in part or whole by Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
On Saturday Night, the North Shore Swing Band will celebrate its 25th Anniversary at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts.
The North Shore Community Band to celebrate its 25th anniversary at the ACA.
This talented band has been performing throughout the county to enthusiastic audiences for years. In this concert/dance, the ACA theater configuration will be changed to accommodate the band, dancers, and the audience.
The concert is free, but freewill donations will benefit the Grand Marais Playhouse. The public is invited.
On Sunday, Arleta Little, the first Writer-in-Residence at the Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center, will give a presentation entitled “My North & The Art of the Personal Essay” at 2 pm.
Arleta Little will give a presentation at Chik-Wauk on Sunday.
Little will give a reading of “My North”, the essay that she developed from her March residency on the Gunflint Trail. She’ll also explore some of the key elements of writing a personal essay and storytelling.
She is a poet, writer, and culture worker with a deep passion for the natural world that is expressed in the literary arts, gardening, hiking, and retreats. Arleta’s latest book of poetry, Black Swallowtail, pairing her poetry with paintings by visual artist Ta-coumba T. Aiken in the African tradition of call and response, was published by the Duluth Art Institute. Her recent poems and essays have appeared in multiple journals and publications.
The presentation is free and open to all.
Exhibits:
“Movement,” the summer exhibition at the Grand Marais Art Colony‘s Studio 21, continues.
Glacial sounds in Seeds and Stones, multi-media, by Anna Metcalf.
The multi-media exhibit features work by seven artists addressing the theme of Movement.
Studio 21 is also exhibiting work by Arrowhead Artist Nancy Carlson, a book illustrator and artist from Hovland.
Never Alone, mixed media, by Nancy Carlson.
Carlson’s exhibit continues through the end of August.
Studio 21 is open from 10 am to 4 pm Thursday through Saturday.
Both exhibits are free and open to the public.
Sam Zimmerman contiues an exhibit in the Great Hall at Tettegouche State Park.
Nipigon Brook Trout: Maazhamegosens, acrylic, by Sam Zimmerman.
Zimmerman was the artist-in-residence at Tettegouche, and the exhibit reflects the work he did during that period. The exhibit continues through the end of August.
The Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis is exhibiting “Six McKnight Artists” in its public gallery.
Six McKnight Artists exhibit at the Northern Clay Center closes Aug 17.
The exhibit features works by Maggie Jaszczak, Ani Kasten, Larry Buller, Karima Duchamp, Joon Hee Kim, and Ellen Kleckner.
The gallery is open from 10 am – 5 pm daily (including weekends) to view the exhibition. To view the virtual exhibit, click here.
Upcoming:
The Minnesota State Fair opens next Thursday, Aug. 21, and runs through Labor Day, Sept. 1.
Minnesota State Fair 2023. Photographer unknown. Click here for all the info on the State Fair this year.
To find out more and see the schedule, click here.
WTIP’s Radio Waves Music Festival is Sept. 5-7 at Sweetheart’s Bluff this year.
The Radio Waves Music Festival is Sept 5-7 this year.
To see the complete schedule for the weekend, click here.
Films on Fridays, free screenings of old-time movies, continue this summer. On Aug. 22, Pot O’ Gold (1941, B&W), featuring James Stewart and Paulette Goddard, will be screened at the Cook County Community Center. Show time is 6 pm. Here’s the trailer:
Artists at Work:
The path less taken, Cascade, oil, by Tim Vahle.
Manidoo giizhekens, pencil and ink on paper, by Carla Stetson.
Milky Way to Split Rock, acrylic, by E.J. Klepinger.
Tumblers by Paul Zoldahn.
Sam Zimmerman and Adam Swanson are working hard to complete the Cook County Co-op mural.
Every Dot A Prayer For The Saskatchewan Rivers, detail, acrylic, by Christi Belcourt.
Untitled by Trisha Miller, one of the pieces in the Backwoods Artists show at the Washburn (Wis.) Cultural Center.
Bath with Fireflies, oil, by Scott Murphy.
Stranger Doodles at Joy and Company
Stranger Doodle A courtesy of Joy and Company.
Stanger Doodle B courtesy of Joy and Company.
Stanger Doodle C courtesy of Joy and Company.
Stranger Doodle D courtesy of Joy and Company,
Stranger Doodles courtesy of Joy and Company.
