Hovland Arts Festival, Lethal Lecture, Music

 

Is this weekend the time to celebrate the 4th of July, or is it next weekend?

Nobody seems exactly sure, but bets are on for this weekend for entertainment and music with next weekend as a follow-up, if what’s on the entertainment calendars is any indication.

For sure, Tofte is going to town with its celebration of this national holiday which falls on a Wednesday this year. We’re telling you a little early, because by the time our next blog posting comes out, it will be July 4.

In Tofte, the celebration kicks off with the 33rd annual Tofte Trek 10K Wilderness Run/Walk on the morning of July 4, (registration starts at 7:30 a.m.) and there will be lots of arts & craft booths and food vendors in “downtown” Tofte later that morning, but there’s lots of cool music, too. The Sensational Hot Rods play on the Main Stage throughout the day and there are other live music events, too. Yabobo Drum Group plays the Fire Hall Stage at 11 a.m. followed by The Cook County High School Band at noon and Johnny Smith from 1:30-2 p.m. And, Eric Frost plays by the lake from noon to 12:45 p.m. The Tofte  4th of July Parade is at 2 p.m.,with fireworks at 10 p.m.

The Grand Marais 4th of July Parade is at 8 p.m. Paul Pederson will play in Harbor Park and there’s an Ice Cream Social at the First Congregational Church from 6-8 p.m. Fireworks over the Grand Marais Harbor begin at dusk.

The Grand Portage Lodge & Casino always puts on spectacular fireworks displays. It’s worth the trip up there just to see them.

So… with the 4th of July out of the way, what do we have coming up for this weekend? There are lots of things to do and see as well as a great selection of live music.

First up is a really fun murder-mystery dinner theatre at the Harbor Light Supper Club & Bar which opens this Thursday and runs for two weekends.

“Lethal Lecture” stars Tina Kraus, Gerry Grant, Kevin Kager, Sarah Stover, Stefanie Mitchell and Jack Nickolay. The play, which is produced by the Grand Marais Playhouse, is bound to be a hit. It includes a three-course dinner, great acting and a chance to help solve the mystery. So bring a friend or two for your table and enjoy this unique entertainment. Shows are Thursday through Sunday, June 28-July 1 and July 5-8. Seating begins at 6 p.m. For reservations and entre choices, call 387-1142.

On Friday, June 29, the Johnson Heritage Post opens a new exhibit with a reception from 5-7 p.m. Entitled “Northern Perspectives: Local Color,” the show features landscape paintings by Joi Electa and photography by  John Gregor and David Grezdens. Electa, who is also a photographer, lives in Finland, Gregor and Grezdens live in Two Harbors.

The exhibit should be enticing, to say the least. All three exhibitors are gifted artists. The show continues through July.The Johnson Heritage Post is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, 1 -4 p.m. Sunday.

Also on Friday, the Grand Portage Lodge & Casino hosts a two-day Retro Rock Revue at the lodge. The Hoolies and Kiss Army Live play on Friday night (music starts at 5 p.m. and goes until 11 p.m.) and Bogie Wonderland, The Zep Show and Smash Mouth play on Saturday. (music starts at 2 p.m.) Famous Dave’s Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que will be available over the weekend, too.

And classical music fans have a chance to learn more about their instruments and/or listen to concerts during the Woodland Chamber Music Workshop at Surfside Resort this week.

The event offers participants a variety of workshops and coaching sessions with professional musicians — The Gichigami Trio (Sam Black (piano), Laurie Bastian (violin) and Josh Aerie (cello.) Flautist Betty Braunstein is also on the faculty for this event.

Three events in the Ballroom at the resort are open to the public — The Artist-Faculty Concert at 7:30 p.m., June 29, followed by a reception; the Open Coaching event, 11 a.m., June 30, and a Gala Concert at 11 a.m.  July 1. For more information, click here.

It’s probably fair to say that the biggest event of the weekend is the Hovland Arts Festival. It will be held at the Hovland Town Hall for  two days, June 30 & July 1 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

This is really an arts festival that you have to see. The participant list is a who’s-who for crafters and artists who live in the Hovland area and beyond, there are lots of  local bands which are scheduled to play and there’s food, too. In past years, Treg Axtell provided herring for fishburgers, which were served at Trinity Lutheran Church. The promos say that food will be served at the church, so keep your fingers crossed. His fishburgers are really delicious.

Here’s the artist list for the festival:

Sandra Updyke, Dan & Lee Ross, Sue Hangge, Lou Pignolet, Todd Hawkinson, Terry Lewis, Terry Spieker, Nancy Kemp, Bruce Updyke, Marcie McIntyre, Michelle Hoy, Karen Cedarmoon, Weslie Steinbrecher, Bob Lohn, Jeff Morgan, Mary MacDonald, Ken Kjarum, Denise Axtell, Corrie Steckelberg and Lucy Kreusel, David Holmes and Roxanne Kjorum.

