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Blank walls–how boring. What to do?! Art, of course. Where to find it? Ely, of course. Something about this place seems to attract talented artists of all sorts–painters, potters, actors, writers, musicians. So when there’s a blank wall available there is a big choice of artwork to create the color scheme, ambience, and aesthetic pleasure that suits those who will sit gazing at it for a long time (eating a meal, waiting for a clinic appointment) or move past quickly (walking down a hallway,
driving through a parking lot).
Whether it’s murals on exterior walls, sculpture and paintings in galleries, or displays in public buildings, Ely’s public visual art scenes offer residents and visitors an array of styles and subjects few other small towns or big cities could match. Naturally, Ely residents’ homes show off local artists’ photography and paintings on their walls too. And with more galleries per capita than one would expect in a wild northern town known for mining and logging, there are remarkable
Under the Cedars, Wendy Rouse
opportunities for artists to display, sell, and teach about their work. Restaurants and coffee shops enhance their space with local art. Ely Folk School and Northern Lakes Arts Association (NLAA) sponsor classes in a variety of visual arts media including watercolor, ceramics, photography, blacksmithing, and fiber arts. Festivals and bazaars give artists a way to sell their offerings and interact with customers in person.
NLAA’s Creative Artist of the Year Award is one chance for artists who live within 30 miles of Ely to advance their careers. The winner receives a year of studio space in a sunny private location, a generous stipend, a 3-month exhibition of their work at Ely’s Hub, and mentoring from professionals with experience building a career in the arts. The award winner may also be called on to share their talents by teaching workshops. Artists who live farther from Ely, but in
the Arrowhead region, can apply to be the exhibitor at one of the other 3-month Art Shows sponsored by NLAA. This also carries a cash award and workshop presentation, and for anyone more than 30-miles outside of Ely, a 3-day residency with a stipend.
Here’s a look at the art and life of Wendy Rouse, one of this year’s Art Show artists, and Rachel Pace, the winner of the first Creative Artist of the Year Award. Applications are open for future opportunities at the website, northernlakesarts.org.
Wendy and her husband, Tom Benson, chose Ely to be their home in 2006. They refurbished a small house on Shagawa Lake, and Wendy transformed
Self-Portrait, Wendy Rouse
July, Wendy Rouse
an outbuilding into a tiny studio with special spaces perfect for storing her paints and props. Plenty of natural light illuminates her work space, and there’s room for her canine companion, Cayuna. When Wendy gets too engrossed in her
work, Cayuna is there to remind her that they both need exercise and some olfactory stimulation.
It’s unnecessary to say that an Ely artist’s work is inspired by nature, since it’s so much of their surroundings and,
Relic, Wendy Rouse
for many, a significant part of the reason they live here. But each artist has a unique interpretation. Birchbark, flowers, birds, and other natural elements create a sense of magic in Wendy’s art. Incorporating tiny figures into her compositions adds a storybook quality and often, a bit of humor. A common element in her paintings is a mirror or water base that reflects the other components, “to show another angle of what we’re looking at” she states. Many of Wendy’s oil paintings are almost
photographic in their detail, reminiscent of some of the great classics with their dark backgrounds and vibrantly lit foregrounds.
Wendy’s recent Duluth shows have been admired by critics and nearly bought out by customers. She has displays in several galleries across the country. Recently her work was included in the prestigious Arrowhead Regional Biennial show in Duluth and won 2nd place from nearly 100 entries.
Wonder Woman #3, Wendy Rouse
Three Graces, Wendy Rouse
Wendy studied art at a variety of institutes across the country while Tom worked at upscale restaurants wherever she was studying. She has won numerous awards for both individual pieces and her body of work. Before coming to Ely, she and Tom owned a popular coffee shop in San Francisco. Ely is graced with her work at the Hub through the month of December.
Nostalgia #1, Wendy Rouse
Like Wendy, Rachael has a pup to get her outdoors, but as a former Outward Bound instructor whose art encompasses the natural world, she is well motivated all on her own. Always flirting with her creativity, she has pursued her art seriously since she left wilderness guide work to live in Ely. Rachael is an artist primarily focused on printmaking. Most of her current work is relief printing on linoleum, but she has been enjoying experimenting with wood carving and etching. She enjoys creativity in many forms and also dabbles in digital art and painting.
The challenge she finds in prints is that she can’t be sure how the final product will turn out until she lifts the inked block from the paper, textile, or whatever surface she is transferring the design to. She says “It’s a practice in letting go, which has been important for me as a recovering perfectionist.”
Blending her approach to expeditions with her striving for a life as an artist, she says, “When you’re on a long expedition, you learn to push through—weather, exhaustion, discomfort. Art has a similar rhythm. There’s always a messy middle, but you trust the process. You keep going.”
If you’d like to take a class in printmaking from Rachael, check the Ely Folk School website. She’ll be teaching workshops for both adults and kids. In the past year she has taught how to carve a lino block, printing on fabric, making prints with found objects such as leaves and textured glassware, and making holiday cards with her tabletop press.
“I want my work to help people notice the small details—the beauty of a bird in flight, the changing colors of a bunchberry leaf. Those moments of connection can shift how we see the world.”
Art & Soul Gallery
427 E Sheridan Street
Brainstorm Bakery
402 E Sheridan Street
The Brandenburg Gallery 11 E Sheridan Street
Ely Historic State Theater
238 E Sheridan Street
Fernberg Art Gallery
2267 Fernberg Road
Firefly Vintage
230 E Sheridan Street Gallery Ali
6 E Sheridan Street
Kekekabic Studio
118 E Chapman Street
The Meadows 15 E Sheridan Street
Mealey’s Gift Shop
124 N Central Avenue
Ornamental Hermit Studio 132 N 1st Avenue E, by appt
Three Jewels Pottery
206 E Sheridan Street ORGANIZATIONS
The Art Corner
301 W Sheridan Street
Ely Art Walk ElyArtWalk.org
Ely Photographic Collaborative Find it on Facebook
Ely Folk School
209 E Sheridan Street
Gardner Humanities Trust
GardnerTrust.org
Northern Lakes Arts Assn. NorthernLakesArts.org
Tofte Lake Center TofteLake.org
Consie Powell ConsiePowell.com
Chris Koivisto Ceramics ElyArt.com
Eric Sherman Photography EricShermanImages.com
Dafne Caruso Arts DafneCaruso.com
Larry Ricker Photography LHRimages.com
Holly Meeker Rom
HollyMeekerRom.com
Nancy Scheibe Nancy Scheibe.com
Rachael Pace Rachael-Pace.com
WendyRouse WendyRouse.com
“North Country” by
Holly Meeker Rom, Art & Soul Gallery
Iskigamizige Giizis
Maple Sap Boiling Moon
By Ryan Bajan
Mewinzha, long ago, when the crust formed on the snow in the late winter, the Anishinaabeg every year left their winter camps and headed for higher elevation forests to the Iskigamizigan Gabeshewin, sugar camp. Taught by Nanaboozho how to turn the
sap into sugar by boiling it down, Anishinaabeg people have tapped maple trees for over 1000 years, well before the migration. The Ininitig, the sugar maple, warms up when the day temps are above freezing and night temps below freezing, sending sap up from the roots into the
tree. It is at this time when the tree may be tapped for its sap. Several ways were used for gathering sap. A sharpened stone made a v-shaped cut into the tree, releasing the sap, and other methods included a cedar wedge pressed into the tree for the sap to run off into a birchbark bucket. This harvest continued until the night time temperatures consistently rose above freezing, all the snow melted, and the flies and moths hatched.
Not much has changed today in this northern climate spring harvest. Maple sap is as much a significant economy now as it was during the time of the European arrival. Now maple sap is turned into syrup, due to advances in bottling technology and the invention of the pancake. Then, maple sap was
strictly turned into sugar, stored for the year and used in the regular diet as well as heavily traded across neighboring regions for other goods.
The Anishinaabeg have five major harvests: Maple sap, netting fish, berry camp, wild rice, and moose or deer camp. Maple sap was one of the most significant of the harvests as winters were often challenging, long, and left community members starved for nutrition. A poor wild rice year and sparse hunting could lead to starvation by the end of winter. Maple sap contains high levels of calcium, riboflavin, manganese, thiamin, copper and potassium. It is full of polyphenols, amino acids, complex carbohydrates, organic acids, and when processed is a
This maple forest at Nett Lake has many trees that are 10-18” in diameter, large enough for one tap.
low glycemic sugar. All of this nutrition helped revive a village each spring, along with the activity of leaving the winter camp and going somewhere else for a while. Imagine being cooped up with your family in a birchbark house for three months!
