So It Begins: Hard to think of fall amidst record-breaking September temperatures, but watch our favorite photographers' Facebook pages show us those telltale signs are happening. This image was taken earlier in the week by sharp shooter and keeper of the Split Rock Lighthouse, Hayes Scriven. Says Hayes: "This morning (9/3) I went up North of Grand Marais for a sunrise. On the way back, I took the back roads to look for wildlife and to my surprise I found Fall. I could not believe the amount of color I saw on these ridgelines. It is not widespread, but the colors are starting. Taken near the Sawbill Trail." If you're looking for links to fall color reports, the National Weather Service provides links for Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin. The Ontario Fall Colours Progression Report also follows the colors by regions. The weather service also posted this great photo by Galen Witham taken from the pilothouse of the Dirk S. VanEnkevort with the shelf cloud of an approaching storm. The freighter was about half way between Grand Marais, Minn., and Outer Island in Wisconsin. The crew recorded a gust of 61 knots (70 mph). Speaking of high temperatures, Duluth recorded a new record on Sunday (Sept. 3) with a 97° F reading, 8°s above the old record for the day, while Brainerd, Minn., sweltered in 102° heat that day. Temperature records were also broken around the region on Monday. That heat prompted one Facebook follower of the Duluth NWS station to comment on the site's newest cover photo (the cracked ground seen here). "I thought this was a brownie" the person posted, and the NWS crew replied, "Well, it has been hot enough around here to make them in a car or mailbox!" Oh, and one more note – lest you disbelieve that Fall is knocking … the NWS is warning backyard gardeners in the northland of potential frost tonight and Friday.
All In: With a $325,000 goal, an October 31 deadline and a vision of boosting the accessibility of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore for all people, Friends of the Apostle Islands continues to spearhead its Access for All initiative. The effort is more than half-way there, according to Jeff Rennicke, executive director of the Friends (and the photographer who took this image). “We are halfway home and going strong,” he says. The funds raised will be matched by the National Park Service to pay for a 520-foot all-accessible ramp to replace the 45-step stairway to Meyers Beach, the popular launching point for sea kayaking trips to the sea caves and other accessibility projects in the park. In our April/May issue this year, Janet Bandura wrote of her experiences getting to the water from her wheelchair in her story “An Accessible Dream.” Says Jeff, “Our national parks belong to all of us. Our Access for All initiative is an effort to make this more than a just slogan and create it as a reality in the Apostle Islands.” You can help the initiative meet its goal by contacting the Friends of the Apostle Islands at P.O. Box 1574, Bayfield, WI 54814 or by visiting its website.
Just Because: We had to share this photo by Fresh Tracks Media taken at Mount Trudee on the Superior Hiking Trail in Minnesota during a previous edition of the Superior Fall Trail Race happening Friday and Saturday out of Lutsen, Minn. The set of races, founded in 1991, on "extremely rugged and technical" portions of the Superior Hiking Trail is organized by Rocksteady Running with 100 mile, 50 mile and 26.2 mile options. Check out more great photos from past races online.
Escape into Art: This weekend begins the nine-day Art Escape across Bayfield County and Madeline Island. Things open with the 60th annual Bayfield Festival of Arts, Saturday and Sunday in Memorial Park in Bayfield. Then throughout the week tap into demonstrations, deals, art classes and performances celebrating all of the arts (like this table sponsored by Kiddiwink Kids in Washburn). During Art Escape, attendees can enter a drawing to win art from area artists and galleries. Find the amazing range of events online. Just a few highlights include Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua shows Boozhoo Nanaboozhoo with Michael Lyons and Wigwam Talk: Stories & Music with Michael "Laughing Fox" Charette on Saturday, open houses and fine-art demonstrations at galleries around the area, plus a session on “Writing by Writers” at Honest Dog Books in Bayfield. Or you could check out the meet, greet & sketch with alpacas at the Surafina Farm (Sept. 14). There is a lot of everything, everywhere, from the Cornucopia Art Crawl to the Open Studio Happy Hour at Ghost Ship Gallery in Washburn to music at the Bell Street Gallery & Artbar in Bayfield. Make plans and head to the peninsula.
