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Phil Bencomo / Lake Superior Magazine
Lake Superior Day/s 2014
Park Point Beach on Thursday, July 17, during the early Lake Superior Day/s activities.
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Phil Bencomo / Lake Superior Magazine
Lake Superior Day/s 2014
Lake Superior Day/s started early in Duluth with a Sandmodeling Contest and Water Safety Expo at the Park Point Beach and Beach House on Thursday, July 17.
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Phil Bencomo / Lake Superior Magazine
Lake Superior Day/s 2014
The Sandmodeling Contest was hosted by the Duluth Parks & Recreation Department and the YMCA.
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Phil Bencomo / Lake Superior Magazine
Lake Superior Day/s 2014
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Phil Bencomo / Lake Superior Magazine
Lake Superior Day/s 2014
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Phil Bencomo / Lake Superior Magazine
Lake Superior Day/s 2014
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Phil Bencomo / Lake Superior Magazine
Lake Superior Day/s 2014
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Phil Bencomo / Lake Superior Magazine
Lake Superior Day/s 2014
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Phil Bencomo / Lake Superior Magazine
Lake Superior Day/s 2014
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Phil Bencomo / Lake Superior Magazine
Lake Superior Day/s 2014
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Phil Bencomo / Lake Superior Magazine
Lake Superior Day/s 2014
The hula hooping contest at Park Point Beach on Thursday, July 17, part of the week's Lake Superior Day/s festivities.
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Phil Bencomo / Lake Superior Magazine
Lake Superior Day/s 2014
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Phil Bencomo / Lake Superior Magazine
Lake Superior Day/s 2014
Doing the limbo at Park Point Beach on July 17 for Lake Superior Day/s.
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Phil Bencomo / Lake Superior Magazine
Lake Superior Day/s 2014
At the Park Point Beach House on July 17, kids learned how pollutants can make their way from land into our water.
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Phil Bencomo / Lake Superior Magazine
Lake Superior Day/s 2014
Kids learned about piping plovers from St. Louis River Alliance volunteers in the Park Point Beach House.
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Phil Bencomo / Lake Superior Magazine
Lake Superior Day/s 2014
The Cold Water Challenge: Kids submerged their hands in near-freezing water for 45 seconds, then tried to grab dimes from the bottom of the cooler with their cold-impaired fingers.
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Phil Bencomo / Lake Superior Magazine
Lake Superior Day/s 2014
The challenge demonstrated the power of Lake Superior's often-frigid waters.
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Phil Bencomo / Lake Superior Magazine
Lake Superior Day/s 2014
This youngster managed to grab eight dimes, enough to win a Frisbee.
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Phil Bencomo / Lake Superior Magazine
Lake Superior Day/s 2014
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary staffed a booth during the Water Safety Expo.
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Bob Berg / Lake Superior Magazine
Lake Superior Day/s 2014
On Friday, UMD’s Large Lakes Observatory joined in celebration of Lake Superior Day/s with an invitation for the public to tour the Blue Heron research vessel.
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Bob Berg / Lake Superior Magazine
Lake Superior Day/s 2014
The Blue Heron is part of the University National Oceanographic Laboratory System and is chartered by research scientists on any of the Great Lakes.
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Emil Groth / Michigan Tech College of Engineering
Lake Superior Day, Copper Harbor
The Michigan Tech research vessel Agassiz took visitors on scientific excursions throughout the afternoon.
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Emil Groth / Michigan Tech College of Engineering
Lake Superior Day, Copper Harbor
The remotely operated vehicle (ROV) demo was a project of Dollar Bay High School students.
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Emil Groth / Michigan Tech College of Engineering
Lake Superior Day, Copper Harbor
Paint the freighter was an interactive art activity for children (or the young at heart).
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Emil Groth / Michigan Tech College of Engineering
Lake Superior Day, Copper Harbor
There were kayak races and demos.
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Emil Groth / Michigan Tech College of Engineering
Lake Superior Day, Copper Harbor
There were also canoe races.