The entertainment schedule at the Hovland Arts Festival is just as broad:

Saturday:

• 10 a.m.- 11:30 a.m.- Yvonne Mills 
• 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Eric Frost & Friends
• 1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. – Carnvial Meltdown 
• 2:45 p.m. – 4 p.m. – Blueberry JAAM

Sunday:

• 10 a.m – 11:30 a.m.- Old Time Hymn Sing & Gospel Jam w/ Jane Howard & Georgene Daubanton
• Noon – 1 p.m. – Joe Paulik & Friends
• 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Bump & Barbara Jean
• 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Portage 

See you there!

Yvonne Mills will have a busy weekend. She will be in concert at What’s Upstairs (above Betsy Bowen’s Studio) at 7 p.m. Saturday night. The concert “Sweetly Singing II” will also feature  guest musicians. All invited.

Also this weekend, the Cook County Farm & Craft Market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday in the Senior Center parking lot. The market festures a variety of arts & crafts, plants, flowers, vegetables in season, baked goods and more.

The Lake Superior Trading Post will host two authors on Saturday for booksignings. Sandy Holthaus will be in the store from 10 a.m.  until noon with her book: “Sandyisms: Stories, Recipes & More fun from the North Shore.” And William M. Sanderson II will sign his book, “Getting the Wilderness in You”  from 1 – 3 p.m.

On Tuesday, July 3, Drury Lane Books will host the annual Full Moon Music night featuring Eric Hahn and Friends. The music starts at 8 p.m.

And, if you’ve always wanted to try a zip line in the Northwoods, Gunflint Lodge is opening its new Towering Pines Canopy Tour zip line from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 4. Call 800-328-3325 for more information or to reserve a spot.

There’s lots of great music this week too. Here’s the schedule:

Wednesday, June 27

• Eric Frost, Birch Terrace Lounge, 7 p.m.
• Bump Blomberg, Moguls at Caribou Highlands, 7 p.m.
• Bingham & Thorne, Bluefin Grille, Tofte, 9 p.m.

Thursday, June 28

• Paul Pederson, Harbor Light Supper Club & Bar, 8 p.m.

Friday, June 29

• Retro Rock Revue Weekend, Grand Portage Lodge & Casino, bands from 5-11 p.m.
• Pete Kavanaugh, Devil Track Resort Lounge, 7 p.m.
• Michael Monroe, Bluefin Grille, Tofte, 9 p.m.
• Wolf River, Gunflint Tavern , 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, June 30

• Hovland Arts Festival, live music 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Retro Rock Revue Weekend, Grand Portage Lodge & Casino, bands from 2-11 p.m
• Briand Morrison, The Pie Place, 6 p.m.
• Yvonne Mills, What’s Upstairs, 301 1st Ave. W., 7 p.m.
• Michael Monroe, Log Cabin Concert, 7 p.m., 387-2919 for reservations
• Pete Kavanaugh, Devil Track Resort, 7 p.m.
• Bump & Barbara Jean, Cascade Lodge Pub, Lutsen, 7:30 p.m.
• Cook County’s Most Wanted, Harbor Light Supper Club & Bar, 9 p.m.

Sunday, July 1, 

• Billy D, Birch Terrace Lounge, 3 p.m.
• Hovland Arts Festival, live music 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Bump & Barbara Jean, Devil Track Resort, 5 p.m.
• Timmy Haus, Gunflint Tavern, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, July 2

• Bump & Barbara Jean,  Bluefin Grille, 9 p.m.

Tuesday, July 3

• Full Moon Music with Eric Hahn & Friends, Drury Lane Books by the bonfire, 8 p.m.

Wednesday, July 4:

• Tofte’s 4th of July, Sensational Hot Rods, 11 a.m. – noon, 12:30 -1:30 and 4-5 p.m. Other live music throughout the day– see above.
• Bump Blomberg, Moguls at Caribou Highlands, 7 p.m.
• Brett Berka & Friends, Harbor Light Supper Club & Bar, 7 p.m.
• Scott Fraser, Bluefin Grille, 9 p.m.

Here’s a selection of photos we found this week.

 

Here’s another one of John Gregor’s photos that will be in the Johnson Heritage Post show that opens on Friday.

 

Kathleen Gray-Anderson took this iconic photo of the Maple Hill Church on a foggy morning.

 

Here’s an interesting shot.  Betsy Bowen decorated the slab for her new wood-fired brick oven with her handprints.  The oven will be built by students from North House Folk School this weekend in the yard of the Old Playhouse where she has her studio.

 

And last, but not least, here’s a gorgeous photo by Bryan Hansel. It has a sad back-story, though. He said he was kayaking to Tettegouche State Park with a group and planned to picnic on the beach, but recent rains had washed it away. It’s a beautiful shot, anyway, isn’t it?

 

Have fun this weekend. And Happy 4th!