Clear Skies Again! Photo by Sierra Parsons.
Greetings from the North Shore, where the smoke has cleared, and we’re basking in perfect summer weather. The wildfires in northern Minnesota and the BWCA continue, and we are grateful for the more than 900 firefighters working hard on the lines. The cooler weather has helped, too. Happy to see our beautiful North Shore again. And note: our businesses, lodges, resorts, galleries and museums are open everywhere. Enjoy!
For the latest on the wildfires, click here.
And art-making continues.
The City of Grand Marais will host a celebration of the placement of kiosks around the city, a project in collaboration with the CEC, the Creative Economy Collaborative. The event will be held at the Grand Marais Public Library at 11 am Thursday. The public is invited.
a The Grand Marais Kiosk Project celebration will be held at the library on Thursday at 11 am.
The kiosks are designed to highlight local history and heritage—including the stories of the Anishinaabe, local fishermen, and loggers—inviting visitors and residents to learn more about how the area’s past influences the community today.
Check out these locations:
- On the library lawn along Hwy 61
- In the courtyard west of Java Moose on the Grand Marais Harbor
- Overlooking the harbor from the east end of the Grand Marais Recreation and Campground Facility
The project was funded by the City of Grand Marais, with vision and design led by the CEC, which serves as the city’s arts advisory council.
The Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department’s annual Online Auction benefiting the department is now open.
The Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Dept online auction is open. Click here to learn more.
The auction features everything from art to overnight stays in a lodge on the Trail, fishing opportunities, photographs, clothing, homemade pies, and much more. There is also an opportunity to donate to this essential organization on the Gunflint Trail. To find out more, bid for an item in the auction and/or donate, click here.
In a statement, the department says:
“Out here, we don’t just share a scenic highway; we look out for one another. Because the GTVFD is a volunteer-run department operating in a unique wilderness area, fundraisers like this are vital. When you win an auction item, your money goes directly toward funding the trucks, rescue gear, and medical supplies that keep our community—and our visitors—safe.”
Also on the Gunflint Trail, the annual Biggest Blueberry Contest has begun.
The Biggest Blueberry Contest has started on the Gunflint Trail. Click here to learn more.
This is always a fun time — picking blueberries and exploring all the shops and lodges on the Gunflint Trail.
Whether you’re wrapping up a day of hiking, heading home from the lakes, or just out for a scenic drive along Highway 61, make sure to stop in and taste the magic of the season. Every business is bringing something unique to the table, so grab a map, bring your appetite, and support our wonderful local shopkeepers and chefs. Let’s make this the sweetest, bluest summer yet!
Check out the full list of participating businesses and their exclusive specials below to see the places that are participating. Click here to learn more.
In Grand Marais, Thursday afternoons are Art Counter Project Days at Joy and Company.
Make art at Joy and Company on Thursdays.
The shop sets up an art project on the back counter on Thursday afternoons from 3-4:30 pm and invites the public to come and create with them. Some instructions are provided as well as supplies. It is free, but a $5 freewill donation is appreciated.
Thursday afternoons in the summer season are also the time to pick up locally grown produce, artisan breads, baked goods, maple syrup, and more at the Grand Marais Farmer’s Market. The market will be set up in a temporary location this week: the parking lot of St. John’s Catholic Church. 10 E. 5th St, just down the road from where it is usually held in the parking lot of the Community Center.
Creaking Tree Farm will feature a variety of vegetables at the Farmer’s Market this week in a temporary new location in the parking lot of St. John’s Catholic Church in Grand Marais.
This is always a fun market and a great way to support local producers. Open to all.
On Thursday night, Arrowhead Animal Rescue will hold Bingo at Up Yonder.
Bingo Night is at Up Yonder on Thursday.
The event will be held from 6-8 pm. Open to all.
On Friday night, the Grand Marais Playhouse will present As You Like It, a Musical, at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts.
As You Like It, a musical, will be performed at the ACA at 7 pm Friday and at 2 pm Sunday.
This is a fun, quirky show, perfect entertainment for a summer evening. Tickets are sold at the door or can be found online here.
Also on Friday, the Harbor History Walking Tour will be held, starting at the History Museum at 7 pm.
Harbor History Walking Tours will be held on Friday evenings this summer.