In our communities, Iskigamizige Giizis is still a valued tradition and harvest. We call it Sugar Bush, or heading to the Sugar Shack. Trees are tapped using modern collection techniques such as power drills, metal spiles, plastic bags or vacuum tubing. Sap is boiled for the production of maple syrup, using cauldrons or evaporator systems. Technology has even progressed to create an optional process that reduces the water content through reverse osmosis.
Up north in Nett Lake, my students at Nett Lake School work a sugar maple
stand that has never been logged and has been tapped for centuries. Each spring we take an inventory of our supplies, using plastic bag collection and metal spiles. Students pull the sap back to the school in buckets inside a wagon and boil it over an outdoor fire.
Making maple sugar follows the same boiling process as making syrup. At about 219 degrees Fahrenheit, the sap achieves stability and can be bottled as syrup. Higher heating, done carefully using a candy thermometer, brings the substance closer to full crystallization. Soft sugar candy is achieved at about 238 degrees, and dry granulated sugar crystal at 260 degrees. Before the thermometer, sugar and candy were created from the adults’ experience with understanding the consistency at different temperatures.
Once the harvest is complete, we
First drill a small hole in a maple tree.
gently tap in the spile.
Hang a bag or bucket to collect the sap.
Collect the sap in larger buckets to carry to the boiling pot.
Boil and stir until it becomes thick enough.
Enjoy syrup on your pancakes or in other ways all year.
hold a feast with families and give away much of the syrup after eating a community meal. We occasionally make candy and sugar, and sometimes use traditional collection techniques. Like our other harvests, understanding the ways our land provides for us, heals us, and helps us to be healthy is essential as we seek to be good stewards in a reciprocal relationship with the land.
There are many resources for learning about this springtime harvest, online and locally. While sugar maples have the highest amount, any maple tree will have high levels of sucrose in the sap, as well as Birch trees. Maple sap can be consumed right from the tree; we often drink a few cups during the tapping process and youth love the ice that forms by the spiles. I am often asked if tapping is harmful to the trees. Tapping maple trees does not hurt them, if done properly and the tree is not too small. Spiles must be removed each year in order for the tree to heal back properly. Supplies for sugar bush can be found at local hardware stores and online. There will be more instruction and hands-on learning offered this spring at the Ely Folk School.
Maple sugar
More About Making Maple Syrup
Syruping isn’t difficult and doesn’t require a lot of complicated equipment, but there are a few things to think about. There is the timing: freezing nights, warmer days. That’s unpredictable, so you can’t select a vacation time around the kids’ spring break and say that’s when you’ll go to the North Shore and camp out in a sugar maple forest and collect sap. If you have maple trees in your yard or nearby, that solves that issue. Otherwise you have to be ready to go when the weather is right. Sometimes that lasts for days, sometimes weeks, and sometimes it’s on and off for a month or longer.
How you will boil the sap is important. Novices have removed the wallpaper in their houses doing this indoors. You can finish off the last bit in your kitchen, but the bulk needs to be done outdoors or in an open shed.
Why can’t you make it easier by accepting thinner syrup and save some of that boiling? The answer is you can, but you’d need to freeze the resulting product and it won’t keep as long. Syrup needs to be 67% sugar for preservation. Otherwise bacteria and molds can grow in it even if it’s hot packed. And who wants runny syrup on their pancakes?!
CAMP VOYAGEUR
A camp for boys 10-18 with water and land sports plus wilderness canoe trips. Guided trips for girls. Located at the edge of the Boundary Waters. 800-950-7291, www.campvoyageur.com
Sugar concentration in syrup is measured in Brix with 1 Brix equal to about 1% sugar. For commercial maple syrup operations, there are strict standards of between 66 and 68 Brix to ensure the product’s shelf life and quality. Many different tree species can provide sap for syrup. Each has a distinctive flavor. Sugar content varies from species to species, from beginning to end of the season, from place to place, and even in the same tree at different times of day. The lower the sugar content, the longer the evaporating process. Here are some rough figures for the sap of common local trees:
Species % sugar
in gallons
120
Aspen <1
120+ Basswood “very low” lots
If you’re thinking of delicious syrup for pancakes, you could be disappointed with syrup from other species. Paper birch has a strong tangy flavor and is a dark color, but makes a tasty glaze on a savory dish. Yellow birch syrup is caramel flavored. Basswood has a floral flavor and more sediment due to more minerals. But the sap from all these trees makes a refreshing and healthful spring tonic. Foragers collect the sap and refrigerate it to use like juice. You can also make birch beer by adding a sweetener to the sap, stirring in some birch twigs to infuse a touch of wintergreen, floating yeast on a piece of bread, and allowing it all to ferment for a few days–good instructions on YouTube.
Different batches of syrup have different colors and amounts of sediment.
The big silver maples in Ely used to be tapped by residents. The city has now disallowed any tree tapping because the old trees are being taken down and replaced with young trees that are too small to tap without causing damage. Be sure you have permission or permits to tap the trees you choose. National and State forests require permits that are $20-25 for personal use, available online.
Here’s an interesting fact about spring sap: Hummingbirds often migrate with sapsuckers and arrive before flowers bloom and provide nectar for nourishment. The hummingbirds drink the sap that flows where the sapsuckers drill holes. The sapsuckers don’t drink the sap, but feed on the insects that are attracted to it.
Hand Feeding Birds
The post-Christmas funk had set in. Too many cookies, not enough exercise, plenty of sitting around watching the Elf’s naiveté, the Grinch’s transformation, and Miss Piggy’s whimpering. Time for a change. Bundle up, go outdoors, find an adventure.
The kids, still feeling lazy, clambered out of the car and into the Fall Lake
parking lot, grudgingly agreeing to a walk along the shore. Passing by a little patch of aspen, they noticed a decidedly large flock of chickadees. The tiny birds seemed happy to see them, flying in close and darting away. Suddenly one landed on the astonished little boy’s furry hat. Surprise! It seemed to be looking for something. How curious! What’s going on?
Bird photos by Steve Wilson and Chuck Neil
Part of the flock followed the family as they crunched along the icy rocks on shore. Their cheerful chirping was an enjoyable accompaniment to the kids’ snowball tossing. As the family returned to their car, another group of people pulled in. These folks jumped out of their vehicle, hauling a pail with them that immediately attracted the chickadees. Sunflower seeds! The people scooped up seeds in their mittened hands and birds landed on their hats, shoulders, and mitts to grab seeds and fly off to a tree branch. Obviously they had done this before.
The family returned every day during their holiday visit, bringing seeds and enjoying the nearness and trust of these
bold wild creatures. They came to recognize individual birds by their behavior or appearance. Some were a bit timid, others especially eager. Some were well groomed, others a bit scruffy. Some were talkative and others quiet. Some took the seed and flew away while others ate in place. This was a remarkable experience, but it came with questions. Was the birds’ tame behavior due to their hunger? Would other species eat from their hands too? How did this start?
Ely Field Naturalists (EFN) provided some answers. Other people were feeding birds by hand too. And one person was especially prolific in his posts. Steve Wilson in Isabella is a
dedicated birdfeeder—literally. Birds land on him as if he were a gourmet restaurant for all things avian. He entices them with especially tasty and nutritious meals— not just the run-of-the-mill seed and suet most backyard feeders offer. Specially ordered meal worms in mid-winter must be as appealing to birds as garden-grown tomatoes would be to humans. And a whole deer rib cage offers a feast to the larger jays and ravens, along with the occasional pine marten. But the real treat
for EFN readers is Steve’s sense of humor as he lets others know of his avian encounters.
This post was from April when the earliest returning migratory birds are undoubtedly hungry from their long flight and the limited food supply in the north woods in early spring, especially for insect-eating warblers:
This male pine warbler is in its second or third year occupying this territory and feeding from my hand. It’s so accustomed to being hand fed that if I let the mealworms run out, it will often move over to the corner of the feeder closest to the window and stare in at me, waiting for my hand to come out with more. Once it does, he jumps onboard without hesitation and can consume as many as the three or four in my hand…
At one point today I was about to put out a few suet/mealworm pellets, which they’ll also sometimes eat, when he landed on the near corner of the feeder. I opened the window and extended my hand, thinking he might be interested in adding a little variety to his diet. He wasn’t. Instead, he stepped forward and started vigorously pecking at my fingertips, moving back and forth between the fingers, then briefly paused and looked at me before renewing his attack. I withdrew my hand and reextended it, this time with mealworms, and he hopped on as if nothing had happened and enjoyed a meal. I had no idea that warblers are capable of throwing a hissy-fit.
