Fisherman’s Picnic, Fun & Lots of Live Music

Ah, summer in Grand Marais! Jumping off the breakwater is a lot more fun this year because Lake Superior is much warmer than usual. Photographer Layne Kennedy caught this shot of a group of boys having the time of their lives as the U.S. Coast Guard stands off to make sure everyone is safe. It’s predicted to be in the high 70s this weekend.

It’s Fisherman’s Picnic Weekend, so look for crowds, fishburgers, all kinds of contests, tournaments and competitions, sidewalk sales, food booths, class reunions, arts & crafts vendors, a great parade, fireworks and a passel of live music. In fact, let us just give a caveat here — there’s so much music going on this weekend in venues around the county that we can’t guarantee that we’ve got them all noted. Please excuse. On the other hand, every place that usually has live music will have a lot of it this weekend, so just drop by your favorites and enjoy.

Photo by Layne Kennedy taken of a gravestone in the Maple Hill Cemetery.

Fisherman’s Picnic has a long history that goes back to the roots of this community. Layne Kennedy sent us this photo taken of a gravestone in the cemetery at the Maple Hill Church. He took the photo when he taught his annual photography workshop at North House Folk School this summer.

He writes:

“I love this image on the headstone as it reveals what’s important to people in this area.”

Fisherman’s Picnic starts tonight at St. John’s Catholic Church with a buffet dinner and silent auction put on by the Grand Marais Lioness Club. The auctions starts at 4:30 p.m., the buffet at 5 p.m.

Tomorrow, Thursday, features Crazy Daze Sales all over town, which continue through the weekend, log rolling, tennis tournaments, contests and 12-hours of live music on the Park Stage in Harbor Park starting at 11 a.m. Members of Library Friends get a preview of all the books at the Friends’ Used Book Sale from 5-7 p.m.

On Friday, the Library Friends Used Book Sale opens to the public at the Community Center at 8 a.m. and the contests begin in earnest, including a variety of eating contests and more. The first heat of the loon-calling contest begins at 6 p.m. on the Park Stage. The First Congregational Church hosts a Shrimp Boil Dinner from 5-7 p.m., too, which is always totally delicious. There’s live music all day, with Sam Miltich & Friends heading up the evening music starting at 9 p.m.

On Saturday, the Library Friends book sale continues from 8 a.m.-noon with a $3 per bag book sale. The Fisherman’s Picnic Trail Run & Walk on the trails at Pincushion Mountain begin at 9 a.m. with the kids’ races. Adult races follow. Registration starts at 7:30a.m. All invited.

Also on Saturday, there’s a Boat Parade in the harbor starting at noon, and the Citizens of the Year are recognized on the Park Stage at 12:45 p.m. There are lots of eating contests that day as well as the popular Log-Sawing contests, the Kids’ Tractor Pull (2:30 p.m.) and the Cutest Puppy Contest (6 p.m.), to name a few.

There’s lots of music throughout the day, too, with Earth, Wind & Todd playing an early evening set in Harbor Park at 7 p.m. followed by The Splinters from 9 p.m.-midnight. Saturday night also features the Fisherman’s Picnic Fireworks display at around 9:45 p.m.

The Shriners will march in the Fishermans Picnic Parade on Sunday. They will also play on the Park Stage afterward.

On Sunday, Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply holds a one-pot cook-off with foods and materials suitable for the wilderness at 11 a.m.

The Fisherman Picnic Parade, which is probably the best parade of the year, starts at 1 p.m. followed by more live music, including the Bagpipers from Thunder Bay.

The $10,000 Grand Prize drawing is at 5 p.m.

Click here to see the complete schedule.

Also, this is the last weekend for performances of

Besides good acting, there’s great period costuming in “The Beaux Strategem” playing at the ACA Thursday through Sunday.

“The Beaux Strategem,” a very funny comedy produced by the Grand Marais Playhouse. Performances at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts are at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 3 p.m .Sunday. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

The Cross River Heritage Center in Schroeder features new artists in it’s galleries in August including Ann Ward, potter; photographers David Brislance and Shell and Alan Foeckler as well as painter Sandra Pillsbury.

The Sam Miltich Quartet, which will play at the Park Stage in Harbor Park on Friday night, will be guests WTIP Radio on The Roadhouse on Friday night. The show airs from 5-7 p.m. at 90.7 FM.

And not to forget, the Cook County Farm & Craft Market will be open for the entire Picnic, from Thursday through Sunday. The market will be set up at the end of Wisconsin Street, near the World’s Best Donuts.

Also, an Arts & Crafts Fair will be held on First Ave. West during the Picnic. The white tents will be on the street fronted by Birchbark Books & Gifts and the Gunflint Mercantile.

The bookstore has just received copies of Mike Link & Kate Crowley’s newly released book, “Going Full Circle: Our 1,555-mile Walk Around the World’s Largest Lake.”

The Mercantile is featuring chocolate-covered frozen waff-sicles this weekend.

At Lake Superior Trading Post, Gunflint Trail pioneer Rolf Skrien will join author Bill Sanderson for a book signing of Sanderson’s new book “Getting the Wilderness in You” from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday.The book tells of Sanderson’s adventures in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, with a particular emphasis on Skrien’s Way of the Wilderness Outfitters.

Aaron Kloss has a show at the Vanilla Bean Cafe.

In other art news, Aaron Kloss has just opened a new show at the Vanilla Bean Cafe in Two Harbors. He currently shows his work at Sivertson Galleries in Duluth and Grand Marais. To see more of his work, click here.