Lake Superior carries many superlatives: of the five Great Lakes, it’s the biggest, the coldest and the deepest. It’s also the only Great Lake with its very own day.
Held this year on July 20 – it's always the third Sunday in July – Lake Superior Day was started in the early 1990s by a group of Thunder Bay residents who sought to celebrate the body of water that dominates and defines our region. Other organizations and communities followed with festivities of their own, some of which span the entire weekend, and created Lake Superior Day(s) – which might be appropriate for such a large Lake.
This year, organizers of the day are issuing a challenge: What will you do for Lake Superior Day? Whether you take part in one of the activities below, organize your own or simply spend some time at the waterfront, how will you celebrate one of the world’s most amazing resources? Make your choice and then let us know what you or your organization plans by submitting it to our events calendar. Look below for ideas.
Here, meanwhile, is a sample of what will happen on each of Lake Superior’s four shores this year.
Michigan
In the Upper Peninsula, several communities, including Houghton and Marquette, host Lake Superior Day informational and celebration activities for kids and adults, mainly along the waterfronts. Check with your local community for specifics as the date nears.
Sunday, July 20: Celebrate Lake Superior Day in Copper Harbor, 1 to 4 p.m. on the boardwalk. Canoe races, picnics, street chalking, sculling demonstrations, activities for kids, live music, food vendors and more. Plus, check out the Michigan Tech research vessel Agassiz and the award-winning Dollar Bay high school SOAR's remotely operated vehicle (ROV).
Sunday, July 20: George Schafer, ranger at Fort Wilkins Historic State Park, will be giving a talk on the maritime history of our beautiful Lake and of the shipwrecks on the lake. A copper model of the Edmund Fitzgerald will be on display. At the Lighthouse Overlook Deck at 7 p.m. at Fort Wilkins Historic State Park, Copper Harbor. For information, please call 906-289-4215.
Minnesota
Sunday, July 13: “Follow the Flow” hunt launches. Participants can physically (or virtually) follow clues to find the names for places or objects around Duluth that relate to how Lake Superior provides for, endures and sustains us. There will be prizes and chances to post photos on the Facebook page.
This first-ever activity is sponsored by the Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
New clues will be posted all week on the Coastal Program’s page, www.facebook.com/MLSCP1.
Post an answer there or bring one on a card to the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center. Even one answer gets your name into a drawing for prizes, but answers must be received in the center or Facebook by noon on Lake Superior Day, Sunday, July 20.
The top prize package includes passes to The Edge waterpark, a family membership to the Great Lakes Aquarium, passes to visit the William A. Irvin museum ship, a copy of the 2014 release of Lake Superior, the Ultimate Guide to the Region and other cool stuff.
The idea behind this new “hunt” is to learn about what Lake Superior gives to the community and how the community can give back to the lake.
The winners were announced on July 21.
Thursday, July 17: A Sandmodeling Contest and Water Safety Expo at Park Point and the Park Point Public Beach House. The contest, hosted by the Duluth Parks & Recreation and the YMCA, runs 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Bring your own shovel and pail. Prizes in several categories. The on-the-beach activities last until 3 p.m. with water balloon tosses, a hula-hoop contest and more. Groups can sign up for a beach sweep and the city will provide bags, gloves and trash removal for participating groups.
The Water Safety Expo, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., features information booths, games and demonstrations on safety devices (rescue boards, throw rings, etc.) and on water safety, rip currents and kayaking. Representatives of Minnesota Sea Grant, Park Point Volunteer Surf Rescue, Duluth National Weather Service, Minnesota Department of Health Beach Monitoring Program, K0NWS Northland Ham Radio Weather Service Responders, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Regional Stormwater Protection Team; St. Louis River Alliance, Minnesota Lake Superior Coastal Program (Enviroscape), Duluth YMCA and Lifeguards, and the Power Squadron will be on hand.
The Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD) will host public tours of the wastewater treatment plant and organics composting facility from 1-2:30 p.m. Visitors will learn about the biological processes that return cleaned water to the St. Louis River and ultimately to Lake Superior or about the processes that turn organic material like food scraps and yard waste into a valuable soil amendment – Garden Green® Compost. Flat-soled, closed-toe shoes are required and tours start promptly at 1 p.m.