How many species that live around here would accept food from human hands? Turns out a whole lot! Here’s Steve again –
Today this chipping sparrow (and perhaps its mate) took mealworms from my hand, making it the 15th species I’ve been able to feed by hand. It’s feeding young because it carted off as many as five mealworms at a time, a feat I wouldn’t have thought possible given their relatively small bill.
More on the chipping sparrows (and Steve’s pulling of our legs):
For a time three different adult chipping sparrows were visiting our feeder, although only one at a time. On one occasion, though, two adults came in and tussled over a mealworm that the one on my hand had in its bill. The interloper won out and immediately downed the mealworm. The loudly-
begging fledgling in the background didn’t get squat.
After I posted the chipping sparrow photos and vignette, I was contacted by a Disney executive interested in turning it into a film project. Their only hesitation was the ending; apparently child abandonment is not “on brand” for them. So today I called in the principal actors, offered a huge mealworm bonus, and reshot the ending with a more “happilyever-after” vibe and sent it off. Disney is ecstatic, and is planning for a Christmas 2026 opening date.
We’ll watch for that, Steve.
Another Ely Field Naturalists member who hand feeds birds is Chuck Neil in Embarrass. He reports feeding blackcapped chickadees, Canada jays, and
Some people have dogs to clean off their dinner plates. Steve has birds.
red-breasted nuthatches by hand. His experience has been that chickadees are easiest to get to eat from his hand. Canada jays are next easiest to entice, and once they know him they are BFFs. They recognize individual humans so don’t come readily to someone who is unfamiliar. It’s harder to earn the trust of the nuthatches, but once they become accustomed to eating from his hand, they act like they own him, following him around and chasing other birds away.
Identifying individual birds can be a challenge, but spending time with them makes it easier. Chuck recognizes a male Canada jay who has been eating from his hand for ten years. The bird has some tiny white feathers at the nape of his neck that remain through molts, making his easy to identify. From Chuck:
I know he's a male due to his coming nearly every day during nesting season when the female stops coming. When she does return for food from my hand (usually about mid-April) it will be another couple weeks or so before the fledged young can be heard in the woods around the premises. Eventually they'll
Soon to be a major motion picture
come close to our feeders with the adults. The young (most often three) are quite hesitant at first and it takes a week or two of watching their parents come to my hand before they'll do so. This allows me to watch them establish a pecking order as they beg and get food from their parents. Eventually all the young will come to my hand. The current female replaced the old male's former mate four years ago.
Being able to ID birds as individuals provides interesting info about the species and sometimes an emotional attachment. If it wasn't illegal, I'd put color coded leg bands on [birds] that have been coming to my hand over the decades to better understand their behavior and get to know them as individuals.
There’s a light-hearted sense of competition between Chuck and Steve, who have been friends for several decades. Chuck brags that even though he has only three birds on his list of hand feeding, all his encounters were “Full Frontal.” Steve entices his birds with one hand sticking out from his “big, beautiful
blind,” a lovely two-story home on a remote lake near Isabella. Steve does some deer hunting on Chuck’s property and says “He has the chickadees so well trained that they follow him around, and me too when I’m there, expecting to get the same treatment. I don’t mind, even when they land on the barrel of my rifle and scold me when I’m hunting.”
One year, Steve and his wife, Mary, were approached by a male spruce grouse who seemed to want more than a meal. Courtship for this fellow was not just a dinner date. He became pretty pushy about it, so Steve brought out a potential partner who apparently was attractive enough to encourage the male’s advances even though she was
After 8 minutes, dared to snag a bite
Steve’s list of species:
Black-capped chickadee
Boreal chickadee
Red-breasted nuthatch
Gray jay (easiest)
Blue jay (hardest)
Pine grosbeak
Evening grosbeak
Common redpoll
Pine siskin
American goldfinch
Purple finch
Dark-eyed junco
Chipping sparrow
Pine warbler
Yellow-rumped warbler
Chuck’s gray jay on a wet day–friends for 10 years so far
Mary serves as chaperone as this spruce grouse hopefully woos a stuffy female.
rather stuffy and quite passive in her flirtations. He put on his best show for her, but she was unmoved so he turned his affection to Mary. But in spite of his persistence, Mary remained faithful to Steve, helping him get some unusual and humorous photos.
You can join the Ely Field Naturalists Google Group to see posts about interesting Ely area sitings, ask questions about what you see, and help keep track of northern Minnesota phenology. Their resource office above NAPA is often open on Saturday mornings.
gone.
This children’s book by a local author and local illustrator has a charming story for children as well as good step-by-step instructions for starting a birdfeeding by hand hobby .
Steve needs someone else to take on his role as birdfeeder when he’s
Steve and purple finches
Basswood Cabin and Ely Icon
Article and photos by Ely-Winton Historical Society and Ely Heritage Preservation Committee
For almost fifty years, a log cabin from Basswood Lake has served as home to Ely’s Chamber of Commerce. With the upcoming move of the Chamber to the Ely Trailhead Building, what will be the next chapter for this historic log building?
Originally, the building served as a bunkhouse for the employees of the Wilderness Research Foundation and was located on Basswood Lake. Its
history goes back to the year 1938 when it was built by a crew of skilled Finnish lumberjacks who shaped and painstakingly fitted the logs with axes.
When this part of the Northwoods was legislated into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA), all commercial establishments within its boundaries were required to be removed. In the winter of 1975-76, most of the buildings from the Wilderness Research Foundation were dismantled and moved to Mukluk Bay on Fall Lake. Mr. Frank B. Hubachek, Sr., founder of the Foundation, donated the former
bunkhouse to the City of Ely with the stipulation that it be used as the Tour Travel Center and that the City repair and maintain the building.
It fell to the City of Ely’s Bicentennial Commission to turn the bunkhouse into the Travel Center and home to the Chamber. The work was immense and included leasing of land from the State of MN at the site known as the “triangle” at the junction of Highways 169 and 1. This was an ideal location to meet travelers’
needs. It offered excellent visibility for the Chamber offices, was easily accessible, and provided an iconic identity for Ely’s northwoods presence.
For many years, the Chamber had been housed in the Community Center in downtown Ely, which lacked parking, especially for large RVs that did better with a pull-through situation. Relocating the Basswood cabin had community support because Ely had become increasingly dependent on a tourist-
oriented economy with the loss of mining, timber, and wilderness resort businesses.
The resort culture had earned Ely the reputation as “The Playground of a Nation.” It was a labor of love for Ely to haul the dismantled bunkhouse across frozen Basswood Lake, Four Mile Portage, Fall Lake, through Winton to its new home in Ely, and then to preserve the cabin that for so long had been a part of the resorts and livelihoods on Basswood Lake.
Actual reconstruction of the bunkhouse was undertaken by community volunteers and local businesses who all generously donated time, money, and materials to make the project possible. The bunkhouse is a magnificent building measuring approximately 41’ x 22’ and fashioned
from huge poplar trees. The bottom logs run the entire length of the building. The foundation and basement were not part of the original building but were added to better serve as a tourist facility for meetings and for storage space.
On July 2, 1978, the new Chamber Office was officially dedicated. The dedication plaque reads “In Recognition of Frank B. Hubachek, Donor of the Log Building, the Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board, Mayor J. P. Grahek, Ely City Council, Ely-Vermilion Bicentennial Commission, and the many other individuals and groups who have donated time, money, materials, and skills to make this facility a significant Bicentennial contribution to the Ely community.”
The cabin became something of an interpretive center with wildlife displays
The Hubacheck cabin, relocated, restored, and set on its new foundation
and artifacts housed there until the ElyWinton History Museum had space in the new Fine Arts Building at the college in 1981. For some time the U.S. Forest Service issued Boundary Waters permits from the cabin, too.
The Chamber of Commerce had its start in 1908 as the Business Men’s Association with annual membership dues of $2.00. Major concerns centered around retail, trade, industrial development, taxes, roads, and public health. The Ely Commercial Club was formed in 1916 by a group of 400 citizens. Its basic programs have evolved into the Chamber services we see today. The Chamber of Commerce was created in 1959.
A great deal of history has passed through Ely since the first immigrants settled here in 1885. The city was incorporated in 1889 and named after Samuel P. Ely, a mining official from Michigan. Through all the years, the Ely area has been recognized as unique, and
one of the most beautiful outdoor vacation spots in the world.