This is a weekly event in the summer and is free. Be prepared to find out fascinating things about Grand Marais. The walk is from 7-8:30 pm. Free and open to all.
Saturday opens with the Cook County Market, which takes place in the parking lot of The Hub from 10 am to 2 pm.
Natalie Sobanja has pottery at the market.
This is a great market featuring arts and crafts from local artists. Look for pottery, paintings, glass, fiber art and baskets, Lake Superior rocks, books and more. There’s live music, too. This week, Emma Tweten will play from 10 am to noon, and Roxann Berglund from noon until 2 pm.
The public is welcome.
At 11 am on Saturday, there will be a book reading at the Cook County History Museum.
A book reading and craft hour will be held at the Cook County History Museum on Saturday.
The Cook County Historical Society is pleased to present “Rocky’s Lighthouse Adventure” Book Reading and Craft Hour, with local author Deborah Winchell.
Deborah will read from her book and host a craft project.
The story captures the bond between a United States Coast Guard lighthouse keeper, the rest of the crew, and a quiet pup who discovers his value through his Lake Superior adventure.
Based on real events between 1954 and 1976, Rocky’s Lighthouse Adventure is set in the middle of Lake Superior at Rock of Ages Lighthouse. Today, the Rock of Ages is part of Isle Royale National Park.
Free. Freewill donations are accepted.
Also at 11 am on Saturday, Drury Lane Books will hold a Meet & Greet with Chris Monroe, the author of “Monkey with a Tool Belt.”
Meet and Greet with Chris Monroe at Drury Lane Books on Saturday at 11 am.
Chris Monroe is an award-winning author, illustrator, and cartoonist. Her picture books include Sneaky Sheep, Bug On a Bike, and the Monkey With a Tool Belt series, which inspired the Netflix show Chico Bon Bon: Monkey with a Tool Belt. Chris is also the author and illustrator of the comic strip Violet Days, which has been in print for more than 20 years. She lives in Duluth.
She will be at the bookstore from 11 am -1 pm. Open to all.
At 1 pm, the Grand Marais Garden Club will hold its annual Flower Show. It will be at a new location this year: St. John’s Catholic Church, 10 W. 5th St.
Grand Marais Garden Club’s annual Flower Show will be held at St. John’s Catholic Church from 11-4 pm on Saturday.
This is always an inspiring flower show featuring beautiful flowers in intriguing arrangements. Light refreshments will be served. Free and open to all.
On Sunday, the Cook County Soil and Water Conservation District will be at the Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature to give a children’s program: The Wonders of Watersheds.
Soil and Water will give a presentation on watersheds at Chik-Wauk on Sunday.
The one-hour program for children of all ages will feature storytelling, games, and outdoor activities. All ages are welcome.
More presentations will be taking place throughout the summer by the Cook County Soil & Water Conservation District:
- Saturday, Aug. 15 | 11 am–12 pm: The Power of Native Plants — Outdoor demonstration and shoreline tour highlighting native plants and restoration practices.
- Monday, Aug. 24 | 11 am –12 pm: Woods and Water — Guided forest walk exploring forest health, native species, and their connection to water quality.
Free. All ages welcome.
At 2 pm on Sunday, Sue Kerfoot will present: From Chicago to the Gunflint: A Modest Lifestyle Change at Chik-Wauk.
A shore lunch. Photo courtesy of Sue Kerfoot.
In the presentation, Sue will present on Justine Kerfoot and Mae Spunner moving from Chicago to the Gunflint Trail. It should be a fascinating talk. Open to all. Free.
And finally, Monday Porch Talks, a summer feature at Chik-Wauk, will be at 1 pm on July 27.
Monday Porch Talks are held at Chik-Wauk at 1 pm.
Topics vary each week. This week, the Porch Talk is entitled: Earth, Wind and Fire. Open to all. Free.
This month’s Ecstatic Dance, “Let the Sun Shine In,” will be held at the Colvill Town Hall on Monday at 7 pm.
Ecstatic Dance for July will be at the Colvill Town Hall on Monday, July 27 at 7 m.
Ecstatic Dance is an intentional, judgement-free space for free-form movement without words.
An invitation to embodiment, fun, healing, flow, and play.