Friday, Saturday or Sunday, July 18-20: Down by the Aerial Lift Bridge, there will be info tables and children’s activities on the grounds of the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Many organizations rotate, with new groups each day.
Minnesota Sea Grant, Minnesota Environmental Partnership, the Superior National Forest, Jay Cooke State Park, Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission and Lake Superior Magazine are a few of the organizations represented.
On Friday and Sunday, Lake Superior Magazine will set up an area to film people telling: “Why I Love Lake Superior” and the videos will be posted online. On Saturday, the National Forest Service will have a display and activities connected to the 50th anniversary of the BWCAW. The Great Lakes Aquarium plans special activities throughout the weekend, including stations talking about water issues and geology.
The Duluth Experience will offer Lake Superior kayak tours in Canal Park on Sunday.
Friday, July 18: For the first time, UMD’s Large Lakes Observatory joins in celebration of Lake Superior Day/s with an invitation for the public to tour the Blue Heron research vessel and “indulge in science” from 12:30-4:30 p.m. The special offering of “LLO Science Friday” will be under the new deck tent on the vessel, docked near the Great Lakes Aquarium. The Blue Heron is part of the University National Oceanographic Laboratory System and is chartered by research scientists on any of the Great Lakes. Besides tours, there will be a session on “Tiny Storytellers in Lake Superior’s Mud” by Dr. Euan Reavie from the Natural Resources Research Institute. The event is free. LLO Science Fridays continue into August.
Saturday-Sunday, July 19-20: Families, groups and individuals are invited to celebrate Lake Superior Day/s by joining in a beach sweep.
Register for a clean-up by contacting Cheryl Skafte in the Duluth Parks & Recreation office at 218-730-4334 or cskafte@duluthmn.gov. Bags and gloves will be provided. Multiple locations are available. You can also contact Cheryl at the Thursday events at Park Point.
Clean-up sites:
- Park Point Beach (Section 1: Canal to 25th Street – Park at 12th Street Beach)
- Park Point Beach (Section 2: 25th Street to 40th Street – Park at Lafayette Square)
- Park Point Beach (Section 3: 40th to Beach House – Park at Beach House)
- Rice’s Point
- Lakewalk (Section 1: Canal to Fitger’s)
- Lakewalk (Section 2: Fitger’s to Rose Garden)
- Lakewalk (Section 3: Rose Garden to 26th)
- Brighton Beach
- North Shore Drive Parking Inlets (from Lester Park to 8800 house)
Saturday, July 19: Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center (mile 73.3 on Hwy 61, near Schroeder, Minnesota) hosts two special events.At 10 a.m., Ron Morton, co-author of the recently released Talking Sky: Ojibwe Constellations as a Reflection of Life on the Land, will talk about the Ojibwe interpretation of the night sky, including the wolf, Wintermaker and fisher constellations.At 2 p.m. it’s a step back into geologic time with a free workshop on area geology. Participants can learn about the formation of the Sawtooth Mountains and Lake Superior and find out how to recognize common rocks and the story of their formation.
Sunday, July 20: At Gooseberry Falls State Park, join naturalists on an afternoon guided hike along the shore of Lake Superior and celebrate Lake Superior throughout the day. Enjoy naturalist-led programs, including paper making and Big Lake Bingo, in the afternoon at the visitor center. A special program about Lake Superior will be held at 7:30 p.m. Details here.
Sunday, July 20: In Grand Marais, join Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply for SUP Demo Days, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Boulder Park. Learn how to standup paddleboard and try SUP yoga, too. Equipment provided. Call 218-387-3136 to reserve a spot.
Ontario
Sunday, July 20: At Terrace Bay Beach, Parks Canada will be hosting family activities as part of the Lake Superior Day celebrations. Activities will include sea kayak tours and boat charters. 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.
Sunday, July 20: Celebrate Lake Superior Day with a hike at Pukaskwa National Park.