For almost fifty years, the Basswood Lake bunkhouse cabin has been a part of the community. It has served as the tourist information center, Ely Chamber of Commerce office, and also as an iconic reminder of our connection to our heritage. A few months after its dedication, Mayor J.P. Grahek wrote a statement “To Whom It May Concern” addressing the value of the cabin as a historic treasure. “It is an excellent structure built in the most painstaking manner, which clearly distinguishes it from the average log structure...The building’s historic significance (a work of art constructed by axmen of the days when Ely was a logging center) was of considerable value to the City of Ely.” The letter goes on to say “Certainly, having this building in its present condition, rather than some building erected anew...is a much more attractive and valuable alternative... I do not hesitate to say that this building will stand as a landmark for many years to come.”
Dr. Grahek’s insightful words can be remembered as we look towards the future and consider how the bunkhouse can help Ely remain the “Gateway to the Playground of a Nation.”
Ely Update
The Chapman Street Commons, a pocket park in downtown, changed its name to Puddle Jumper Park after the addition of a uniquely Ely piece of playground equipment. Kids can clamber around on a replica of the U.S. Forest Service floatplanes, de Havailland Beavers, and pretend to be pilots carrying researchers to check on collared wolves, or dropping water on a forest fire, or flying in to rescue an injured camper.
Created by Brad Pearse of OzFab, an Ely metal fabrication and welding business, the plane is one-of-a-kind. Brad was commissioned by the Ott family, who have invested in many Ely projects including the restoration of Ely State Theater and who own the former James Drug building next to the park. The Otts wanted something that would
reflect the history of Ely and came up with the idea of the plane as an iconic part of Ely’s past and present. Brad had the challenge of making this idea a physical reality–not an easy task since he couldn’t just Google “how to make a Beaver half-size replica” and find a pattern. He spent time at the Forest Service hangar, measuring the real planes and talking to the pilots. Over the winter he slowly built the plane, piece by piece, working on a section then standing back to stare at it for a while before starting on the next piece. The result is amazing and has already provided plenty of photo opportunities for visiting families and locals as well.
The 80-foot mural by Dan Espeseth is much more than background. Dan lives in Minneapolis, but has created murals across the U.S. He says of this
work that it’s a “landmark that highlights the beauty of the area.”
Speaking of the Ott family, the former Ely Train Depot is being renovated under their management into an event center with restaurant, bar, and entertainment area. But before that could happen, the north side of the site needed extensive treatment to remove toxic waste that had infiltrated the land during industrial use in past decades. Other historic Ely properties that have deteriorated and are
being refurbished include the former Community Center, a striking 1930s artdeco style building that will become a boutique hotel. Along with the building renovation will come the demolition of the old Ford garage on Conan St. to serve as parking space for the hotel. Currently serving as home to a large flock of pigeons, the caved-in garage is no doubt lovely to its avian residents, but an eyesore and perhaps even a hazard for humans. The old bowling alley may also be getting a new life. Check out our summer edition in 2026 for more details on these and other projects that will make Ely an even better community. Another former garage seeing fresh life has become the new Ely Community Center. Known as the Senior Center for the past several decades, it had been the site of activities mostly tailored to senior citizens, but with the transformation of the former community center building into a hotel, this building has seen increasing demand to serve the larger community. Bazaars, clubs, and service organizations have held meetings and events in the space, so the board in charge of the building took the initiative to rename and renovate. Fresh paint, kitchen amendments, an added snack bar, and rearranged furniture have made it better suited to a variety of community functions. It’s also prettier with floral murals outside and art and attractive panels inside that educate visitors on the history of the building.
Local artists’ work is displayed in the refurbished lobby of the Ely Community Center.
Ely has won many awards and been named “The Best” of many things including small towns in America, outdoor lifestyles, fishing destinations, and places to retire (not quite the top winner due to snow and cold in the winter). But few people would have guessed that Ely would sink the competition to bathe in the glory of winning the Best Restroom in America. Not hampered by a crappy location, Bearhead Lake State Park was showered with praise for its restroom’s design, cleanliness, stunning setting, full ADA compliance, and for being flush with amenities for campers, such as outdoor sinks for
dishwashing.
This annual award, made by Cintas, a company that provides cleaning services and supplies nationwide, plunges Bearhead into America’s Best Restroom Hall of Fame. Cintas also provides the winner with cleaning service and $2500 in supplies.
The Bearhead restroom wiped out competition from New York City, San Diego, Orlando, and six other spots. It’s worth a visit to the park just to claim you sat on the throne, but you’ll have to wait until next spring as this restroom is closed for the winter. The park remains open and is a perfect place for winter activities.
This colorful flower mural decorates the outside wall of the Ely Community Center.
Ely has two new places to help you avoid preparing meals at home when your day makes that feel like drudgery. You can find wake-me-up nutrition and flavor with an early (whatever that is for you) morning stop at Palm & Pine, the new juice bar at the Hub. You’ll have a choice of colorful smoothies made from fresh organic fruits and vegetables and sweetened only with healthy low glycemic ingredients like monk fruit and Xylitol. Add an order of avocado toast or a burrito and you have a complete hearthealthy breakfast. A boost can rev up your immune system or supplement with some much-needed grams of protein. And make it special with a bakery treat. All the food is gluten-free, vegan, organic, and far more delicious than you might associate with those labels. Eat there in the presence of the month’s local artist exhibit or take it along in a compostable container.
Palm & Pine owner, Justine, had dreamed of opening her own juice bar in
Ely for years. When the opportunity came along to open one next to a gym called Functional Fitness, she knew it was meant to be. She had often referred to the food she makes as functional food, so the serendipity of the names was the final nudge. Watermelon Wednesday is a great time to go by if you are hankering for a taste of summer. So convenient right off the Trezona Trail, it’s perfect for stopping in for a post-workout hydrating glass of fresh-pressed juice.
On Chapman Street, the former Mitska’s Market and Organic Roots has been taken over by gourmet chefs Chris and Tad of Boundary Waters Catering. They have offered some of the most delectable and eye-pleasing buffets ever seen in Ely, including the 2025 ECR Art Auction that everyone raved about. They also won the Best Soup in Ely award. Now, having their own space for retail and dining, they offer much more as Boundary Waters Kitchen and Market. Specialty groceries include a wide variety
The former railroad yard turned industrial dump has been cleaned up and beautified, soon to become an event center.
of gluten-free packaged foods; fresh organic fruits and vegetables; gourmet sauces, sweets, and snacks; and healthful beverages from kombuchas to soft drinks. Boundary Waters Catering still offers meals or appetizer and dessert catering options brought to your home or wherever you are entertaining guests. And Boundary Waters Kitchen prepares grab-and-go salads and other lunch items as well as take-and-bake meals. But there’s no need to leave the premises if you’re hungry. Enjoy seating in the sunny, quiet dining area, a perfect spot for conversation or journal writing or just watching Chapman Street’s passersby.
You can see photos of both new restaurants’ offerings at their Instagram and Facebook pages and learn more about the owners and their entrepreneurial spirit. You might want to check those out during their open hours, though, because the menu items are so irresistable, you’ll want to taste them immediately.
Palm & Pine Juice Bar
Fresh pressed juice at Palm & Pine
Grab and Go at Boundary Waters Market
Boundary Waters Kitchen–winners of Best Soup in Ely 2025
Juice Bar
Ely Dining Guide
Call (Area Code is 218) or check websites and FB pages for hours and menus. Price ranges are for a meal. C: children’s menu, V: vegetarian meals, # is location on the maps, page 70.
