The Ups & Downs of an Inland Sea
For the second time this year we're getting word about an impressive seiche on Lake Superior. According to the National Weather Service in Duluth: "Saturday on Lake Superior, there was an impressive seiche that made for large variations in water level across the inland sea, following early morning storms. In Ashland, (Wis.) water levels on Lake Superior varied by almost 4 feet as the seiche sloshed back and forth with variations of ~1.5 feet in Duluth (contributing to currents up to 6 ft/second in the Duluth Canal)." The NWS chart graphic illustrates that water level slosh.
Lots of folks posted photos and videos of the phenomenon this time around. Patrick Hugener of Wetmore who owns Head in the Clouds Photography in Wetmore, Mich., got a call from a friend at Pictured Rocks Cruises saying that the tour boats were noticing up to 6 feet or more difference in the Lake as it sloshed back and forth. He went to the tour boat dock in Munising and took a grand video, from which we captured (with Patrick's permission) the two images that show the lack of water as the boat came in and the added water as it went out. Because the up and down took about 45 minutes, Patrick speculates that a number of casual visitors walking by may not even have noticed the change.
North Ontario Dave over by Batchawana Bay, Ont., also did a great "before and after" comparison with the photos and videos. Writes Dave: "Here is a side by side comparison of the seiche (pronounced saysh) that occurred across Lake Superior yesterday. The first photo is yesterday at 12:11pm when water had pushed out to its furthest point. The second photo is today at 15:43pm when the water had fully returned. Photos taken at Havilland Bay, Algoma, Ontario. Havilland Bay is a small bay situated within Batchawana Bay on the east side of Lake Superior. The seiche was observed on all sides of the lake. Pictures and videos have been posted in various groups and on other pages. Seiches occur often enough on all of the Great Lakes. And have for as long as the lakes have existed." Dave also felt the need for a description of a seiche after some of the comments from his videos. "It wasn’t aliens, it wasn’t earthquakes on the other side of the world, it wasn't the bottom of Lake Superior dropping out, it wasn’t ‘low tide’, it wasn’t a Tsunami (these are just a few of the more tame, but interesting comments)," he posted.
Uncovered at the Lighthouse
Archaeology work at Split Rock Lighthouse has lead to discovery of the path of one of Split Rock’s original tramways, which was used to bring building materials up the cliff from Lake Superior during construction of the lighthouse. A crew removing asphalt near Keeper’s House #1 uncovered a historic sidewalk that once connected the house to the original barn, which archaeologists then determined also outlined the location of one of Split Rock’s original tramways also uncovered original rail ties and several railroad spikes from the tramway. (This old photo on the lighthouse Facebook page looks like rails up the side of the cliff.)
"These discoveries provide a deeper understanding of Split Rock Lighthouse’s early history, helping historians better understand how the site was constructed, and how it has evolved into its current state," the Minnesota Historical Society said in its announcement Wednesday. The society owns and operates the lighthouse site.
"Restoration work at the lighthouse includes improvements to existing pathways and restoring historic circulation patterns within the historic core," the release continued. "After the project is completed, guests will have access to a new view of where the historic hoist and derrick system was located and learn how it brought materials up from the water in 1909 during construction of the site. This new extended platform will provide views of the lighthouse, coastline, and Lake Superior. The Minnesota Historical Society Archaeology Team will continue their work onsite as construction progresses."
Alistair Beverley
By Sea and By Air
The ships scheduled for the Festival of Sail Lake Superior will be sailing their way across Lake Superior in the coming weeks. St. Lawrence II, owned and operated by Tall Ship Expeditions Canada in Ontario, will stop in Thunder Bay to give tours on Canada Day at Pier 3 and also to offer two on-board youth program sails. By July 4, St. Lawrence II (in the photo with the crew) will head down the shore – with a July 7 stop at Bayfield – and then on to the Festival of Sail Lake Superior in Duluth, July 10-13. After the festival, it picks up another crew of youths for a sail from Duluth to Thunder Bay, July 13-18, with a stop at Isle Royale on July 15
The festivities in Duluth will feature 11 vessels, including a few quite familiar to the region. Part of the tour tickets, in fact, will be the William A. Irvin museum ship homeported – permanently – in Duluth. Among the ships traveling some distance to the event will be Pride of Baltimore II from Maryland; Alliance (in photo) and Inland Seas from Michigan; When and If from Maine; Liberty Clipper from Massachusetts. The Sundew and Schooner Charley from Duluth and Abbey Road and Zeeto from Bayfield fill out the roster. You will find a full roster with mini "profiles" of each vessel in the June/July issue of Lake Superior Magazine.
The Duluth festival centers around the seawall near the DECC with vendors, musicians, street performers and other activities.
Inland Seas Education Association has two additional stops for its Alliance and Inland Seas schooners. There will be day programs during an event at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, plus overnight programs for high school students, July 17-19, then a trip from Houghton to Marquette, July 21-25.
Meanwhile … next weekend (July 5-6) is the annual Duluth Air and Aviation Expo turns 25 this year and organizer Ryan Kern says plainly: “If there was ever an air show to go to, this is the one.”