Open to all. Free.
The Minnesota Pottery Festival is in Hutchinson this weekend.
Getting ready for the Minnesota Pottery Festival July 25-26 in Hutchinson by Richard Gruchalla.
More than 50 potters from Minneota will be at the pottery festival this weekend. To learn more, click here.
Exhibits:
Borderlands, an exhibit featuring work by Betsy Bowen, Jeanne Hedstrom, Stephan Hoglund, and Heidi Sobanja, is ongoing at the Johnson Heritage Post. The show explores a theme central to all four artists: seasonal migration. By dividing their time between the edges of the North and the Southwest—ranging from Northern Minnesota and Canada to New Mexico and Mexico—the artists draw inspiration, energy, and perspective from these vast landscapes, challenging the traditional definition of home.
Here are a few examples of what you’ll see:
I Fly South, acrylic on handmade paper by Betsy Bowen.
Dyptych, oil on canvas by Jeanne Hedstrom.
Wiisaakode-ziibi, Warrior Guardian of Burnt Wood River, Paradise Beach agate, created ruby by Stephan Hoglund.
Rough seas, oil on panel, by Heidi Sobanja.
The exhibit continues through Aug. 9.
The Heritage Post is open from 10 am to 4 pm Wednesday through Saturday and from 1-4 p, Sunday. Free.
The 47 Degrees Gallery is hosting new artists.
Paintings by Sue Rauschenfels at the 47 Degrees Gallery.
Upcoming:
The 96th annual Fisherman’s Picnic is next weekend.
This is a big summer event featuring competitions, art shows, races, food, live music and more. It runs from July 30 through Aug. 2.
To find out more, click here. And stay tuned.
North House Folk School has built the stage for Dockside Sessions, a free concert series that will be held on campus starting Aug. 5th. It is a collaboration between North House, the North Shore Music Association and WTIP.
The timber-frame stage for Dockside Sessions is almost ready. The first free concert is Aug. 5 with Chastity Bown.
For more information, click here.
Joy and Company will hold a special Art Night on Thursday, Aug. 6, to honor Hovland birchbark basket weaver Julie Kean. She died last month.
A birchbark star by Julie Kean.
Julie’s artistry grew from the forests around her home. Since 1981, she crafted baskets and ornaments from birch bark, red‑osier dogwood, and other natural materials gathered with care and respect. Her work reflected the quiet beauty of the Northwoods and the deep connection she carried to the land.
Her talents were featured on Venture North in 2001, sharing her craft with a wider community. And her birchbark stars were a main feature on the Christmas tree at the Northwoods Fiber Guild Holiday Sale for years.
Participants in the workshop will learn how to make her signature piece, a birchbark star. Open to all. Free.
Artists At Work:
Poster art for the Bayfield Apple Festival, Oct 2-4, by Adam Swanson.
Large vessel, clay, by Paul Zoldan.
Today at Sugarloaf Cove by Peter Juhl.
Superior Shore, acrylic, by Kathy Fox Weinberg.
Untitled, acrylic, by Martin DeWitt.
Path to the sea, embroidery, by Jan Beaney.
Ashy Prinia, ink on watercolor paper, by Ralph Keating.
Bluebell Woods, multi-media, by Jaclyn Blunden.
Flint Hill Summer, acrylic and gesso on canvas, by Kim Dayton.
Drunk as a skunk, acrylic, by Eric Klepinger.
Aquos window, glass, by Randi Solin.
Covered jar, stoneware, by Bob DeArmond.
Daisy, acrylic, by Aaron Kloss.
Online Findings:
Beauty In the Tension, by Lauren Newby.
Beauty In the Tension. Photo by Lauren Newby.
What’s the point of making beautiful things when it feels like the world is unraveling? In this blog post, Lauren reflects on beauty as a reason to care for one another and for the places that sustain us. Click here to read.