Sunday, July 20: Thunder Bay’s Lake Superior Day celebrations take place at Marina Park, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Presentations, lake walks, displays, children’s activities and much more. The Discovery Bike Ride starts at 10 a.m. at the band shell, Tai Chi by the Lake begins at 10:30 in Taiji Park and participate in a water offering outside Mariner's Hall at 12 p.m. Authors/adventurers Mike Link and Kate Crowley will present at Mariner's Hall at 12:30 p.m., followed by a guided walk at 1:30 and another presentation at 3 p.m. The Baggage Building Arts Centre will host an artist market and informational displays from 12 to 4 p.m.
Wisconsin
Wednesday, July 16: AMI Consulting Engineers will host its third Marine Day open house, 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. at the company’s offices, end of Connor’s Point in Superior. Under a tent on the company grounds, there will be vendors and information tables on a variety of maritime and engineering topics, as well as updates on the study of harbor corrosion in Duluth and Superior. Visitors can see the new marina and enjoy a barbecue lunch.
Friday, July 18: The Bad River Lake Superior Day celebration will be open to everyone, honoring our connection, both environmentally and culturally, to beautiful, Lake Superior. There will be educational booths, cultural booths, cultural demonstrations and food. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Joe Rose Residence, Lake Road, Odanah.
Friday-Sunday, July 18-20: Ashland Bay Days Community Festival. Enjoy local music, a Battle of the Bands contest, kids activities, sporting events, sailing regatta, and craft and food vendors.
Saturday-Sunday, July 19-20: The Wisconsin towns of Port Wing, Herbster and Cornucopia on Highway 13, recently designated a state scenic byway, each year plan events for the weekend, with presentations by conservation experts, paddling demonstrations, music and dinner events.
Sunday, July 20: In Superior at Barker’s Island Festival Park, there will be a family fun day with vendors and activities from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. with art, free stand-up paddleboard demonstrations, a reading by the Wisconsin poet laureate Max Garland and live music. Visitors can also tour the historic SS Meteor whaleback ship at half-price. Starting at 12:30 p.m. at the Barker's Island Pavilion, the Lake Superior Binational Forum will give away free kites to the first 50 people who ask for them. At 1:15 p.m., there will be a Blessing of the Fleet, with all recreational or commercial vessels welcome, at the pavilion and organized through the Twin Ports Seafarers Center.
Sunday, July 20: At the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center in Ashland, the Red Cliff Hoop Dancers will perform from 3 to 5 p.m. The young dance troupe performs a Native American hoop dance to the sound of traditional music.
Lake Superior Day Ideas
What will you do for Lake Superior Day? Here's a list with some suggestions for what you or your group might do to support and celebrate Lake Superior.
- Become a Lake Superior Steward (Lake Superior Binational Forum)
- Clean a beach or shoreline
- Show a film
- Have families paint a Lake Superior mural
- Lake Superior photo or art show/contest
- Music concert for the Lake
- Film showing
- Invite an educational speaker to your group/church/school
- Clean up a boat landing
- Share information with your group on invasive species
- Sign up people as Lake Superior stewards
- Post a message on Facebook about the importance of protecting the lake
- Donate funds to a local organization like Water Legacy, SkyBlue Waters, etc.
- Pick up garbage and bring to WLSSD
- Clean a storm sewer
- Teach a small group about responsible boating
- Create a water garden
- Reduce your use of water
- Carry a metal water bottle
- Collect rain water and use in your garden
- Create a water proclamation for your community
- Participate or donate to a women’s water walk
- Raise money and awareness for a fish restoration project, wild rice area
- A guided hike
- Kayak demos
- Charter fishing open house
- Remote controlled boat races
- Rock painting for kids
- An evening of water poetry
- Lighthouse open house
- Talk on climate change effects on Lake Superior
- Lake Superior bike tour
- State Parks visit/tour along the lake
- Wastewater treatment plant tour
- Paddleboard demo/lesson
- Sailing regatta
- Rowing club demo
- Blessing of the Lake
- Coast Guard tour
- Household hints on saving water
- Community picnic on the beach
- Learn about ship wrecks