Events

This year’s Bentleyville “Tour of Lights” will be held as a drive-thru experience, open Nov. 21 through Dec. 27. | GINNY HAUPERT PHOTOGRAPHY

Nov. 7, Saturday The annual Big Moose Art and Crafts Show in Ely will take place at the Amici’s Event Center from 10 a.m.4 p.m. on Nov. 7. From fine art to the most amazing crafts, this free event is a great time to do some holiday shopping. This year’s vendors include Amy Stahl, Heidi Pinkerton, Field of Dreams Design, Manzanita Metal Works, Amanda Taylor, Dafne Caruso, Northern Stitches, and more. Masks are required of all visitors and vendors, and social distancing guidelines should be followed. There will also be two sanitizing stations on site. To learn more, visit: facebook.com/bigmooseartandcraftsshow.

Nov. 10, Tuesday Held at Split Rock Lighthouse near Two Harbors, this annual event commemorates the sinking of the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald and the loss of her 29 crew members on Nov. 10, 1975. It is also a time to reflect on the memory of all lives lost in Great Lakes shipwrecks. This year, a virtual ceremony will be held on social media platforms, and the beacon will be lit following the ceremony. The video stream of the beacon lighting will be provided by KBJR Duluth. Split Rock Lighthouse’s historic grounds will be closed. Visitors interested in viewing the beacon in person will be required to purchase a state park permit. They will then be able to view the beacon lighting from the shoreline in the state park. The program will be available live on Facebook and available as a recording on YouTube and Facebook. For more info, visit: mnhs.org/splitrock.

Nov. 14, Saturday The Violence Prevention Center in Grand Marais is hosting the 9th Annual LunaFest film festival and fundraiser on Saturday, Nov. 14. LunaFest is a traveling film festival featuring short films made by women, for anyone who cares about universal issues. Due to Covid-19, this year’s event will be virtual, with films beginning at 7 p.m. In addition to the film screening, local musician and business owner Mark Darling will make an appearance on the piano at 6:30 p.m. The event will also feature a week-long virtual silent auction with items donated from businesses across the county. The silent auction will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7 and end at 11:59 p.m. Nov. 14. Tickets to attend LunaFest can be purchased online. For more information, visit: violencepreventioncenter.org.

Nov. 19, Thursday Empty Bowls will once again raise critical funds for the community’s hunger needs with a drive-thru soup event at St. John’s Catholic Church in Grand Marais. Swing by the upper parking lot of the church to pick up a simple soup dinner to heat and enjoy in the safety of your home. The drive-thru will be open for lunch from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. and again for dinner from 5-7 p.m. Guests can pre-order their meal or use the event’s drive-thru service. Empty Bowls will offer one-serving (8 ounces of soup for $9), two-serving (16 ounces for $18), and four-serving (32 ounces for $32) soup supper kits. The soup supper kits will include a dinner roll, oyster crackers, and a sweet per person, in addition to a container of cold soup donated by local restaurants. If desired, guest can add additional containers of soup to their supper kits at $6 per extra 8 ounces. Pre-ordering will be available from Tuesday, Nov. 10 until noon on Wednesday, Nov. 18. The Art Colony will have beautiful handcrafted bowls for sale starting at $10 and there will also be additional treats, certificates, and items for purchase donated by local businesses. All funds raised support the Cook County Food Shelf and other community organizations working to alleviate hunger in Cook County. To learn more or pre-order soup, visit: emptybowlscookcounty.org.

Nov. 20-21 Celebrate the cultures, traditions and history of northern winters around the globe at North House Folk School’s annual Winterer’s Gathering and Arctic Film Festival in Grand Marais. This year’s event will be largely virtual: BYOH (bring your own hygge) as you’re invited to stay safe, cozy up at home and participate from afar. Throughout the month of November, North House will host weekly online film screenings, Q&A sessions with directors, webinars, and skill share videos. Highlights will include the puffins of Greenland, stories of the Alaskan Sami reindeer herders, and fish skin tanning. For folks in the neighborhood, there will be some outdoor, socially distanced events on campus on Nov. 20-21, including an outdoor arctic shorts film festival and the Great Gear Swap. Full schedule and details at northhouse.org.

Nov. 21-22 This year’s Artisan Northwest Fine Art and Craft Show in Thunder Bay will take place virtually, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. both days. It will be the same great show with many members participating, but you can shop from the comfort of your home, no matter what the weather. For more info, find Artisans Northwest on Facebook or visit: artisansnorthwest.ca.

Nov. 21-Dec. 27 The annual Bentleyville “Tour of Lights” walking display in Duluth will be held as a drive-thru experience this year, due to Covid-19. Located in Bayfront Festival Park, enjoy a drive-thru tour under the glow of over 5 million lights in a 20-acre park, situated on the shores of Lake Superior. Held from Nov. 21-Dec. 27, it will be open from 5-9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and from 5-10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Admission is $10 per vehicle, paid at the gate (cash or credit cards accepted); no vehicles over 20 feet in length or 8 feet in height will be permitted. Presale tickets will not be available. Kids 10 and under will receive a free knit hat and cookies from a window-side Santa and Mrs. Claus, and the Bentleyville Gift Shop will be located in The Sports Garden in Canal Park. To learn more, visit: bentleyvilleusa.org.

Nov. 22-Dec. 6 Due to Covid-19, this year’s Holiday Craft Revival in Thunder Bay will take place virtually. The shopping portal will open Sunday, Nov. 22 and will close on Sunday, Dec. 6. Shop from over 150 art and craft vendors, all from Northwestern Ontario. Artists and vendors include Vik Wilen, Gold Sparrow, Superior Mandalas, Indigo Jane, Monique Gouthro, Pulp + Paper, Urban Farmchick, and more. To access the shopping portal, visit: thecraftrevivaltbay.com. More information can also be found at: facebook.com/craftrevivaltbay.