1 of 2
Lake Superior Magazine
lsdayslide02
Storefront support for Lake Superior Day, which is July 21 this year.2 of 2
lsday
This year Lake Superior Day falls on Sunday, July 21, and once again there are activities being planned all around the Big Lake.
Our Lake Superior is the only Great Lake with its own day, but it seems that one day is not enough. Many of the celebrations span the whole weekend, and related events will be held throughout the month.
Lake Superior Day was started by a group in Thunder Bay in the 1990s. More than 50 groups and communities now participate.
Wisconsin
The Wisconsin towns of Port Wing, Herbster and Cornucopia on Highway 13, newly designated a state scenic byway, plan events for Saturday and Sunday (July 20-21), with presentations by conservation experts, paddling and paddle board demonstrations, music and dinner events.
In Superior, events will center around Barker's Island. There will be vendors, conservation and science organizations, presentations and activities for young and old.
Other activities:
Thursday, July 18, 1 p.m.: Storm Drain Stenciling, West Pavilion, Central Park, Superior. Donate an hour and a half of your time to help protect the Lake by reminding the public with storm drain stenciling. Please RSVP 715/394-0392 ext. 1041.
Friday, July 19, 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.: Free Waste Water Treatment Plant Tour, 51 East 1st Street, Superior. Learn how waste water from our sinks, showers, and toilets comes to the plant to be cleaned before release into Lake Superior. The tours will last about an hour. Call 715/394-0392.
Friday, July 19, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.: Lake Superior Day Celebration, sponsored by the Bad River Natural Resources Department, at the Joe Rose Residence, Lake Road, Odanah, Wisconsin. The event will be open to the public, once again honoring our connection, both environmentally and culturally, to beautiful Lake Superior. Educational booths, cultural demonstrations, food and refreshments. Contact: Stephanie Julian, 715-682-7123 ext. 1559.
Sunday, July 21: Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve will have a St. Louis River estuary interpretative exhibit and rain garden info and tour of the Barker's Island rain garden. Other main partners/exhibitors will include the City of Superior Environmental Services, Superior Council for the Arts, Wisconsin Sea Grant and Lake Superior Bi-national Program.
Sunday, July 21, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.: At Barker's Island: Vendors, Lake experts, activities and presentation of the Lake Superior Binational Forum’s Stewardship Awards. 12 p.m.: Music by Tales of Laughing Fox. 12:45 p.m.: Lake Superior Binational Program—Stewardship Awards. 1 p.m.: Blessing of the Fleet. 1:30-3:30 p.m.: Canoe Rides in the St. Louis River Estuary. 1:30 p.m.: Music by St. Louis River Rats. 2:15 p.m.: River Quest Winning Poetry and Essay Reading. 2:30 p.m.: Music by Sonja and the Reckoning. 3:15 p.m.: Music by Tin Can Gin.
Sunday, July 21, 12:30 p.m.: Little Minnow Kids Triathlon on Lake Superior, Ashland Bay Days Community Festival, Ashland. Designed for kids 6 – 11 years of age and sponsored by Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce. Also enjoy local music, Battle of the Bands contest, kids activities, sporting events, sailing regatta, and Craft & Food vendors.
July 25, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.: Low Impact Development Workshop, Bad River Housing-Gathering Room, Odanah. This course is designed for developers, planners, water resource managers, engineers and other water resource professionals who strive to design, install and maintain innovative stormwater management practices.
Minnesota
In Duluth, the hub is the Canal Park waterfront, where the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center and the Great Lakes Aquarium will host activities. Tables with experts and materials from a variety of organizations and activities take place at the visitor center. Lake Superior Magazine plans to launch its "Keep Our Lake Superior" program there.
In Two Harbors, the Chalk-a-Lot Sidewalk Chalk Art Festival will offer chalking clinics July 19-21.
Other activities:
June 8 – July 31: Moods of Superior at the Waterfront Gallery in Two Harbors. A Lake Superior-inspired fine art and jewelry exhibit.
June 20 – August 25: Water Works on display at the Duluth Art Institute, celebrating our most precious resource and the artists who share in the primitive pull towards H2O. Opening celebration: June 20, 5-7 p.m.
Wednesday, July 17, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.: AMI’s open house featuring demonstrations of commercial diving equipment, topside and underwater construction, marine imaging equipment, presentations on Duluth/Superior harbor advanced corrosion study, vendor/contractor booths and free lunch. AMI Consulting Engineers, 91 Main St., Superior.
Wednesday, July 17, 5:30 – 7 p.m.: An Evening of Water in Words. Poets as well as open mic presenters will all share poems with the overarching theme of Water. Readers will include Sheila Packa, Kathleen Roberts and Amy Lynn. Duluth Art Institute, 506 W. Michigan St., The Depot, Morrison Gallery.
Thursday, July 18 – Sunday, July 21, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.: Tables of information, giveaways and activities inside and outside of the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center. Outside, find representatives or materials from a variety of organizations. Inside, in addition to the exhibits already in the free museum portion of the visitor center, there will be special video presentations.
Minnesota Sea Grant will feature invasive species information and preserved examples of such species. (Ewww - how cool is that?)
Lake Superior Magazine will bring free maps of Lake Superior, along with information about the region.
Lake Superior Marine Museum Association will give hands-on opportunities for knot-tying and raffle tickets for a Cruise of a Lifetime on an ore carrier – Saturday and Sunday only.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will show videos and have displays.
Other groups may also join.
Thursday, July 18 – Sunday, July 21, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.: At the Great Lakes Aquarium, special activities in the lobby will include field scopes with bay water samples to view, a Geology of Lake Superior cart with rocks to identify, photographer Craig Blacklock’s Lake Superior art exhibit and “Why I love Lake Superior” cards for guests to fill out.
