Registration is now open for the Norpine Fat Bike Classic, which will return to Lutsen for its sixth year with events beginning Saturday, January 15, 2022, and culminating with races on Saturday, January 29. Hosted by the Superior Cycling Association, all events are held on the Norpine Cross-Country Trails, which take riders through stands of old-growth cedars on Pisten Bully-groomed... READ MORE >
For the third year in a row, Visit Cook County has asked local business owners and managers to nominate staff members who exemplify extraordinary hospitality service within their organizations. Typically, this award is announced during the annual Fall Gala celebration that Visit Cook County co-hosts with the Cook County Chamber. Unfortunately, the 2021 annual Fall Gala that was scheduled to... READ MORE >
What started off as a playful way to promote social distancing grew to a fundraiser for the community that raised $9,339 in donations. “When we launched the “One Moose Apart” campaign in March, we quickly started hearing feedback from folks that they wanted this image on a t-shirt” said Linda Jurek, Executive Director of Visit Cook County. “We saw this... READ MORE >
The Fisherman’s Picnic in Grand Marais, Minnesota, has been canceled this year. This is a special event which has been held annually the first weekend in August for over 90 years. The only other time Fisherman’s Picnic was canceled in its long history was during World War II. A marquee event weekend, visitors from around the country plan their trip... READ MORE >
Despite COVID-19 shutdowns and a devastating fire, local business owners and residents throughout Cook County look to each other for inspiration, creativity and strength. In the wake of a fire that devastated three prominent businesses in Grand Marais, the communities in Cook County are coming together, staying positive and finding creative ways to keep the area’s tourism industry engaged during... READ MORE >
There’s nothing like watching a great video of a beautiful place; it’s fun, exciting, and educational. Now take that video, add sound, put it on a large, high resolution, interactive touchscreen, and the experience goes from memorable to magical. The Visit Cook County (VCC) Information Center in Grand Marais recently installed a multi-media kiosk offering this magical experience. It features... READ MORE >
Last week at the annual Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference in the Twin Cities, Visit Cook County was brought up by our peers as a model that is working. Being industry leaders, Linda was asked to present on a panel of experts discussing “Creating Impactful Events” to a standing room only room. The secret is out, what we are doing is... READ MORE >
As we roll from the crazy days of summer into the peak weekends for fall colors, we notice a shift in the air and it’s not just the temperature. Time slows down and so do our visitors. While the kids are back in school, the adults will play. From gallery hopping and romantic dinners to wine tasting and leaf looking... READ MORE >
If you have not been to visitcookcounty.com recently, I suggest you take a few minutes to do so. Throughout the summer the Visit Cook County team, led by marketing partners Giant Voices of Duluth, reimagined our website. The process of redesigning a website is both exhilarating and arduous. How do you make something both informative and visually compelling? Our process... READ MORE >
Fifty-three artists spent seven days exploring Cook County in search of the right light and inspirational landscape as part of Grand Marais Art Colony’s Plein Air Grand Marais, an outdoor painting competition. The competition was split into three categories: Main, Quick Paint and Night Paint. In the Main category artists submitted two paintings created ‘en plein air’ within the boundaries... READ MORE >
