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In 2020, North House hosted WBS as a virtual only event that engaged tens-of-thousands of participants from around the world.
This year’s hybrid schedule welcomed hundreds of people to campus and thousands more taking part in online offerings ranging from online speakers to digital tours of boats from around the world to a first-ever web-based Boats to Tools Auction.
“Our goal for this year’s Wooden Boat Show was to begin welcoming the public back to campus in a way that emphasized community and felt safe for everyone,” noted Greg Wright, executive director. “We started planning in January and knew some of the largest parts of the event would need to take a year off, but this meant we had room to be creative and try new things.”
Jessa Frost, North House’s program director, said, “We tried our best to make sure the event included both classical elements from the past and new ideas that we knew prioritized outdoor gatherings. Both Friday night’s outdoor sea-shanty performance with John Van Orman and Saturday night’s Small Boat Harbor Takeover, which featured live music out in the middle of the harbor on our schooner, did exactly that.”
North House is building a herring skiff in partnership with the Cook County Historical Society. Josh Tolkan (left) has been leading the community crew on the build and Wooden Boat Show visitors stopped in see the work in progress and learn more about the heritage this project is working to preserve.
“It felt great to see community members helping with the historic fishing skiff project, neighbors volunteering at the welcome table, families weaving and printmaking in the kid’s area; Thanks to everyone who has helped make the Wooden Boat Show such a joyous celebration over the years,” said Wright.
Crafting on The Common: visitors of all ages were treated to traditional craft demonstrations. North House resident Artisan Emily Derke made willow baskets throughout the weekend.
Folk musician and historian John C. Van Orman offered a performance of sea shanties and sailor songs, recalling narratives of countless laborers who have worked on the water, sailors of every kind, and the people with whom they interacted, heroically or not-so-much-so.
Wooden boats were the order of the day, and boat builders from all over the region brought their boats to North House for all to see!
North House Director Greg Wright presented Pilgrim’s Captain Sergey Sinelnik with a North House burgee flag on Saturday afternoon. When asked about the epic sail from Russia that brought them to the Grand Marais Harbor, Sergey summed it up simply by saying, “It’s all about the people.”
Everything from fiber art to wood carving was on display. Dick Enstad offered ropemaking tutorials.
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