Boundary Waters Market
Conveniently located downtown, you can pick up tasty wraps, healthy salads, bowls, or box lunches to go or eat in the sunny dining area. Specialty groceries, including fresh organic produce. Their catering provides food as lovely to look at as it is delicious to eat. 141 E. Chapman, 994-2882, $15-25, V #31
Brainstorm Bakery
Did you have a crappy morning? If not yet, stop in and add some healthy fiber to your diet with locally made granola, yogurt parfaits, smoothies, fairtrade coffee, and fresh-baked treats. Pumpkin rolls make a fancy holiday dessert. Granola and Tshirts for gifts are in pun-filled packaging. 402 E. Sheridan, 235-6161 $5-9 V #35
The Boathouse Ely’s downtown brewery serves seasonal brews and tasty food in the family dining room or bar. Walleye, burgers, duck wings, and the best-topped pizzas in town. Beer in growlers. Sports on big TVs. Full bar. 47 E Sheridan St., 365-4301 $11-17, C V
Britton’s Café Breakfast served all day with some unique menu items and hearty servings. Lunch with specials and burgers. Hours for winter are uncertain as of this printing. Catering in classic Ely style food–plentiful and delicious home cooking. 5 E. Chapman, 365-3195 $9-18 CV
Domino’s Ely’s late-night option, you can eat in, pick up, or get delivery until 1am every day. Of course there’s pizza, but also salads, sweets, and many appetizer choices. Find coupons there and at Dominos.com. 32 E Sheridan St, 235-6262 $6-26 V
Frisky Otter Serving hearty breakfasts this winter Fri-Sun. Italian specialties for hungry diners, salmon and walleye, steaks. A variety of martinis unlike anywhere else. Large screen TV for sports. Open year round. 302 E Sheridan, 235-6266 $10-50. C V
Dairy Queen Treat the family to a burger and fries or healthier offerings like the fish sandwich or salads. Ely’s DQ has a huge variety of Blizzard flavors, delicious meals to eat in or take out, a drive-through for convenient service, kids meals, and ice cream cakes custom made for special occasions or available ready-made in the freezer. 1441 E. Sheridan, 365-5101 $10-20 C V #46
Evergreen
Restaurant & Antlers Lounge at Grand Ely Lodge. Extensive dinner menu, b’fast and lunch specials, appetizer specials during Vikings games. Pasta specialties, salads, walleye, and steaks. Open every day, often with holiday special buffets. Reservations advised for large groups or busy evenings. 400 N Pioneer Rd. 365-6875 for reservations. $10-31 C V #37
Insula This popular dining spot serves many locally-sourced and organic ingredients in the New American cuisine. Daily featured pasta special, market catch, and butcher’s cut. Best mac and cheese ever. Specialty cocktails, beer, and wine. Open Tues-Sat.145 E. Sheridan St, 365-4855 $11-40 C V #20
The Happy Wanderer
Northern Grounds
Popular coffee and wine bar with light food, snacks, and fresh housemade muffins and other baked goods. Charcuterie, quiche, soup, and assorted fine cheeses, cold cuts, olives, and more. Largest bythe-glass wine selection in Ely. Cocktails on tap. 2 W. Sheridan St. 365-6162 $10-14 V #6
If you are heading toward Isabella or the North Shore, get a taste of local northwoods bar ambience and hear what fish are biting and how thick the ice is. Snowmobilers welcome. Pizza, pasties, and polish. 10502 Hwy 1, 404-3312 $7-16
Lazy Loon 5 minutes from town at Silver Rapids Lodge overlooking White Iron Lake and conveniently located on the Tomahawk snowmobile trail. Sandwiches, wings, fish and chips. Full bar. New Years Eve party with music and dancing. 459 Kawishiwi Trail. 365-4877 $18-20 C V
Ely’s Bars
Peanuts, Pizza, & More
Dee’s Bar - 17 E. Sheridan
Antlers Lounge- 400 N. Pioneer
Kwazy Wabbit - 11 N. Central
Samz Place - 1203 Old Winton Rd.
Silver Rapids Lodge - 450 Kawishiwi Tr.
Zaverl’s Bar - 509 E. Sheridan
Grab Something Quick
Grab Something Quick
Most of Ely’s restaurants have to-go options, some ready to grab out of their coolers. In addition you can get a quick snack or a full meal here:
Ely State Theater - 238 E Sheridan
Log Cabin Coffee - 1340 E. Sheridan
Subway -1520 E Sheridan
Zup’s Deli - 1500 E. Sheridan
Oriental Orchid
Hungry?
Ely Area Food Shelf 15 W. Conan St.
Open 3rd Wednesday 11-5 and following Saturday 8-11 (call for emergency)
Have Plenty?
Donate food in bins at Zup’s, Ely Library, and the Catholic Church. Donate dollars - at the website or PO Box 786
Volunteer time-call or email to sign up ElyAreaFoodShelf.com 218-235-8527
info@ElyAreaFoodShelf.org
Due to SNAP reductions and other economic stresses, some Ely children are going hungry. Please help!
Warm up with a selection from more than 100 authentic Vietnamese and Chinese menu items. Call ahead for faster service. Eat in or take out. Weekday lunch specials and dinner combinations. 506 E. Sheridan St, 365-7502 $11-$21 V
Palm & Pine Juice Bar
You’ll think you’re in a big city when you stop by The Hub and get breakfast or lunch at the juice bar. Gluten-free, vegan, mostly organic ingredients. With such nutrition-packed food, you might think flavor will be sacrificed. But no!! It’s all delicious! Hot drinks, chili, and soups for warmth after a winter walk. Yummy and immunity-building smoothies to chase away those winter viruses. At the Hub, 760 Miners Drive, 651-373-4908, $8-20, V #33
Sheridan Street Deli
Earliest coffee in town. Wholesome thoughtfully prepared breakfast served early. Brown bag lunches with bountiful sandwiches for folks on the go. Everything is made from scratch. Hearty soup, fresh salads, mouthwatering baked goods. Meeting room for groups. Dog-friendly seating on the sunny porch for those nice days. Catering for large or small events. Open until 2pm. 343 E Sheridan St, 504-4036 $8-17 C V #36
Research is quoted from: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/ PMC9122343
Coming Home to Ely
They became friends in first grade, best friends by third grade. Five little girls shared ballet classes and birthday parties, then cheerleading and proms, athletics and adolescent angst, and along the way some real tough times with family break-ups and death. One girl’s 16th birthday party was held in the hospital lobby because another girl’s mother was there in hospice.
Four of them couldn’t wait to get out of town, longed for the anonymity and opportunities of big city life. After graduating from Ely Memorial High in 1993, they scattered off to different colleges then jobs in the Cities or Duluth, reuniting whenever some or all were home for weekends, summers, or
holidays. In spite of the distances, they stayed best of friends–in one another’s weddings, at times sharing apartments, and writing real paper letters sent by real mail in real envelopes.
Five years after graduation, pregnant and wanting to be in Ely to raise her kids, the first of the five came home to Ely. The next year a second returned, escaping a bad relationship she didn’t quite know how to get out of. It was seven years before two more came back. Both had married their high school sweethearts and wanted to raise their kids in Ely, near their families and friends. In three more years, the last returned, having married a man with a good job in Ely and procured a good job for herself here. Today, none
of them think they will ever leave Ely. When one hypothesized that if her husband’s job required him to move, she would have to go, the others looked a bit shocked. “You would leave us?” one asked. But it was purely hypothetical since he’s retired now.
These women have held jobs ever since they returned, two in health care and three in business. Three have children in the school. All have aging parents in Ely. One is a grandmother. All these years they have cared for one another in small ways and big ways–support through a bad diagnosis, middle-of-the-night help with a sick child, care for a dying pet, and sharing the good times too–vacations, birthdays, holiday parties. And perhaps best of all, they fully expect this to continue the rest of their lives.
The class of 1993 is exceptional in the percentage of students who left Ely, then returned early or mid-career to make a life here. As best they could figure, 21 of the 69 graduates came home to Ely, and that doesn’t include the graduates who never left. That’s more than 30%! Far higher than the national average.
Rural youth who build stronger social ties, feel valued, and experience a sense of belonging are...more likely to return.
Top - Post prom, about age 14
Middle - A wedding, about age 35
Bottom - Age 50 and lookin’ good
A life in Ely for people who grew up here and moved away is not just for retirees. Early career and mid-career residents are common in this cohort too, including those raising families.
You may believe that Ely, like so many small rural towns, loses its young people when they graduate from Memorial High School or Minnesota North College and move on to join the Armed Forces, continue their education, or find a career path with a large corporation. Yes, many do. But many also return to their home town–far more than the average for rural areas.
Although there are no hard and fast statistics for Ely, checking out various class yearbooks shows that Ely’s “brain drain” is less than that for many small towns and rural areas. Research has shown good reasons for that. Although it has been an assumption that young people don’t return due to socio-
economic factors centered on the lack of high-paying jobs, studies that looked beyond the first few years after college discovered other more significant influences. One of those is the sense of belonging an adolescent feels in their school and community. Although years and even decades have passed, people are more likely to return to their rural home town if they had positive social ties during their school years and an affinity for their school. The approximately 1200 people who registered for Ely’s All Class Reunion in 2024 indicated that strong sense of connection for many Ely alumni.
Rural college graduates who reported higher levels of school attachment during adolescence were more likely to return home...
The importance to returners of a sense of belonging during school years jives with the reports of today’s Elyites who graduated from high school, moved
Recognize any of these Class of 1993 ballerinas at age 6? The five friends are in here.
away for years, then returned. They have fond memories of school activities like band, sports, and some teachers and classes. Friends were crucial.
For everyone interviewed for this article, friends and family were cited as an important part of why they returned, although most couldn’t wait to leave when they were young. Asked if at age 18 they thought they would ever return, most responded vehemently “No!”
