Summer Solstice and Wooden Boat Festival 

About

Summer's arrival in the North deserves to be celebrated! The annual Summer Solstice and Wooden Boat Festival at North House Folk School features craft demonstrations, community food events, speakers, kid's activities and of course, wooden boats as we celebrate the summer solstice. 

ON CAMPUS EVENTS

Crafting on the Commons

Witness skilled traditional craft artisans as they join up in community over the weekend to celebrate the process of craft. Demonstrators will be on hand outdoors Friday and Saturday, welcoming your curiosity, questions and interest.

Featured Demonstrations

Our friends will be sharing their skills at special featured demonstrations.

Wooden Boat Display

Wooden boat builders and enthusiasts from across the Midwest are invited to display their crafts on campus throughout the weekend. Admire the work of others, get your questions answered and perhaps feel inspired to build one of your own. 

Family Drop-In Crafts

Bring the whole family down to the Boat Show and drop by the Family Area. We’ll have craft supplies for all ages to join in the fun as we get creative on the theme of boats, water, and fish! Perfect for imaginative folks ages 2-102. We will host a number of short drop-by activities for family small groups on campus.

Speaker Series

Watch, listen, and be inspired by stories and histories that connect craft, livelihood, and survival. Check back soon for speaker updates.

Make More Meaning Auction

Find boats, unique craft, tools, books, and other treasures for sale at our annual auction!

COMMUNITY GATHERINGS

Live Music on Campus

Keep things moving and grooving with live music on the Commons

Community Paddle/Row/Sail on the Harbor! Small Craft Takeover!

Celebrate the longest days of the year on the water with a Small Craft Critical Mass Paddle. Weather permitting, we invite anyone with a boat to join us for a row, paddle or sail on the beautiful waters of the Grand Marais harbor. Portage on down to campus and head out from our docks or use the Rec Park boat launch, with ample parking available. BYO boat, PFDs, and paddles.

Community Contra Dance

North House’s boatbuilding workshop converts into a traditional community contra dance on Friday night, welcoming families for the first hour to learn traditional dances geared towards families with children. All are welcome for the following two hours for the community dance.

Lake Superior Chowder Experience - An Empty Bowls Fundraiser

Get your bowl for the 23rd annual Lake Superior Chowder Experience – a festival highlight that brings chowders of North Shore restaurants for you to taste. Smoked salmon, garden vegetable, classic clam, and poblano-potato, were just a few of the interpretations area restaurants took last year. Combined with freshly baked breads from North House’s wood-fired oven, this is a North Shore culinary event not to be missed. This year's event is a fundraiser for Empty Bowls, fighting hunger in our community.

Summer Solstice Pageant

Enjoy an evening on the harbor enjoying the Summer Solstice Pageant including larger than life puppets.