Make Plans: This Saturday will be the national Walk to End Alzheimers and many Big Lake communities are participating. Go to the national website to find what's happening locally. Here are a few events coming up soon to put on a fun-do list:
Michigan
Saturday, Sept. 9: The city of Hancock sends summer off in style with its End of Summer Celebration. A lot of activities are packed into the one day, beginning with a 10 a.m. Pickleball Tournament at Laurn Grove and including a Corn Hole Tournament (2 p.m.) at 400 Quincy Street; a Beer Garden (2-11 p.m.) at 400 Quincy Street; food trucks (2-9 p.m.) at Quincy Green: bouncy houses and KIDS games/activities (2-6 p.m.) on Quincy Green; Ping Pong Drop (3 p.m.) on Quincy Green; a street dance featuring Diversion (6-10 p.m.) at 400 Quincy Street, an awesome band from the Marquette area that plays your favorites from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and beyond. Hosted by the Hancock Fire Department; and ending with a Laser Light Show Spectacular (10 p.m.) on Quincy Green.
Saturday, Sept. 9: The 5th annual Geek U.P. at the Rozsa Center in Houghton celebrates art and geek culture (local and abroad) through comics, cosplay, video games and other activities. Meet the voice actors of your favorite characters, play games and explore a variety of vendors from noon-7 p.m. This year's celebrity guests include Colleen O'Shaughnessy, Roger Craig Smith and Patricia Summersett. Proceeds from the event support Unite Mental Health & Wellness.
Saturday, Sept. 9: Many of Michigan's finest breweries come to the Lake Superior shore for the 14th annual U.P. Fall Beer Festival in Mattson Lower Harbor Park, Marquette. Sponsored by the Michigan Brewers Guild, festival tickets include 15 tokens for beer samples plus food available for purchase from local vendors and food trucks. Runs 1-6 p.m.
Minnesota
Friday-Sunday, Sept. 8-10: WTIP Community Radio in Grand Marais hosts its annual Radio Waves Music Festival this weekend at the Grand Marais Recreation Area. The fest is packed with performances on two stages, starting 2:30 p.m. Friday with the Indigenous drum group Stonebridge Singers and continuing through Sunday to Colleen “Boss Mama” Myhre and Jebberhooch at 2:40 p.m. See the full schedule online.
Saturday, Sept. 9: Come along on Craig Blacklock’s visual exploration of Lake Superior during a presentation, 1 p.m., at the Grand Portage National Monument. For 47 years, Craig’s artistic practice has been linked to the interface of land and water, most often by and on Lake Superior. His most recent body of work, Light Waves, is a series of images isolating the complex mirror of Lake Superior’s surface, producing a purely abstract representation of the palette and textures lying outside of the frame. See a review of his newest book on our webpage.
Saturday, Sept. 9: Nice Girls of the North, a women-owned cooperative, offers its Second Saturday Marketplace Arts & Crafts Show, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Spirit of the Lake Community School in Duluth. You’ll find jewelry, soaps and lotions, cards, home decor, hand dyed yarn and clothing, candles, baked goods, jams and more handcrafted items.
Saturday, Sept. 9: The Lake Superior Harvest Festival offers a huge farmers market, live music, Energy Fair, Art & Craft Fair, non-profit expo education exhibits and a food court at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth. It’s a celebration of food, farmers and community, brought to you by the Sustainable Farming Association.
Starting Saturday, Sept. 9-16: Celebrate the night sky with a series of events across the Twin Ports, starting Saturday. Night Sky Week opens with Starry Skies and City Lights, 9-10 p.m. at Hawk Ridge Observatory in Duluth (after a full day of raptor migration activities). On Tuesday enjoy Night Sky Trivia, 7 p.m., at Amity Coffee with Cafe Scientifique Twin Ports. Wednesday catch a free night at the Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium on the University of Minnesota Duluth campus. At Fitger’s in Duluth on Thursday enjoy a free concert by singer / songwriter Michael Monroe, spectacular northern lights photography by Travis Novitsky as he premiers his new book, Spirits Dancing, created in collaboration with Annette Lee of Native Skywatchers, and then be entertained by Astro Bob King as he takes us on a tour of the night sky. On Sept. 16, the Great Lakes Aquarium will host naturalist presentations. Stargazing events will be at Wisconsin Point in Superior on Sept. 15 and in Canal Park on Sept. 16.
Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday, Sept. 10, 12 & 14: Zenith Bookstore in Duluth will be the site of two book launches and a poet visit. On Sunday, singer, rapper, author and poet Dessa will be signing copies of her latest collection Tits On The Moon starting at 3:30 p.m.Tuesday (Sept. 12), northern Wisconsin author Carol Dunbar will launch her second novel, A Winter's Rime, at 7 p.m. in Zenith Bookstore in Duluth. The critically acclaimed author of her debut novel, The Net Beneath Us, again sets her characters in rural Wisconsin, exploring the impact of generational trauma, and one woman's journey to find peace and healing from the violence of her past. Then on Thursday (Sept. 14), Paul Metsa and Rick Shefchik arrive for the Duluth debut of their new book Blood in the Tracks: The Minnesota Musicians behind Dylan's Masterpiece.
Wisconsin
Saturday, Sept. 9: Enjoy the annual Mural Fest & Car Show, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on the Courthouse Block on Historic Main Street in Ashland. Take the Ashland Mural Trolley Tours (tour pick-up is in the Bay Area Civic Center parking lot) or just stroll among the classic cars, the craft vendors, sidewalk sales, music and food vendors: The Ashland Lions Club will hold a cookout on the Courthouse lawn, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 9: Art Beat of Hayward, Nancy Erickson Dutmer opening reception, 3-5:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 9: Clean up a great river and enjoy camaraderie and music along the way. The annual Namekagon River Cleanup brings together volunteers to help pick up trash, either on land or on the water (bring your own canoes and or kayaks). The event will be followed by an after party with fun prizes, delicious food, and live music. Register online beforehand and come to Hayward Lake at 8:30 a.m. to sign in. Coffee and refreshments will be provided. After a 9 a.m. welcome, the cleanup begins, ending with the party at 3 p.m. at the Angry Minnow in downtown Hayward.
Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 9-10: For nearly 20 years, the Cornucopia Art Crawl has offered the chance to stroll the village streets while admiring (and buying) the works of 40+ artists, ages 7 to 70. Along the walk, enjoy youth involvement programs, musicians, good food and drink, artist demonstrations, and art-related activities for children.
Wednesday, Sept. 13: Fairlawn Mansion in Superior hosts its Ice Cream Social, 5-7:30 p.m. on the lawn outside the mansion. Custard will be provided by Culver’s and music starts from the Superior High School Choir. The Amazing Charles will offer live magic shows and balloon animals. The city's Superior Bayside Sounds brings a concert from Magic Bus. There will be food, custard, free tours of Fairlawn, plus free popcorn from Superior Choice Credit Union, kids games, non-profit and art fair, musical cakes, and car show.
Thursday, Sept. 14: The Park Center in Hayward will host the premiere of a 1-hour documentary, "Ovarian Cancer & Early Detection: The Story of a Northwoods Community Making a Difference" about how a community comes together on a grassroots level to foster positive change in the world. The evening starts with a 5:30 p.m. concert by Chicago jazz and blues artist Yoko Noge and Hayward musicians John Sonofmel and the Big Fish Band. After the showing, there will be a BBQ Wrap Party at the Veterans Community Center.
Ontario
Today-Sunday, Sept. 7-10: Vox Popular Media Arts Festival in Thunder Bay features films, videos, media arts and visual arts installations, concerts and performance arts of all genres made in Northwestern Ontario and internationally. Find the full schedule online.
Friday, Sept. 8: Mark it on your calendars to head down to Naturally Superior Adventures in Wawa for an evening of original music and homegrown talent of Joanne Poisson and Islay Smedley.
Saturday, Sept. 9: The Algoma Conservatory of Music presents Storry, part of its singer/songwriter series of concerts. Storry, a Toronto musician with two Juno nominations, performs at The Loft at Algoma Conservatory. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Photo & graphic credits: Hayes Scriven; National Weather Service; Jeff Rennicke/Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore; Fresh Tracks Media; Rocksteady Running; Art Escape; End of Summer Hancock/Craig Blacklock/Visit Ashland/James Smedley