Big Art: Creative folks have been busy all around the Big Lake in recent days. At 644 Queen St. E. in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Tyler Toews of Canadian Murals created "Changing Tides," as part of the recent Summer Moon Fest. On the other side of the Lake in Thunder Bay, Canadian Lighthouses of Lake Superior (CLLS) posted a photo featuring a replica of the city's breakwater lighthouse. The replica, done last year by students of Hammerskjold High School, was installed at the Prince Arthur's Landing Marina by student Darly Halls, CLLS Board of Directors member Darcy Trist and woodworking teacher Robert Dasey. The model has a wayfinding tool to help visitors and locals connect to activity on the waterfront. The group also gave a plug to the Tuesday (June 27) launch of Porphyry Beer (with the Porphyry Lighthouse on the can) by Lakehead Beer Co. (The brewery also is hosting a Drag Bingo on Friday as part of Thunder Bay Pride activities.) And finally, down "south" in Duluth, artist Adam Swanson gave the St. Louis County Depot wings with his pollinator mural. Adam, who calls himself an "environmental painter," wrapped up the work on Wednesday and posted "This has been a wonderful project, thanks to all of you who followed along! I saw a lot of monarch butterflies while working on the wall, probably due to the milkweed growing in the nearby garden. We will have a butterfly and moth-centric event on July 13th, 5-7 p.m. All are welcome!"
Making Grandma Proud: The recent Grandma's Marathon including many broken records and other accomplishments to boast. Sean McQuaid and Riley Pathman (pictured here) actually topped a Guinness World Record, completing the "fastest marathon pushing a wheelchair (male)." They ran 2:35:26 and absolutely smashed the old mark of 2:49:26, say Grandma's organizers. Meanwhile Maggie Montoya broke the finish-line record for the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon beating the 2012 women's record by 20 seconds and finishing in 1:09:26. Elisha Barno, already the the winningest marathoner in Grandma's History, took a fifth title in the men's full marathon finishing at 2:09:14.
Keweenaw Boat Rides: The 165-foot Ranger III (in photo), the National Park Service ferry and cargo vessel to Isle Royale, will do two special tours of the historic Keweenaw Waterway next month. Scheduled cruises will depart at 12:30 pm on Thursday, July 6, and Thursday, July 20, from the Isle Royale National Park’s Houghton Visitor Center. The 2.5- to 3-hour tours will travel south along the Keweenaw Waterway to the South Entry of Keweenaw Bay, before returning to Houghton. Says the NPS: "Due to cruise popularity, advance reservations are recommended. Call 906-482-0984 or stop by the Houghton Visitor Center. Can't make those Thursdays for a special NPS boat tour? No problem. Keweenaw Boat Tours makes the trip regularly for up to six people throughout the summer. Its variety of options features a Jacobsville Lighthouse and sandstone cliffs tour, a Superior Sunset cruise, or a brand new adventure for 2023 that takes you from Lac La Belle to Keystone Bay at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula. Cruises are in the 25-foot cruiser Keweenaw Explorer or on a 24-foot pontoon. The company is owned and operated by retired U.S. Coast Guard veteran, Capt. Jason Swain.
Make Plans: Here are a few events coming up soon to put on a fun-do list:
Michigan
Friday, June 23: As part of its Juneteenth events, the Peter White Public Library will give a free showing of Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" at noon in the community room.
Saturday, June 24: For the first time since 2019, the International Bridge Walk between Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., will be open to the public. All of those crossing must have the proper identification for crossing the border. Check out all the details online. This is the only day of the year you can cross the 2.8 miles (4.5 kilometres) of the bridge on foot. The walk starts 9 a.m. on the dot! Walkers depart from the Norris Center in Sault, Mich., and traverse the bridge to The Marconi Club in Sault, Ont. Participants will be bused either Ontario to Michigan (7 a.m.) or the reverse (until 11:30 a.m.). There is a fee for the bus.
Thru Saturday, June 24: Marquette Art Week continues through Saturday with a talk on the Women Who Made Marquette tonight (June 22) at 5 p.m. in the Clark Lambros Beach Park followed by women-celebrating art, plus a cultural reading, the City Band plus activities all day Friday and Saturday, culminating with Marquette Symphony Orchestra Summer Strings presenting a special performance of string selections by composers with Marquette connections, 7 p.m. at the Presque Isle Park Bandshell.