Diane Heavens NO! I loved the big city! I lived right in downtown Minneapolis in the Fall of 1979 when it was a pretty safe place to be. I loved the shopping, the buzz, the atmosphere... Terri I said the words "I will never move back to Minnesota."
Celia When I was a kid, all I wanted to do was to leave Ely and see the big world. I wanted adventure and excitement. I wanted to see a real Van Gogh and the Eiffel Tower. And I wanted to live in a spectacular apartment and have a great
wardrobe like Doris Day had in the movies. Chris I didn’t think I would ever be able to find work in the field in which I wanted employment. High tech opportunities didn’t seem possible here.
...[those returning to small towns] have more opportunities to volunteer or be a leader within the community – where they participate in tight-knit social networks that are characteristic of small towns...
Community involvement is a big part of returners’ life in Ely. They have jobs as teachers, bankers, lawyers, doctors and nurses, business owners and managers, and artists. More than 50 Ely businesses are owned or managed by Ely graduates. They volunteer on boards, contribute time and money to Ely’s many nonprofits, and hold government positions. Many who wanted to return found the jobs they hoped for or created them. They have a sense of belonging, a surefooted feeling that Ely is Home.
The small town feel and low population density are certainly found in Ely, especially in winter.
Nick There was a time when I thought I was headed for the big city. At college, the Journalism Department head and I talked about my options, from working for a daily newspaper in Denver to going back to Ely. He gave me a question to consider, would I rather be the big fish in a small pond or a small fish in the big pond. Ian I didn’t want to move back. I got stuck here visiting my parents when Covid hit. After two years I was about to leave when it occurred to me I could bring Northern Lakes Arts to its full potential. I made a proposal to the board and they hired me for 12 hours a week. My husband loves it here, and so we stayed and I became the Executive Director. As a career actor I had “me” goals. Now I have a reason to go to work that’s beyond myself. I can see the impact I have every day. Pam I have become involved with ElyWinton Historical Society and now serve as President. I am also co-chair of the Ely Heritage Preservation Commission. There is a common thread in the things I am drawn to: History, Heritage, old school, old church, old buildings, old businesses, old stuff that can be repurposed, revived, renovated, restored or renewed. But the main ingredient for a community where you live is the people and the relationships you build.
Another factor discovered by researchers for those returning to a rural setting is the enjoyment of open space, lower population density, and a quiet “small town” feel. That is especially true for veterans.
...people from rural areas have been described as having an appreciation for land and open spaces.
In Ely, that would be the lakes, too. Family cabins are often part of the story of why people return. Cabins give people a reason to return frequently, staying in touch with family and friends. The work of maintaining the family cabin often falls to younger family members. Although the repairs may feel like drudgery at the time, it’s the fun of swimming, campfires, and picnics that they remember. A family cabin provided housing for some of those returning, at least temporarily. And at least one person decided to winterize and expand the cabin to create a year-round home. The drawback might be the number of out-of-town family members who return for a visit and expect to stay. Celia–Summers are generally busy with family visits and cabin maintenance. I was in Ely often that year after the Big Blow Down – clearing trees and brushing at our family cabin.
More important than cabins is the land itself–forests, lakes, places to find
quiet and solitude. There’s something about the “small town feel,” that you know the people you see in the grocery store or pass on the sidewalk.
As population density got higher, rural college graduates were less likely to return home.
Those researchers probably never came to Ely, but they discovered that many of those who return home to a rural area have a fondness for the land. Every person interviewed emphasized their connection to the wilderness, lakes, forests, and how easy they are to access. Kate I love that there’s room to breathe— that I can take our dog into the woods and not see another soul.
Diane It’s peaceful, there is no traffic to speak of. The worst it gets is you may have to sit at a stop sign trying to get onto Sheridan Street for two to three minutes.
About 200 alumni of the hundreds who came to the
There are only two stop lights in town, which can be avoided by turning a block or two before and take a street that runs parallel to Sheridan Street.
Celia I love the seasons, the air, the water, the sky, the weather, and the memories made here.
Chris Recreation out my backdoor. The kids can bike to the park and be safe. It’s a supportive and diverse community. I’d be happy digging ditches here. It’s not about the paycheck; it’s the lifestyle.
College graduates who return to rural areas (i.e., “brain gain”) can play critical roles in their community’s development, by replenishing the population, generating jobs, and increasing the labor supply.
Diane As I got older, I realized that my heart was left in Ely. Ely gets in your soul and it draws you back!
All Class Reunion in 2024
by Lacey Squier and Jess Kulik
What’s
Ely Reading?
We’ve heard it said that you are what you read. Reading is a craft. One can read with style. Indeed, each person who reads has their own unique reading practice, so to speak. I tend toward nonfiction. I prefer to read right away in the morning, with a cup of coffee, bathed in light on my porch. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I can really only read about four pages at a time. There are many treasures in those four pages. It takes hours and maybe even days to absorb and digest what I’ve consumed.
Jess, on the other hand, reads voraciously – hundreds of pages in one sitting. She has a special talent for
absorbing a lot of information quickly. She prefers to read a mix of academic research and contemporary romance novels (an underrated and highly diverse genre!).
In spite of the differences in our reading practices, we both agree that reading is a tool for self-reflection. Following a fictional or non-fictional character’s self-actualization journey helps us guide our own. When we consider the lives and actions and circumstances of other people, we are implicitly compelled to juxtapose them with our own. This is an inherently valuable activity.
Reading is also a form of attention activism, given that human capacity for attention and deep focus is at risk of deterioration by Silicon Valley-based corporations whose apps and business model are explicitly defined by cultivating mind-shallowing addictions to the infinite scroll feature. (But we digress….)
For all of these reasons and more, we encourage you to build or fortify a reading practice. And it just so happens that, on behalf of our work with Boundary Waters Connect, we’ve been collecting book recommendations from Ely-area nonprofit leaders. New in the updated, sunlit Piragis Northwoods Company bookstore is a shelf highlighting a dozen or more books that are especially beloved by Elyites.
What’s Ely reading?
Book recommendations explore stories that come to us from near and far, through what is familiar and what is foreign, through fiction and nonfiction. They encourage us to embrace each other, uplift our place and our neighbors, and find our own stories along the way. Check out the new bookshelf to review the full set of recommendations, but in the meantime we’ll give you a sneak peek.
A History of Incredible Ely and Winton: The Town that Lumber Built explores the place around us and why we are here. Connections to places are complex – they can bring excitement, they can bring relaxation, they bring nuanced stories about the past. We are only one part of this place’s story, when in return it’s a much larger part of ours.
The idea of home can expand beyond our most intimate and immediate place, to our region, our county, or the state in which we reside. As such, larger-scale issues and challenges can be felt and shift our perspective as well. In the book Powerstone by Paul Wellstone and Barry Casper, this discussion of a larger sense of place is essential.
Sometimes fictional stories capture the heart of the lived experience. In Driftless by David Rhodes, characters search for belonging in a place they’ve lived their whole lives, underscoring the realization that our perspective on places and relationships around us change as we grow. We are called upon to reckon with the truth that community, belonging and knowing, and connection to ourselves and our story is vital.
Chapman Street Books
Quality used books on all topics, including many with local interest. Bring yours in for a discount. Big free box. Home to Prairie Fire Tobacco, with imported and domestic blends. 139 E. Chapman St. 218-365-2212
In Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott, a brother and sister navigate a similar challenge after being reunited. This book reminds us that even if we grow up in the same house as our siblings, your stories may take you to different places, in different directions. Coming back together years later is both a challenge and a blessing.
In some cases stories help us travel to distant places, asking us to grow through a place that may only be known from the perspective of a visitor. Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino gets to the heart of this special connection. In exploring the excitement and enchantment of visiting somewhere different, we sometimes also find ourselves enchanted by a new version of ourselves. This theme is also touched upon in Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet by Thich Nhat Hanh, in which we are encouraged to travel through ourselves, centering as a way to nurture our capacity for joy, love, wisdom, and compassion.
Compassion is required to find belonging and connection to our place and our story, as discussed in The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Recognizing that we are all searching for connection and belonging, Wall Kimmerer challenges us to think about how we can create these things in our own communities by taking inspiration from the natural world around us.
In Ely it can be easy to see how the natural world impacts and influences our day to day life. We see the seasons change, celebrate the changing leaves, find the quiet in the falling snow, and cheer the long, sunny days.
At times we may overlook the impact this connection has on our emotions and mental well-being. Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren’t Growing Up by Abigail
Shrier discusses the need for connection and understanding that becomes increasingly clear as we grow.