Saturday, July 20, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.: At Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center, learn how to identify common Lake Superior fish and make a pop-can fishing pole during this hands-on program with MinnAqua staff. MinnAqua is a statewide education program designed to teach angling recreation and stewardship as well as the ecology and conservation of aquatic habitats. Free program is for all ages. Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center, Mile Marker 73.3, lakeside, Hwy. 61.
Saturday, July 20, 11 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.: Activities at Gooseberry Falls State Park.
11 a.m. to noon, Lake Superior BINGO in the Visitor Center Theater. Win a prize and discover extraordinary things about the greatest of the Great Lakes.
2-3 p.m., Kite Making, Lady Slipper Lodge. Make kite then fly it on the shores of the Big Lake. Supplies limited.
5-6 p.m., Paper Making with the Water of the Gitchi Gumi in the Visitor Center. Use recycled paper, plant material and water to craft a homemade piece of paper as a souvenir. Limited supplies.
7:30-8:30 p.m., Microscopic Monsters, Lady Slipper Lodge. Hands-on exploration of macro invertebrates near the Lake. See these incredible creatures up close and learn why they are so important. Getting wet is optional.
Saturday, July 20, 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.: Split Rock Lighthouse State Park: Shipwrecks of Lake Superior, Trail Center (not historic site). Dive into the past for stories of the ships taken by Lake Superior and the gales of November.
Sunday, July 21: Lake Superior Day church services. 9:30 a.m.: Outdoor service at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church-ELCA in Duluth, 1325 N. 45th Ave. E., 218-525-1922. 10 a.m.: Gloria Dei Lutheran Church-ELCA in Duluth, 219 N. 6th Ave. E., 218-722-3381.
Sunday, July 21: Duluth Art Institute at The Depot. Tour of the Water Works Exhibit at 1 p.m. Chris Faust Artist Talk with curator Luke Erikson at 2 p.m.
At 4 p.m. at The Underground in The Depot, Duluth Seaway Port Authority sponsors a free showing of “The Mysteries of the Great Lakes,” a Science North Production. Travel to the inland seas, where some of the most spectacular scenery on earth is also the worldʼs largest concentration of freshwater. The Great Lakes are home to varied wildlife, and 40 million Canadians and Americans rely on the Lakes for water. Discover how humanity has brought these Lakes to the brink of destruction … and back. This documentary follows the issues and the beauty throughout the Great Lakes with several segments specifically on Lake Superior. To support Lake Superior Day, the producers have donated a couple of DVDs of the film to be given away at the showing! Seating limited to 130.
Sunday, July 21, 2 – 3:30 p.m.: Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center. One Great Lake: Nature Cart. Did you know that the average water drop in Lake Superior entered the lake in the times of the Fur Trade, or that water sloshing around in the lake can temporarily raise the water level by the shore as much as 3 feet? Explore these Lake Superior fun facts and more at the Nature Cart located in the lakeside picnic grounds. Program is ongoing so drop by any time between 1:30 and 3. Parking is available at the nearby wayside rest. Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center, Mile Marker 73.3, lakeside, Hwy. 61.
7:30-8:30 p.m., Watercolor by the Lake. Bring home a view of the lake by creating your own Lake Superior watercolor with watercolor pencils. During this all ages program you’ll also discover how many rely on this lake and the importance of managing its resources to maintain a healthy lake for healthy communities. Meet in the lakeside picnic grounds. Parking is available at the nearby wayside rest.
Ontario
Sunday, July 21: In Thunder Bay, the celebration takes place at the Pool 6 Cruise Ship Dock in Marina Park. Parks Canada will offer free children’s activities. This year’s festivities also include educational displays, the Science North Cool Science Caravan, a Canadian Coast Guard Search & Rescue boat, a Tug Boat, a clean up by Thunder Bay’s EcoDivers and food vendors. Admission is free to the family-friendly event.
Sunday, July 21: At Pukaskwa National Park, lace up your hikers for an afternoon hike on the Southern Headland Trail to celebrate Lake Superior Day. Please check in at the Visitor Centre for departure time. For more information, please visit parkscanada.gc.ca/pukaskwa or call 807-229-0801 ext. 221.
Sunday, July 21, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.: Parks Canada will be hosting family activities as part of Lake Superior Day celebrations taking place at Terrace Bay Beach. Activities will include sea kayak tours and boat charters. Meet and take a photo with Parka, Parks Canada’s friendly mascot. There will be an information booth where you can learn more about Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area and Parks Canada sites in northern Ontario.
Monday, July 22, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.: The tall ship Sørlandet will be open for public tours in Thunder Bay. Deck tours will be sold on site for $3 per person, under 3 years of age free.
Michigan
Friday, July 19 – Sunday, July 21: Tall Ship Docking in Marquette. Five Tall Ships will dock in Marquette to allow tours and sails open to the public! Ellwood A. Mattson Lower Harbor Park, www.mqtmaritimemuseum.com.
Sunday, July 21, 1 – 4 p.m.: Community Picnic and Festival on the Copper Harbor Boardwalk. Community volunteers are organizing their first festival with lots of special regional flourishes such as fish tacos, homemade blueberry and apple pies, rieska (a Finnish flatbread), and more for a community picnic; demonstrations with kayaks by Keweenaw Adventure Company; live music, and more. Contact: Don Kilpela at 906-289-4735.
Monday, July 22, 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.: Partnering to Foster Watershed Restoration Workshop at Black River Harbor, Bessemer. The Ottawa National Forest, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Superior Watershed Partnership, The Trust for Public Land and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are proud to be hosting a watershed restoration workshop in conjunction and support of Lake Superior Day. More information [PDF].
We'll update this page with more events as they're finalized. Organizing one? Submit it to our events calendar.