The Blue Moose Gallery and Nursery has a good selection of Eclectic Earth necklaces and earrings crafted from recycled and found materials. The pieces are made by homebound people in Wisconsin and are proving very popular here. The gallery also received new work by Ray Pottery of South Carolina, including platters, bowls and vases. It also has a good selection of agate Ikebana vases from Oregon.

The Johnson Heritage Post continues exhibiting work by the Society of Minnesota Sculptors in its gallery. The bronze, stone and ceramic sculptures are made by a number of different sculptors, including Dan & Lee Ross of Hovland. The Heritage Post is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, 1-4 p.m. Saturdays.

New work by Ingela Noren and Daniel Grant has arrived at Sivertson Gallery.

Sivertson Gallery has just received new hand-painted and lacquered wood mirrors, shelves, frames and table by Ingela Noren and Daniel Grant. Their work is totally gorgeous and is a must-see (and touch.)

Todd Voss will teach a workshop, “Guided Studio Time” at the Grand Marais Art Colony starting Aug. 10. For more info, call 387-2737 or click here.

Here’s the music line-up for this week.

We’ve tried to make it easier for you to tell who’s playing where by highlighting in red those playing on the Park Stage in Harbor Park during Fisherman’s Picnic. Hope this helps.

Wednesday, Aug. 1

Rod Dockan, Al Oikari & Friends, Gunflint Tavern, 7 p.m.
Bump Blomberg, Moguls at Caribou Highlands, 7 p.m.
Pete Kavanaugh, Birch Terrace, 7 p.m.
Cook County All Stars, Gunflint Tavern, 7 p.m.
Bingham & Thorne, Bluefin Grille, 9 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 2

Bill D, Park Stage, Harbor Park, 11 a.m.
James Moors, Park Stage, 1 p.m.
Portage, Park Stage, 3 p.m.
Bret Berka & Friends, Harbor Light Supper Club & Bar, 3:30 p.m.
Pete Kavanaugh, Park Stage, 5 p.m.
BugHouse All Star Jam, Harbor Light Supper Club & Bar, 7 p.m.
Midwest Assembly & the Gin Strings, Park Stage, 8 p.m. to midnight.
Earth, Wind & Todd, American Legion, 8:30 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 3

Joe Paulik & Jessi Nicholson, Park Stage, 11 a.m.
Bret Berka, Harbor Light Supper Club & Bar, noon
James Moors, Park Stage, 1 p.m.
Billy D, Harbor Light Supper Club & Bar, 3 p.m.
Briand Morrison, Park Stage, 5 p.m.
Michael Monroe, Park Stage, 6:30 p.m.
Ron Occhino, Harbor Light Supper Cloub & Bar, 7 p.m.
Bump & Barbara Jean, Devil Track Resort, 7 p.m.
Pete Kavanaugh, Park Stage, 7:30 p.m.
Sam Miltich Quartet, Park Stage, 9 p.m.
Cook County’s Most Wanted, Gunflint Tavern, 9 p.m.
Briand Morrison, Grand Portage Lodge & Casino, 9 p.m.
Ignore the Girl, Harbor Light Supper Club & Bar, 9 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 4

Pete Kavanaugh, Park Stage, 11 a.m.
Michael Monroe, Park Stage, 1 p.m.
Joe Paulik, Park Stage, 3 p.m.
Cook County’s Most Wanted, Birch Terrace, 3 p.m.
D’Merritt, Harbor Light, 3 p.m.
Briand Morrison, Park Stage, 5 p.m.
Earth, Wind & Todd, Park Stage, 7 p.m.
Bump & Barbara Jean, Devil Track Resort, 7 p.m.
Pete Kavanaugh, Cascade Lodge Pub, 7 p.m.
D’Merritt, American Legion, 8:30 p.m.
The Splinters, Park Stage, 9 p.m. to midnight.
Pistol Whipping Party Penguins, Gunflint Tavern, 9 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 3

The Shriner’s Band, Park Stage, 2 p.m.
Thunder Bay Bagpipers, Park Stage, 2:45 p.m.
Billy D, Birch Terrace Deck, 4 p.m.
Joe, Al & Friends, Gunflint Tavern, 9 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 6

Jim Hall, Gunflint Tavern, 7 p.m.

And now, for some of the photos we’ve found this week.

Summers on the North Shore often include spectacular rainbows. This week was no exception. Adam Harju captured this double beauty the other day.

Double rainbow by Adam Harju.

The sky was really incredible that evening. After the double rainbows, we were treated with beautiful mammatus clouds. Don Davison (www.frozenfingersphotos.blogspot.com/) photographed them right at sunset, below.

Mammatus clouds at sunset by Don Davison.

Here’s another beautiful sky moment, this time by Bryan Hansel (www.bryanhansel.com)

Roll cloud over Grand Marais by Bryan Hansel.

Layne Kennedy (www.laynekennedy.com) caught the tail end of this storm and a lightning bolt.

Lightning over Lake Superior by Layne Kennedy.

Remember our recent northern lights storm? I received this beautiful image from Dennis Chick (www.dennischick.com) recently, taken up the Gunflint Trail.

Northern Lights by Dennis Chick.

Speaking of the Gunflint Trail, Layne Kennedy sent me this photo “stitched” together from seven shots taken from Honeymoon Bluff off the Clearwater Road on the Gunflint Trail. Click on it to see it in its full glory.