Online Music:
From Roger Barton
Other Music Findings:
Live Music:
Thursday, July 23:
- Jim McGowan, Cascade Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6-8 pm
- Slow Gin, Raven’s Nest at the Gun Flint Tavern, 7-10 pm
Friday, July 24:
- Briand Morrison and Roxann Berglund, Stone’s Throw Room at East Bay Suites, 4–6 pm
- Barbara Jean and Mike Lewis, North Shore Winery, 4:30-6:30 pm
- Cloverland Band, Up Yonder, 7-9 pm
- Bump Blomberg, Moguls Grille & Taproom at Caribou Highlands Lodge, 7-9 pm
- Briand Morrison, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 7:30-10 pm
- Jim Miller, Bluefin Grille, 8-10 pm
- Slow Gin, Raven’s Nest at the Gun Flint Tavern, 8-11 pm
Saturday, July 25:
- Emma Tweten then Roxann Berglund, Cook County Market at the Hub, 10-2 pm
- Scaredy Cat Music (DJ Ben Nichols), Raven’s Nest at the Gun Flint Tavern, 3-6 pm
- Oversize Load, Birch Terrace Supper Club & Lounge, 4-8 pm
- Frozen Britches, Cascade Lodge Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Nate Weiler, Moguls Grille & Taproom at Caribou Highlands Lodge, 7-9 pm
- Joe Paulik, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 7:30-10 pm
- Slow Gin, Raven’s Nest at the Gun Flint Tavern, 8-11 pm
- Moonshot, Up Yonder Outdoors, 7-10 pm
Sunday, July 26:
- Kari Golden, Grand Marais Harbor Waterfront, 1:30 pm
- Bump Blomberg, Raven’s Nest at the Gun Flint Tavern, 3-6 pm
-
Brothers Burn Mountain, North Shore Winery, 3:30-5:30 pm
- Timmy Haus, Moguls Grille & Taproom at Caribou Highlands Lodge, 5-7 pm
- Bump Blomberg, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
- Timmy Haus, Voyageur Brewing Company, 5-7 pm
- Pete Kavanaugh, Raven’s Nest at the Gun Flint Tavern, 3-6 pm
- Gordon Thorne, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
Tuesday, July 28:
- Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 4:30-6:30 pm
- Open Stage hosted by Pete K, Up Yonder, 6-8 pm
- Emma Tweten, Raven’s Nest at the Gun Flint Tavern, 6-9 pm
- Pat Eliasen, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
- Community Singing, Log Cabin at the Grand Marais Community Center, 7 pm
- Michelle Miller, Stone’s Throw Room, East Bay Suites, 5-7 pm
- Joe Paulik, Raven’s Nest at the Gun Flint Tavern, 6-9 pm
- Pete Kavanaugh, Bluefin Grille, 8-10 pm
Thursday, July 30:
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6-8 pm
- Pat Eliasen, Cascade Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Briand Morrison and Roxann Berglund, Raven’s Nest at the Gun Flint Tavern, 6-9 pm
- EricKaoke, Karaoke hosted by Erick Stee, Up Yonder, 9-11:59 pm
Friday, July 31:
- Tom Van Cleve & Erik Hahn, Cook County Market at the Hub, 10-12 pm
- Christopher David Hanson, Raven’s Nest at the Gun Flint Tavern, 12-3 pm
- Guy Cook Music Review, Cook County Market at the Hub, 12-4 pm
- Briand Morrison and Roxann Berglund, Stone’s Throw Room, East Bay Suites, 4–6 pm
- TH3 Funk Trio, Raven’s Nest at the Gun Flint Tavern, 4-7 pm
- MYsterious WAYs, Birch Terrace Supper Club & Lounge, 4-8 pm
- Barbara Jean and Mike Lewis, North Shore Winery, 4:30-6:30 pm
- Bug Lite, Up Yonder Outdoors, 5-8 pm
- Jim Miller, Moguls Grille & Taproom at Caribou Highlands Lodge, 7-9 pm
- Briand Morrison, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 7:30-10 pm
- Emma Tweten, Bluefin Grille, 8-10 pm
- Barefoot Bluegrass, Raven’s Nest at the Gun Flint Tavern, 8-11 pm
- DJ Birthday Gurl, Up Yonder Outdoor Party, 9-12:20 am
Saturday, August 1:
- Michele Miller, Cook County Market at the Hub, 10-12 pm
- Christopher David Hanson, Raven’s Nest at the Gun Flint Tavern, 12-3 pm
- Kari Golden, Cook County Market at the Hub, 12-4 pm
- DJ Angel, Raven’s Nest at the Gun Flint Tavern, 4-7 pm
- Southpaws, Birch Terrace Supper Club & Lounge, 4-8 pm
- Barefoot Bluegrass, Up Yonder Outdoor Beer Garden, 5-8 pm
- Emma Tweten, Cascade Lodge Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Pat Eliasen, Moguls Grille & Taproom at Caribou Highlands Lodge, 7-9 pm
- Joe Paulik, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 7:30-10 pm
- TH3 Funk Trio, Raven’s Nest at the Gun Flint Tavern, 8-11 pm
- DJ Birthday Gurl, Up Yonder Outdoor Party, 9-12:20 am
Sunday, August 2:
- Bump Blomberg, Raven’s Nest at the Gun Flint Tavern, 3-6 pm
- Barbara Jean and Mike Lewis, North Shore Winery, 3:30-5:30 pm
- John Gruber, Moguls Grille & Taproom at Caribou Highlands Lodge, 5-7 pm
- Bump Blomberg, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
Photographs:
Here’s a selection of photographs we found this week:
Wildlife:
Migizi, here in smoky air by Jim Winn.