Among the flying guests are the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the Canadian Forces Snowbirds. It also offers a rare showing of F-35s and F-22s in the same locale, plus the U.S. Navy Leap Frogs and the U.S. Army Golden Knights precision parachuting teams. The show also features vintage aircraft, both in the air and on display. There will be vendors and displays where the public is invited to view or to get into different planes or equipment.
The Big Holiday Week
There's hardly a day next week that isn't a holiday somewhere around the Big Lake, or so it seems. Here's a few notables for the week, but look at your local events calendars, too.
Canada Day, July 1
• Canada Day Tractor Trot Parade & Pancake Breakfast on St. Joseph's Island was started as an idea by four St. Joseph Island antique tractor owners who decided to go out for breakfast and show off their tractors. Now it's a yearly event featuring as many as 50 tractors plus pancake breakfast at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 374 in Richards Landing. Parade heads out at 9 a.m. from the Legion parking lot, breakfast anytime after 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Check out the Tractor Trot photos from the past by Don Mersereau.
• All three cruising tours in Sault Ste. Maries offer special tours for Canada Day and/or Fourth of July to see the fireworks from the waters. Check out the schedule for Miss Marie Soo Locks Tours, the Original Soo Locks Boat Tours and Famous Soo Locks Boat Tours.
* Terrace Bay features a Canada Day Beach Party starting at 4 p.m. with live music , family-friendly activities, inflatables, food and beer gardens and, of course, fireworks.
• Marathon starts the party early with a June 30 live concert by Whiskey Sin starting at 8 p.m. at Penn Lake Park. That's also where the full Canada Day activities take place, including opening ceremonies (11 a.m.) plus food vendors, a bouncy castle and other activities until 4 p.m.
• Thunder Bay's Canada Day on the Waterfront runs 3-9 p.m. in multiple waterfront locations with games, music, dance, an artisan market, arts programs, biking activities and much more. An online newsletter details the action here including the arrival of Expedition Tall Ship St.Lawrence II (in photo) giving free deck tours from 3-6 p.m. at Pier 3.
• In Sault Ste. Marie, in addition to the Poutine Fest all weekend, there is a full day of Canada Day Festivities at Roberta Bondar Park and Marina with fireworks at dusk.
Fourth of July
• The country isn't the only thing with a birthday on July 4. The Two Harbors Light Station (thanks to the Lake County Historical Society) celebrates its 100th anniversary that day, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., with family-friendly activities centered around the historic Two Harbors Depot, with tours of the Two Harbors Lighthouse Museum throughout the day and concluding with the music of GB Leighton and the Two Harbors Ukulele Group (THUG), followed by the relighting of the new lighthouse beacon and fireworks. Lovin’ Lake County sponsors this event.
• Sure there are fireworks, but what about those parades? Known among the celebrated July 4 hometown parades is the ones in Gay, Mich., a goofy gathering that starts at 2 p.m. and may go 15 minutes or maybe longer. Check out the July 4 events on the Keweenaw Peninsula at Visit Keweenaw.
• Superior is also known for its traditional hometown parade. This year the day's activities start with a Brass Band Performance by the Navy Band of the Great Lakes at 10:15 a.m. followed by the parade at 11 a.m., a car show at noon and a full afternoon of activities up to the fireworks at Barker's Island.
• You need to take a ferry to get to Madeline Island for its traditional Fourth of July parade, celebration and fireworks, but it's worth it and just about as hometown
as you can get. The parade is followed by the annual Day on the Green. The parade photo here is from a past parade, found on the Madeline Island Ferry Facebook page.
• Elsewhere in Bayfield County, fireworks will be seen at dusk from Memorial Park in Bayfield plus fireworks in Ashland and a parade and party in Mellen, which can be found here.
• The city of Duluth Fourth Fest brings the action to Bayfront Festival Park with live entertainment starting at 2 p.m. and coasting into the evening's spectacular fireworks over the water. (You may be able to see Superior's fireworks, too.) There will also be food vendors, craft booths, bouncy houses for kids and a special preview of the 2025 Duluth Air and Aviation Expo (July 5–6), including flyovers. Vista Fleet will have a special fireworks cruise.
• Cook County, Minn., features live music, concerts, athletic events, arts plus fireworks at Tofte, Lutsen and Grand Marais. Find the full list via Visit Cook County's list of events here.
• Marquette features a parade and a laser light display on the ore docks, plus a Freedom Fest both July 3 & 4 in Mattson Lower Harbor Park.
• In Sault Ste. Marie, head to the Independence Day Parade on Ashmun Street and Portage Avenue (starts at 7 p.m.) and then to Brady Park for the fireworks.
• Find a full plate of Fourth of July events around the Upper Peninsula on the UPTravel website, including the Baaweting Homecoming Powwow on the Sault Tribe Grounds in Sault Ste. Marie and the Baraga County Lumberjack Days/4th of July in Baraga (July 3-4).