The natural ebb and flow of nature can mirror the flow of our emotions. What Feelings Do When No One’s Looking by Tina Oziewicz takes this complex idea, the shifting and changing nature of our emotions, and creates an engaging story for children and adults alike, explaining our complex need to be emotionally understood in a way that works at any age.
At the end of the day, our story is ours to share. So often we feel pressure to find the right words, be the right version of ourselves, and fit the right narrative. But, the reality is, our story is made of dinners with friends and family, cozy moments at home, hiking our favorite trails, Tuesday Groups, and events around town. Right Story, Wrong Story by Tyson Yunkaporta reminds us that often the dinner table is the best place to write our story and in the process find our connection to each other and our place. Whether that table is in your home, at the Grand Ely Lodge, at a friend’s, or the Ely Folk School, finding the table where your story can be told is what matters.
May these recommendations (which is not the complete set on view at the Piragis bookstore) serve as inspiration for renewed investment in your own reading practice. May the books you read become the basis for connection with friends and neighbors, the inspiration to hone and share your own story.
Books for Everyone
As if you didn’t get enough reading ideas from the previous article, we have more suggestions here in our regular book review section. Put another log on the fire and cozy up in your favorite chair. The Farmer’s Almanac says it might be colder and snowier than usual this winter, which means more time to read.
In case you have a penchant for mysteries, the series by Cary Griffith (Gunflint Burning) will keep you turning pages well past bedtime. Set in northern Minnesota, the books star Sam Rivers, a wildlife biologist whose training serves him well in tracking down human predators. As a special agent with U.S. Fish & Wildlife, his instincts are often at odds with traditional law enforcement, which enhances the twists and turns of the mind-grabbing plots.
From fiction we move to the harsh reality in Helen Hoover’s biography. Her books about living in a remote cabin on the Gunflint Trail have been popular with generations, but she and her husband struggled financially to afford basic necessities and food for the birds, deer, and small animals they insisted on feeding. Helen was a remarkable woman apart from her popularity as an author. She was a metallurgist working for International Harvester when women’s professional aspirations were limited to nurse, secretary, and teacher. Whether or not you delve into the fascinating story of her life, you may enjoy her classics–Gift of the Deer, The Long-Shadowed Forest, and A Place in the Woods as well as her Christmas story, Great Wolf and the Good Woodsman, illustrated by Betsy Bowen.
Even if you don’t read a word of Adventure Dogs, it’s worth having for the pictures. Any dog lover will be inspired to try new things with their pup, and the pups will be far better off for it. As this author knows, a tired dog is a good dog. Far beyond Sit and Stay, the activities offered vary from a new way to walk to water sports to artistic endeavors.
Reading Sugar Bush Babies is the perfect way to absorb both native culture
and everyday life in the 1950s. The author’s youth and especially her time in the woods with her grandmother are a comforting story. Tired of political polarization? Beyond the Politics of Contempt, with authorship shared by a conservative and a liberal, can help you understand why most Americans have similar values and how they can talk to one another civilly. Have a better holiday with your family and this book.
Ely’s local artists and illustrators have plenty to offer this season. Leave Only Ripples is an old favorite in a new edition. Find all the joys of a wilderness canoe trip in the details of this updated picture book for all ages. I Saw a Moose Today is a backyard romp with northwoods critters entertaining a child with a big imagination. Fun big words! There’s a whole new generation to enjoy
these two titles that have been out of print for a while.
Local angler and guide Ken Hupila has a new collection of true (mostly) wilderness stories about fish and those who would catch them. Humor and wisdom in equal parts, this is the best gift for any angler on your list.
For moments of quiet reflection, DyAnne Korda’s poetry brings new perspectives to familiar circumstances. This newest book and any of her others go well with a glass of wine and a glowing fireplace or a quiet moment in your favorite natural setting.
Moving to authors who live elsewhere (and maybe don’t know what they’re missing) and find fascinating topics in the outdoors, we have two books that explain how much we have to gain by spending time in natural settings. Since Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods (still a worthwhile read) opened our eyes and minds to Vitamin N 20 years ago, there has been a plethora of studies telling us why and how to get more time outside and, perhaps even more important, how to disengage our kids from their screens and show them butterflies, puddles, and spider webs. The Nature Fix and Outdoor Kids in an Inside World give readers so much more than something to worry about. They are upbeat, motivating, often funny, and full of practical ideas. Rev up your curiosity, go get muddy, and maybe take some kids along with you.
No doubt you’ve been with trees a lot in your lifetime. But did you have any idea that they have also been with you and aware of your presence? OK–maybe not, at least not in a time frame we can relate to, but The Genius of Trees explains that even though trees may not have mammalian levels of affection, they are far from the passive stationary beings
we humans consider them. Once you’ve read this book, your ideas of what a tree is will change, and your perspective on any landscape with trees will expand. Great science writing, but also a literary hit and entertaining travel treatise.
Robin Wall Kimmerer’s first children’s book belongs with the other nature appreciation books because of its universal message of sharing our gifts with the world around us. Young Bud wants to do something important in the world, and Nokomis, her grandmother, helps her realize she already has an important gift and shows her how to give it to share it.
Just opening the True North Cabin Cookbook can make your mouth water.
Inspirations for hearty family meals, treats to share at work, holiday festivities, and something new abound. The stories that surround the recipes are personal, making this as much fun to read as it is to gaze at the photos and imagine creating every single dish. If you tried volume one, you know you need volume two. And if you didn’t, just start with this one. Or give it to your favorite cook and hope they’ll share the outcome to show their appreciation.
For kids and those who read to them, a book is a gift that keeps giving. For the young ones, Engaging illustrations like those in these books make reading more fun adults too. Far, Far Away is the story of a first camping trip, with its pleasures and challenges for the child. (See Leave Only Ripples for a family already sold on canoe travel and in love with the BWCAW.) Betsy Bowen, a favorite MInnesota illustrator, portrays the fun of creating streets, stores, and more from fallen leaves and found objects in Leaf Town Forever. When Leaf Town is blown away, the kids rebuild it and pass it on to the younger ones to keep up the tradition. Little Bird Buddies of Minnesota is an introduction to birding for the youngest kids. Traits of common birds are described and readers are asked to consider which bird they are most like. From ornithology we move to dendrology and the art of observation in How to Draw a Tree. Spare text and colorful drawings will have kids reaching for their art materials and heading out the door. Naming Aki is a beautifully illustrated retelling of a traditional Ojibwe story about how things got their names. Don’t leave out the middle-schoolers. What Happened Then is a mystery of the secrets within a family’s cabin on a lake in northern Minnesota. It is brimming with typical almost-a-teenager recalcitrance that resolves into a deeper understanding of how life happens.
All these books can be found at Piragis Bookstore and many at the Ely Library.
Winter Delights
By Becca Brin Manlove
I’m borrowing an idea from Ross Gay’s A Book of Delights. He wrote an essay about something that delighted him each day for a year. He delights in unexpected things, like buttons and a bellhop friend and picking plums for passersby. I’m skipping the obvious winter delights here—like the glee of sliding down a hill on skis and even the advantage of long nights for witnessing northern lights. You’ll notice those on
your own. And I’m sure you’ve found the following delights, too. I think we just forget to notice them out loud.
Mittens: To pull a soft bulky mitten from the boot dryer and slip it, still warm, over my hand is a joy. Many Elyites search for just the right mittens to match their outdoor activities.
Gloves, no matter how high-tech and stylish, just don’t keep hands warm on our subzero days. The fingers must be huddled together to maintain warmth. The thumb in its lonely pocket keeps
warm by opposing everything, unless it’s drawn into the large pocket where it curls into a fetal position within a group hug. One large pocket bunches together all the other fingers. The recrimination of the pointer, the flipping fury of the middle, the ring/no ring message of the next finger, and the posh pretense of the littlest are all together in clumsy, chummy, heat-trapping community. I’m tickled with how the rounded lumpy shape of a mitten creates a democracy of fingers.