Hanging out together by Ted Tiboni.
Northern Saw-Whet by Bill Marchel.
Morning Bath by Roxanne Distad.
Dragonfly by Dennis Chick.
Minnesota Long-Horned Beetle by Dennis Chick.
Yesterday, I released the first of my few hand-reared monarchs of the season, by Maryl Skinner.
Moths for the babies by Chris Artist.
All the beautiful patterns by Bill Marcel.
Looks like fish for dinner by Paul Ostrum.
Celebrating the beginning of the hatch by Paul Sundberg.
The last of a winter coat by Heidi Pinkerton.
Just another boring photo of an Indigo Bunting by Paul Ostrum.
Bert, in the old days, by Michael Furtman.
Sandra Updyke‘s “pets.”
Exploring the world by Sandra Updyke.
Soon to be a beautiful butterfly by Konnie LeMay.
A Red Admiral butterfly by Roxanne Distad.
Female Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly by Chris Artist.
Potpourri:
Thank, thank, thank, thank you, Rain by Layne Kennedy.
Another rain celebration. Photo taken by Dennis Chick at the Grand Maris Arts Festival last year.
Good Nature Farm on a smoky morning. Photo by Kristin Elizabeth.
A productive day by Sierra Parsons.
Kevin and Tara Boerst of Ely install a large sign supporting fire crews outside of their business on Sheridan Street Saturday, in Ely. Photo by Erica Dischino for MPR News.
YMCA Camp Widjiwagan staff intentionally loaded these canoes with rocks to submerge them as a way to protect them from wildfires burning near Ely by Greg Lecker.
Wildfire ash at Hungry Jack Lake by Dennis Chick.
Wayne Anderson with newly gathered eggs by Layne Kennedy.
Moon and clouds reflected in a pond by Sam Cook.
Speed Friending Night at the Duluth Folk School. It is held on the third Friday of every month at 5:30 pm. Photo courtesy of the Folk School.
Service berry harvest by Karin Kraemer.
Flowers:
A bit of beauty from Hungry Jack Outfitters by Nancy Seaton.
Devil Track Wildflower Sanctuary flowers are popping.
Wild Bergamot at Sunrise by Paul Ostrum.
Water Lily, a BWCA beauty by Paul Sundberg.
Landscapes, Skyscapes & Waterscapes:
Artist Point by David Gilsvik.
The Cascade by Gary Israelson.
Fog bank rolling off Lake Superior by Carl Anderson.
Berglund State-Wayside, Tofte by John Watt.
A smoky sunrise in Duluth by Kevin Severson.
The woods on Artist Point by Don Davison.
A waterfall at Cascade by Bryan Hansel.
Falls in motion by John Heino.
A green palette this morning. It’s Monday at the Salish Sea. Photo by John Cannell.
Summer in Grand Marais by David Johnson.
Hope you have a great weekend, everyone!
FYI: NorthShore ArtScene donated a total of $300 to the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department, thanks to your generosity. Thank you.
To donate to NorthShore ArtScene as well, click on the button below. It will help keep this blog coming to your inbox every week. And thank you again!
Thank you to 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.