Don McLean: "American Pie" 50th Anniversary Tour. Takes place on Sunday June 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Big Top's 2022 Summer Concert Season on Sale: Big Top is welcoming visitors back to the Big Blue Tent from June 17 through September. Tickets are now on sale. Click here for show announcements and to see the entire season line-up. This season’s shows include: Riders in the Sky, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Home Free, The Greatest Piano Men, Five for Fighting, Cloud Cult, Charlie Berens, Gaelic Storm, Robert Cray, Don McLean, Joyann Parker, Charley Crockett, Tanya Tucker and the Blue Canvas Orchestra.
Residents evacuated: CBC News is reporting that residents from Kashechewan and Fort Albany First Nations, along the James Bay coast, have been evacuated to other communities in northern Ontario due to flooding. Indigenous Services Canada confirmed a precautionary evacuation of vulnerable residents started on April 25, and a full evacuation began on May 5.
The threat of flooding is an ongoing reality for communities along the James Bay and Hudson Bay coasts, and annual evacuations are a regular occurrence for many residents. Last Friday, around 400 people from Kashechewan were flown to Thunder Bay. Click here for the full story.
On the Street: Out-of-town folks were shooting an independent TV pilot – Canusa Street – up in Chisholm recently. The film is about families in a small town cut in half by the Canada-US border. The Upper Midwest Film Office got these numbers from the producer to show how such productions affect our local towns. Editor Kon met writer/director Zack Morrison before his first night of shooting – he dropped in to a Duluth class run by Catalyst Story Institute. He mentioned several times how kind the town has been to the crew and that every scene could be shot within a few blocks. Plus Chisholm’s main street just seems like a quaint set and the Lost Forty Studios worked wonderfully. The full-service film and television studio zone has 55,000 square feet of usable studio space. Productions shot there that qualify can rebate up to 70 percent of production costs thanks to production incentives. “We were driving through Chisholm yesterday and LOVE that the flags are still up! We thank the people of Chisholm, Hibbing and the surrounding area for being so welcoming to incoming productions and we thank #canusastreet! Here’s to whole seasons!” Canusa Street won Outstanding Comedy Script at the 2021 Catalyst Content Festival.
Make Plans: Here are a few events coming up soon to put on a fun-do list:
Michigan
Monday, May 23: The U.P.’s Munising Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market kicks off its season on May 23. Some of the products sold include: locally grown fruits and vegetables, honey products, maple syrup, bakery items, jams and jellies, perennials, cut flowers, plant starts, art and fine crafts including jewelry, pottery, photography, paintings and prints, fiber, soaps and lotions, wood products and more. The market opens every Monday from 4 to 6 p.m. and takes place at Binsfeld Bayshore Park (55 Elm Avenue)
Minnesota
Thursday, May 12: In addition to the launch of the limited-edition product, Duluth Pack is celebrating the annual event back in-person this year with a public event on Thursday, May 12, at the company’s flagship retail store from 5 to 8 p.m. There will be exclusive sales and deals for attendees, free beer provided and poured by HOOPS Brewing, free raffle gear up for grabs, plus, gear representatives on-site. Facebook event link here
Thursday, May 12: Tonight, Zenith Bookstore will host an author event with Stephanie Pearson, whose new book 100 Great American Parks has just been published by National Geographic. Proof of Covid-19 vaccination is required to attend this event, as is the wearing of face masks over nose and mouth. The event will take place on Thursday, May 12 at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Click here for more information.
Wisconsin
Saturday, May 14: To celebrate World Migratory Bird Day, Friends of Lake Superior Reserve is partnering with the city of Superior to host a morning bird walk on Wisconsin Point and a Migratory Movie Morning at the Estuaruim in Superior, Wis. The event takes place on Saturday, May 14. Bird Walk: 7:30-9:30 a.m. Movie Morning: 10-11:30 a.m. Registration is required. Click here to register.
Ontario
Monday, May 16: Sault Pride, in partnership with International Day of Pink, will be hosting activist Martin Boyce by virtual presence on Monday, May 16 at 1 p.m. in Algoma University’s Doc Brown Lounge (EW205). For additional information on Martin Boyce, including a video clip, click here. Link to the event on Facebook here.
Photo & graphic credits: Big Top Chautauqua; CBC News; Upper Midwest Film Board; Zack Morrison; The U.P.’s Munising Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market; National Geographic; Friends of Lake Superior Reserve