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Chowder Experience 1: The Empty Bowls fundraiser saw over 225 people lined up across campus to experience incredible chowders from local restaurants and bread from North House’s wood-fired oven.
After a smokey start to the week on the North Shore, the skies cleared, and the sun came out to kick off the 26th annual Wooden Boat Show at North House Folk School.
“What a joy it was to see the commons filled with boats and craft demonstrators once again and to have so many friends and neighbors on campus,” said Executive Director Greg Wright, “The boat show is like a big family reunion, and with so many community partners involved this year AND guests from Sweden celebrating their folk school’s 100th anniversary, it was like magic!”
On Friday night, the Grand Marais Lions Club hosted their 11th annual fundraising BBQ. At the same time, North House gave away 400 pieces of free pie made by the Blue Water Cafe—a perfect early-summer evening. The BBQ and pie social followed a talk by Christine Novotny about her travels in Scandinavia studying weaving and fiber traditions and a screening of Matthew Baxley’s new film Rainbows in the Wilderness.
Boat display: The Wooden Boat Show brought handmade boats of all kinds to the North House campus, and the weekend was filled with conversations as folks learned about the boats on display.
Saturday’s Lake Superior Chowder Experience raised $3800 in support of Empty Bowls Cook County, with the line stretching from the Blue Building all the way to Highway 61. “It’s a fantastic partnership with North House,” said Empty Bowls board member Beth Kennedy. “They realized they had a unique opportunity to leverage their iconic event to address an important community need.” Special thanks go to The Angry Trout, Birch Terrace, Bluefin Bay, Blue Water Cafe, Cascade Lodge, Cook County Co-op, Fisherman’s Daughter, Hungry Hippie Tacos, and Lutsen Resort for their donations to the event and the more than 225 people that participated.
Saturday also featured craft demonstrations by guest instructors of the world-renowned craft school, Sätergläntan, located near Lake Siljan in Dalarna County. Beth Moen highlighted traditional Swedish woodworking tools, Johanna Runbäck gave a presentation on Swedish folk dress, Susanna Ayton showed the process of transforming flax into linen, and Johan Säfström demonstrated traditional blacksmithing techniques.
Sätergläntan Visiting: A delegation from Sweden’s Sätergläntan attended the Wooden Boat Show in celebration of their 100th anniversary. The delegation spent over a week in Grand Marais, and enjoyed meeting many local community members during their visit.
The weekend crescendoed with the beloved Solstice Pageant put on by the Good Harbor Hill Players, with new leadership from Olya Wright and Naomi Tracy-Hegg and many local youth participating. This year’s performance included record snowfall, the northern lights, and the amazing summer sun. One audience member exclaimed after the show, “It was so amazing, they were telling my story, and I don’t even know them!” A recording of the performance will be available online soon.
North House also hosted free family crafts throughout the weekend in partnership with the North Woods Fiber Guild, which brought YMCA Camp participants down Friday afternoon and welcomed over 170 kids to create fiber art, as well as origami versions of the Hjørdis, North House’s iconic sailboat.
Sunday morning was the featured speaker, Ted Bell, founder and owner of North Star Canoe, sharing his experience as a designer and paddler.
Lions Club: The Grand Marais Lions Club hosted their 11th annual BBQ fundraiser, which saw community members gather for a perfect summer evening by the harbor. North House also gave away 400 pieces of free pie made by the Blue Water Café. Photo’s courtesy of North House Folk School
“We have come a long way over the years,” reflected Wright, “and it’s been made possible by the work of so many hands— from local businesses and community groups to thousands of volunteer hours and the generosity of many more. It truly takes a community to host a community event.”
Solstice Pageant: Saturday evening brought the return of the beloved Summer Solstice Pageant. The North House campus was packed with spectators of all ages who came to see the inspiring performance put on by the Good Harbor Hill players.
Chowder Experience 2: Those at the Lake Superior Chowder Experience enjoyed a community lunch on the shores of the Grand Marais Harbor, and together raised over $3800 for Empty Bowls Cook County.
Crafting on the Commons: The Wooden Boat Show brought talented artisans of all kinds to the North House campus, and over 170 kids stopped by to try their hand at crafts with the Northwoods Fiber Guild.
Flax Processing: The weekend included many opportunities to experience traditional craft firsthand. Community members tried traditional flax processing, as taught by visiting instructor Susanna Ayton of Sätergläntan.
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