• For Fourth fun on the Iron Range in Minnesota, check out the listings at Discover the Range here. Many Range towns start the celebration on July 3 and others go to July 4. Aurora really plans to party, with events running July 1-4, bracketed by the Northern Lights Music Festival opening night concert the first day to its Festive 4th Concert the last day with live music, a parade, a medallion hunt, vendors, food, family-fun activities and more in between.
Make Plans: Here are a few events coming up soon to put on a fun-do list:
Michigan
Friday, June 27: From 9 a.m.-3 p.m., there will be special access to the Soo Locks as part of the Engineers Day annual event in Sault Ste. Marie. (You might even get to take a selfie with mascot Bobber the Water Safety Dog of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.)
Thru Saturday, June 28: Catch the final days of Marquette Art Week in downtown Marquette with its theme of "Stories." It's the 10th year for the citywide event.
Saturday, June 28: The International Bridge Walk gets underway by 9 a.m. on the Ontario side between the two Sault Ste. Maries. The walk is free, but bus transportation is $10 one way to get to one side or the other. Valid IDs required, same as with any border crossing.
Starting Friday, June 27: Marquette Symphony Orchestra plans two free concerts this summer, starting Friday with Summer Strings: Musical Stories at the Presque Isle Pavilion at 7:30 p.m. It's part of Marquette Art Week. On July 10 at 7:30 p.m., Summer Pops: The Symphony Goes Wild Wild West will be in the Marquette Commons.
Minnesota
Friday, June 27: Welcome aboard the University of Minnesota Duluth Large Lakes Observatory’s R/V Blue Heron. The Science on Deck activities include free public tours and presentations, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Pier B Resort. The presentation is on microorganisms by Cody Sheik from the Large Lakes Observatory, Other Science on Deck opportunities will be July 31 and Aug. 22.
Saturday-Sunday, June 28-29: Enjoy the works of more than 110 artists at the 53rd annual Park Point Art Fair in Duluth. You'll be surrounded by arts and crafts with opportunities for art activities plus live music listening. Read our story about the history of the art fair here.
Saturday, June 28: The 20th annual Chum Rhubarb Festival will be 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Asbury United Methodist Church in Duluth with the usual fun vendors and activities and lots of rhubarb treats (plus other culinary delights). This is a fundraiser for Chum, Duluth’s primary safety-net organization.
Sunday, June 29: Meet Teddy Roosevelt, "the Wilderness Warrior," as played by Adam Linquist at Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center near Grand Marais at 2 p.m.
Wisconsin
Saturday, June 28: Still time to sign up for the 19th annual Superior Vistas Bike Tour that starts in Washburn. The family-fun ride cruises the gently rolling hills with views of Lake Superior and the surrounding forest and countryside. There are seven routes to choose from ranging from 13 to 100 miles. This fully supported ride offers route maps, support vehicles and food/beverage stops enroute and at the finish.
Starting Friday, June 27: It's buy one plant, get one free at Hauser's Superior View Farm near Bayfield. You'll find annuals, hanging baskets, vegetables, herbs and potted perennials, shrubs plus you can sip the farm's new Apfelhaus handcrafted hard cider in its taproom.
Thru Saturday, June 28: Take in the final days of the Variations Fiber Art exhibition at the Washburn Cultural Center. Open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursdays-Mondays.
Saturday, June 28: Come learn about "Dragonfly Ecology and Identification" at the Cable Natural History Museum with Jeff Fischer, past president of the Wisconsin Dragonfly Society and founding member of the Minnesota Dragonfly Society. The class starts at 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday, July 1: Bayfield's Concerts by the Lake hosts folk, bluegrass, classic Americana singer/songwriter Barry Riese starting at 6 p.m. in Memorial Park.
Wednesday, July 2: Bayfield Summer Concerts at the Bayfield Presbyterian Church hosts Eira, a Duluth-based Celtic ensemble at 5:30 p.m.
Ontario
Now-Winter 2026: Thunder Bay Museum opened its latest temporary exhibit this week commemorating 150 years since the initial turning of the sod for the Canadian Pacific Railway in the Fort William Town Plot on June 1, 1875. This exhibit examines the railway’s construction, its impact on Indigenous peoples, and its lasting legacy on the development of the Lakehead and Northwestern Ontario. "Where the Line was Drawn: The Canadian Pacific Railway, Treaties, and the Reshaping of Northwestern Ontario" will be on the second floor of the museum.
Friday-Sunday, June 27-20: Sault Ste. Marie Poutine Feast 2025 centers in the downtown plaza and is filled with delicious food, live music, games and competitions.
Saturday, June 28: The International Bridge Walk gets underway by 9 a.m. on the Ontario side between the two Sault Ste. Maries. The walk is free, but bus transportation is $10 one way to get to one side or the other. Valid IDs required, same as with any border crossing.
Photo & graphic credits in order of appearance: Patrick Hugener/Head in the Clouds Photography; National Weather Service Duluth; Tall Ship Expeditions Canada; Inland Seas Education Association; Canadian Forces Snowbirds; Visit Thunder Bay; Madeline Island Ferry; Spotlight, from left, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/Chum Rhubarb Festival/Washburn Superior Vistas Tour/Thunder Bay Museum