Minnesota
Friday, June 23: Celebrate the work of young artists (ages 6-10) finishing up their weeklong Character Creation Camp with Nancy Carlson. The Open Studio at the Grand Marais Art Colony runs 11:30 a.m.-noon and showcases student work created around invented characters, brought to life through artwork and the written word.
Saturday-Sunday, June 24-25: Park Point Art Fair brings 100 fine artists, food vendors and live music to the Park Point Recreation Area in Duluth. Free admission and parking, as always, for the 51st year of the event. Last year, Jake Kaspner wrote a story for Lake Superior Magazine celebrating the event's 50th anniversary.
Starting Saturday, June 24-July 2: Godspell takes the stage of the Vermilion Fine Arts Theatre in Ely, starting this weekend and produced by the Northern Lakes Arts Association. There will be multiple evening and matinee showings, including a pay-what-you-can performance June 29 at 7 p.m.
Sunday, June 25: Sunday ends the monthlong "Beauty Is Everywhere" exhibition in the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery in Grand Marais featuring artists Rosemary Hultman, Jennifer Scammahorn and Cynthia Starkweather-Nelson. The new exhibit, "Paintings from Life" by Lee Englund starts June 30.
Wednesday, June 28: Tour Cameron's yard at 1819 E. 6th St. in Duluth, where Cameron will show how he made the most of his sloped front yard, including the pollinator garden installed by Shoreview Natives. Open and free to the public, starts at 6:30 p.m. Sponsored by the Arrowhead Chapter - Wild Ones.
Monday, June 26: Hockey fans will have the opportunity to watch some of the Duluth area’s best display their talents to raise funds for the Ray Peterson Heritage Fund, benefiting youth from financially challenged families to have the opportunity to play organized sports and to further their education. The event takes place 7 p.m. at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center. There will be a pre-game camp for kids at 4 p.m.
Thursday, June 29: The Signature Cocktail Challenge, 5 p.m., at the Boat Club in Duluth showcases the best local mixologists against each other and judged by a panel of celebrity experts. Entry fee covers access to the competition, a sample of each competitor's libation and hors d'oeuvres. Register online.
Thursday, June 29: The Great Duluth Race gets underway from 2-6 p.m.starting at The Garden Wedding/Event Center in Canal Park. The scavenger hunt sends teams around Lincoln Park, Canal Park and Downtown Duluth to fulfill its missions, from stepping inside a specific business, to visiting a landmark, taking a photo, solving riddles to who knows what. Teams rack up points by completing as many missions as possible during the allotted time.
Wisconsin
Today-Sunday, June 22-25: Hayward’s 73rd annual Musky Festival is not just for fisherfolk, though it does including the Fishing Has No Boundaries Contest. Off the water, you’ll enjoy more tha 120 booths of handmade arts and crafts, live music, kids games, a carnival, a 5K run/walk (Sunday), movies, tournaments (including a Dilly Bar Eating Contest on Saturday), a car show and a grand parade.
Today, June 22: Honest Dog Books in Bayfield presents a Solstice Lit Jam with poets/authors Moheb Soliman and Kathryn Savage, who reside part time on Madeline Island. Moheb's HOMES is an accumulation of poems from a decade of immersion in the Great Lakes region and Kathryn's Groundglass takes shape atop a polluted aquifer in Minnesota, confronting the transgressions of U.S. Superfund sites and brownfields against land, groundwater, neighborhoods, and people. The event will wrap in time for a stroll to the waterfront for the Concents by the Lake. This is part of the bookstore's summer author series and the full schedule for is online.
Today, June 22: The Groove Project will be the featured act for Concerts by the Lake in Bayfield's Memorial Park tonight, 7-9 p.m., with the trio Hoff Stevens being the featured act next Tuesday (June 27). See the full summer lineup online.