Online Music:
Live Music:
Thursday, August 14:
- Bump Blomberg, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 3-5 pm
- Pure Honey, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 5-8 pm
- Al Oikari & Caitlin Nicol-Thomas, Cascade Lodge Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6:30-8:30 pm
- Silent Disco Dance Party!, Caribou Highlands Courtyard, 7-10 pm
Friday, August 15:
- Bump Blomberg, Birch Terrace Supper Club & Lounge, 5-8 pm
- Barbara Jean and Mike Lewis, North Shore Winery, 4:30-6:30 pm
- Pickup Truck Opera, Hovland Town Hall, 6:30 pm
- Timmy Haus, Moguls Grille and Tap Room, 7-9 pm
- Chase & Ovation, City Center Stage, Silver Bay, 7:30 pm
- Joe Paulik, Bluefin Grille, 8-10 pm
- The Thirsty River, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 8-11 pm
Saturday, August 16:
- Briand Morrison, Cook County Market at the Hub, 10-2 pm
- Pickup Truck Opera, Sweetheart’s Bluff – Grand Marais Recreation Area, 3 pm
- Moonshot, Up Yonder, 5-8 pm
- Bump Blomberg, Cascade Lodge Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Adam Moe, Bluefin Grille overlooking Lake Superior, 6-9 pm
- The North Shore Swing Band, Arrowhead Center for the Arts, 7 pm
- Pat Eliasen, Moguls Grille and Tap Room, 7-9 pm
- Billy Johnson, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 7-10 pm
- The Thirsty River, Up Yonder, 9-11:59 pm
Sunday, August 17:
- Ethan Todd, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 2-5 pm
- Billy Johnson, North Shore Winery, 3:30-5:30 pm
- Timmy Haus, Moguls Grille and Tap Room, 5-7 pm
- Scott Schuler (Campfire Guitar Pull), Caribou Highlands Lodge Courtyard, 7:30 pm
Monday, August 18:
- Emma Tweten, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 7-10 pm
- Pete Kavanaugh, Bluefin Grille, 8-10 pm
Tuesday, August 19:
- Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 5-7 pm
- Briand Morrison, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 5-8 pm
- Open Stage hosted by Pete K, Up Yonder, 6-8 pm
- Community Singing, Lighthouse on the Harbor, 7-8:30 pm
- Joe Paulik, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 5-8 pm
- Briand Morrison, Bluefin Grille, 8-10 pm
Thursday, August 21:
- Bump Blomberg, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 5-8 pm
- Mike & Babs, Cascade Lodge Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6:30-8:30 pm
- Silent Disco Dance Party, Caribou Highlands Courtyard, 7-10 pm
Friday, August 22:
- Barbara Jean and Mike Lewis, North Shore Winery, 4:30-6:30 pm
- Medicine River, Birch Terrace Supper Club & Lounge, 4-8 pm
- John Gruber, Moguls Grille and Tap Room, 7-9 pm
- Sherwin Linton and The Cotton Kings, City Center Stage, Silver Bay, 7:30 p
- Bump Blomberg, Bluefin Grille, 8-10 pm
- MYsterious WAYs, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 8-11 pm
- Squid City Slingers, Up Yonder, 9-11:59 pm
Saturday, August 23:
- Frozen Britches (Tom VanCleve & Erik Hahn), Cook County Market at the Hub, 10-2 pm
- DJ Unity, Watershed Group, Pure Honey, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 4-11:59 pm
- John Kerns, Cascade Lodge Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Bump Blomberg, Moguls Grille and Tap Room, 7-9 pm
- Squid City Slingers, Up Yonder, 9-11:59 pm
Sunday, August 24:
- JoyAnn Parker Duo, North Shore Winery, 3:30-6 pm
- Timmy Haus, Moguls Grille and Tap Room, 5-7 pm
- Scott Schuler (Campfire Guitar Pull), Caribou Highlands Lodge Courtyard, 7:30 pm
Photographs:
Here is a selection of photographs we found this week:
Wildlife:
Mama gull feeding young ones by Judy Bloom.
At the base of Denali by Becky Heller.
Brook Trout can be so beautiful by Gord Ellis.
A Red-eyed Vireo with an elderberry by Bill Marchel.
Swallowtail Butterfly by Tom Kasper.
Alone in the sky by David Johnson.
Cedar Waxwing in mid-summer by David Johnson.
Potpourri:
New color beside City Hall. Photo by Joan Farnam.
Portrait of a dog, Tater Tot Perkins-Harter, by Peter Toutain-Dorbec.
On the Ganges at Varanasi in the early 2000s by Peter Toutain-Dorbec. File photo.
A little early by Kristofer Bowman.
Orange crush by Maryl Skinner.
Monotropa Uniflora by Gary Arands.
Mushroom by Michelle Lutke.
The trusty umbrella, photographer unknown.
2.5 cords by Bryan Hansel.
Mesmerized by Thompson Falls by Judy Bloom.
Still life by Yvonne Mills.
Landscapes, Skyscapes, Moonscapes:
Just another evening in Wisdom, Montana, after a much-needed storm by Tom Healy.
Big Moon on the Big Lake by Janice Latz.
Summertime by Kim Nelson.
A Sunrise Slips Through by Mike Wiggins, Jr.
Moody water by Hayes Scriven.
Moonrise over the Lighthouse by Paul Sundberg.
Foam forming on the Cascade by Judy Bloom.
The joys and challenges of exploring Iceland by Layne Kennedy.
Grand Portage Powwow last week by Chuck Olsen.
Have a good weekend, everyone!
P.S. NorthShore ArtScene is taking a vacation next week!!! We won’t be publishing on Aug. 21.
Meanwhile, if you’d like to make a tide-her-over donation, click on the icon below 
And thank you!
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