Today-Sunday, June 22-25: Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua in Bayfield has a packed schedule for the weekend. Pride Anthems – Journey through 50 years of music from Donna Summer, Queen, George Michael, Madonna, Lady Gaga & many more is tonight (7:30 p.m.); Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with special guest Good Morning Bedlam is Friday (7:30 p.m.); Riding the Wind, the local production, is Saturday (7:30 p.m.); and Mat Kearney - The Acoustic Trio Tour with Marc Scibilia brings the adult contemporary rising star to stage on Sunday (7:30 p.m.).
Friday, June 23: Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve, with support from the city of Superior, invite people to join its community birdwatching event, 7-9 a.m. Friday, in the Superior Municipal Forest. Registration requested, but not required.
Friday & Thursday, June 23 & 29: Fairlawn Mansion in Superior hosts a Sound Concert, 6:30 p.m., featuring Vibhas Kendzia with compositions for Native American flute with songs from his home in Sedona, Arizona, and his classical piano compositions plus vibrational sounds of Tibetian singing bowls and other ancient instruments played by Deb Sommerhalder. Next Thursday, drop in on the Family Fun Day at the Old Firehouse & Police Museum from 6-8 p.m.. The Fishheads will provide live music sponsored by Superior Porchfest. Superior Public Museums will be raising funds for new exhibits through a concession stand with food and cookies. Local Police and Fire Departments will be on hand, plus there will be family friendly games, Arty Party face paint, free tours of the 1898 historic firehouse and bounce house to boot.
Saturday, June 24: The 17th annual Superior Vistas Bike Tour starts at Thompson’s West End Park in Washburn. Enjoy cruising gently rolling hills with views of Lake Superior and the surrounding forest and countryside. There are several loops to choose from including a 13-mile, 19-mile, 34-mile, 52-mile or 70-mile ride. There is also a 40-mile out and back ride, a century ride (100-mile) and two Fat Bike Routes. This is a fully supported ride with route maps, support vehicles, and food/beverage stops en-route. Some routes overlap so you can decide to shorten or lengthen your ride as you wish.
Ontario
Friday-Sunday, June 23-25: Our friends at Heartbeat Hot Sauce Co. in Thunder Bay (hey, we sell their hot sauces, too) are sponsors for the June Invitational at the Thunder City Speedway this weekend. Racing, which is also sponsored by the Half-Way Motors Group, starts Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the speedway in Oliver Paipoonge.
Starting Saturday, June 24: Every Saturday and Sunday through the summer, Sault Transit will offer bus service to Pointe Des Chenes day park. Two busses per day will operate from the downtown terminal (12:15 p.m. and 4:15 p.m.) to the Northern Avenue transfer point at Sault College (12:35 p.m. and 4:35 p.m.) and then to Pointe Des Chenes day park (1:15 p.m. and 5:15 p.m.). In addition to the beach, the Pointe Des Chenes Disc Golf course is open. The city will also begin its summer Best for Kids program, which provides free transit for one adult and children to access some of the city’s best family attractions, including the pump track, skateboard park, splash pad, Manzo and Greco pools. Customers must inform the driver upon entry in order to receive this service.
Thru Sunday, June 25: The 2Spirit Organising Committee and the 2SLGBTQ+ Network continue their Pride Celebration in Sault Ste. Marie with a workshop on Friday, an All Ages Pride Prom at the Marconi Cultural Event Centre on Saturday and a Family Picnic at Bellevue Park on Sunday.
Save the Date: The Sault Ste. Marie Poutine Feast will be June 29-July 2 (you can eat poutine all Canada Day). See more in next week's ATCTW edition.
Outside & Inside the Neighborhood: Washburn, Wis., musician Yazmin Bowers begins the regional Emergence Tour '23, headlining as Yazmin & Beat Zero. The tour starts Wednesday (June 28) in St. Paul. The eight-stop tour includes local venues – Hayward's Park Theatre on Thursday (June 29), Bayfield's Memorial Park on July 4; the Historic Ironwood (Mich.) Theatre on July 5 and the La Pointe Center for the Arts on Madeline Island on July 6.
Photo & graphic credits: Tourism Sault Ste. Marie; Canadian Lighthouses of Lake Superior; The St. Louis County Depot; Grandma's Marathon; National Park Service; Brian Wellwood•International Bridge Walk/Park Point Art Fair/Musky Festival/Thunder City Speedway