I feel nostalgic about my old choppers. Choppers are moose hide leather outers with scratchy gray woolen
liners. When I first moved to Ely I was coming from a social worker job in Cloquet. Mike and I were married in late October and so I joined him as a caretaker at Camp du Nord, the YMCA family camp on the north arm of Burntside. Mike laughed with some alarm at my dressy boots, pink ski jacket, loosely knit beret, and thin mittens. He marched me into the Ely Surplus store. We pulled the tags off our purchases and I strode out of the store in my Northwoods trousseau: thick wool pants, Sorel boots, a parka as bulky as a sleeping bag, a sky-blue bomber hat with ear flaps–Mike bought a matching red one–and best of all, choppers–aka mittens. The moose hide outer was made by Ely’s beloved Henry the Shoemaker, who didn’t make shoes but repaired them. (Henry is his own book of delights, but that must wait for another time and an author who knew him better.) Henry fashioned choppers and belts and other sturdy stuff out of moose hide. Back in those days of wood cutting, splitting, stacking, and hauling, we actually wore
The author with her choppers, bomber hat, and kids
holes in the choppers—first in a series of liners and then even the tough leather itself—from gripping piece after piece of firewood, maple and birch mostly. The cut faces of birch were splintery. The bark sometimes held two or three pieces together, like a heavy accordion. The music we made were our curses of the literal death-grip hold the layers of bark had with the dark cambium. We shook them and slammed them, trying to rip them apart. The green chunks of wood clacked a protest—laden with sap still seeking leaves and roots.
Henry’s choppers are still around, but they are awkward for the softer tasks I do today, like holding a granddaughter’s tiny hand or sliding my hands through narrow ski pole straps. I’ve found a pretend chopper—with leather as soft as moss on the outside and a snuggly, warm inside, but the inside can’t be pulled out to dry on its own and the leather outside is a bit too soft. I’ve worn holes through them with just the genteel life I lead now— shoveling, sled pulling, ski pole gripping, and only occasional wood-hauling.
Boot Dryers: Never mind how cold the day is, feet and hands will sweat. Boots get damp. Mittens get wet even more quickly. My boot dryer was cheap. It might be ten years old, or even fifteen. It’s a black plastic base with two hollow tubes—like vacuum wands—capped with a slight angle of plastic. The dryer plugs into a wall and generates warm air that seeps more than shoots up the tubes. It
has no timer, no hot/cool settings, no fan humming—just drier air rising through damp boots upended over the angles. I use it mostly for mittens, though. The
thumb pockets hang off to the side and out of the best air flow. After a night of finger-pocket drying, I twist the mittens to a thumbs up position. Warm air rises to dry the positive thumbs. I like to wait until I have all my other outside layers on and my backpack ready to go before I pull my mittens from the drier and slide them still warm over my hands. It’s like a hug and kiss from a loved one as I head out the door.
Sounds: One winter, a neighbor’s truck played a three am alarm every workday morning. I didn’t identify which neighbor. My house is under a streetlight. I didn’t want to be the crabby nosy neighbor, lifting a shade, peering out with scrunched face, glaring at the noisy neighbor. I didn’t know their gender, but imagining them to be a woman increased my empathy–which I didn’t have at first. Starting the engine without a good muffler on a bitterly cold January morning required a sleep-shattering roar and repeated stomps on the gas pedal to keep pistons firing. Then when the motor
kept up its complaints between revs, she slid out of the truck and slammed the door shut, leaving the V8 jet engine thrashing in the polar vortex while she went back inside for fifteen minutes or a half hour or eternity. The first few nights and some scattered others as the winter months went on, the truck’s rattling pumped my head with fury and chased away all thoughts of neighborly love. My serenity climbed into the cab beside her—onto seats warmed to the texture of a stick of butter just pulled from the fridge. Serenity waved good-bye as the truck roared through town. Sleep after that rude awakening? Past, present, and future resentments threw a party in my head with a soundtrack from Rage Against the Machine playing full volume.
But her commitment to whatever called her out of bed and into the bitter cold every day slowly warmed my heart. Where was she going? I imagined an hour-and-a-half commute. Was she cooking for a nursing home? I imagined her parking at the far end of a lot,
lingering over one more funny comment from her favorite podcaster, noticing the warmth finally pumping into her face from the heater, then gathering her backpack and striding into a dark kitchen, flipping on lights and banging the grounds out of a coffee pot. She would greet little Sadie, the resident who always rose as if she still had five cows to milk before the school bus came. My noisy neighbor’s imagined kitchen became a warm hearth for staff and residents in need of hot coffee and toast spread with just the right amount of butter. Or was she a Nurse? Police Officer? Coach and Teacher? Wherever she was headed, I imagined her spreading warmth and compassion, thanks to her rumbling truck. The three am alarm she shared became a delightful reminder that there are people willing to give up time in their warm bed to gift the rest of us with warmth and coffee and a human greeting—even if it’s a little bit crabby.
Her truck roaring through town was a good punctuation on a town I loved for being so quiet her progress could be mapped. Last winter, I didn’t hear the three am alarm. She has moved or fixed the muffler or taken a job within later hours, but the old truck alarm woke me up to the delight of quiet winter nights.
Drying Rack Memories: In our old house, Mike rigged a drying rack. He made a large square frame of one-byone-inch wood, stapled some chicken wire onto the bottom, and suspended it beside the upstairs landing. The trick was to remember to carry boot and chopper liners up the stairs at night to prop them on the rack and then to remember to carry them—dried by the rising air of the
woodstove—back down in the morning. An extra dash up the stairs to grab liners wasn’t a big deal, but then there was wrestling them back into an adult’s soft mukluks or a child’s boots while the clock was ticking and socks or mittens or homework were missing and coffee was spilling—oh yeah, I’m supposed to be talking about delights. Let’s make this a Saturday morning, when I had time to appreciate an extra stroll up the stairs. As I swept a load of liners and mittens into my arms, I was grateful the sweaty, wetwool smell had dissipated, replaced by a slightly smokey woodstove scent. I felt smug about having remembered to pull the liners out of my mukluks and the kids’ boots the night before. Matrix, the cat, loved that drying rack, too. We pulled tufts of his orange and white hair off our things. We’ll just pretend no one was impatient to get out the door. Oh, it’s the memory of the drying rack, and Matrix, and Mike making it, and the tumble of kid things, and the smell of the woodstove that is my current winter delight. Memories are more kisses and hugs from loved ones—warming my winter day.
Short light : Long, cold, dark evenings are an invitation to curl up with a good book or a journal of summer delights under a good light, maybe even a SADD light, in front of a nicely stoked woodstove, or at least a fake electric fireplace. I’m a little embarrassed about how much I like my fake fireplace. The battery in the remote died but I can turn it on manually by pressing a button. In the evening, I wrap up in a blanket, turn the little fireplace unit to face my favorite chair, plunk a little footstool in front of the blower, and watch my little TV—which is perched on top of the fireplace unit—or read a book by Linda Hogan or Mark Twain. No wood hauling, fire building, damper adjusting, or ash shoveling necessary. When I miss any of that— which I actually do sometimes–I can mess with the woodstove at my kids’ home. The flickering red light behind the static logs in the fake fireplace doesn’t replace the visceral beauty of real fire, but it’s a nice effect on a cold night.
Human Sunbeams: During a long, long string of short and cloudy days, I get so grumpy, impatient, depressed. Knowing I’m not alone doesn’t help much. Without sunlight, we northern humans become Vitamin D and joy deficient. Like moonlight piercing dark clouds, any contrast is a delight. A neighbor walking his old dog; a librarian asking about a child’s favorite stuffy; a mail carrier striding through a new snowfall; or a school bus driver patiently waiting for a child to clamber off: any of these might throw sunbeams at you. They cast sunlight into your heart with a smile, a story, a mittened handshake, a kindness, a laugh, a head tilt. Look for these walking sunbeams on dark, crabby days. Their light won’t diminish if you absorb a little from them. In fact, finding your delight might make you a sunbeam too: beaming light into other people’s darkness.
Becca Brin Manlove is the author of several books including Hauling Water, which won a Midwest Book Award.
Spiritual Gatherings
Churches
Some have websites where you can find services on Facebook and YouTube.
Berean Baptist Church 2281 Hwy 169 365-5413 Sunday–School 9, Worship 10:30
Ely Gospel Church 3 E Allaire St 235-1142 Sunday 10
First Lutheran Church LC MS 915 E Camp St 365-3348 Sunday 10:30
First Presbyterian Church 226 E Harvey St 365-5130 Sunday 11
Grace Lutheran Church ELCA 301 E Conan St 365-5605 Sunday 9:30
Ledgerock Comm. Church 1515 E Camp St 365-4890 Sunday 10, Fellowship 11
New Life Church 102 Main St, Winton 309-303-3475 Sunday 9:30
Oasis Int’l Church 10 W Pattison 235-1151 Sunday 10
Praise Fellowship Ely Comm.Center 235-3700 or 9541 Sunday 10
St. Anthony’s Catholic Church 231 E Camp St 365-4017 Sat 5 pm, Sun 10
Babbitt, Sun and Wed 8am T 5pm, Th, F 8am
St. Mary’s Episcopal Church 715 S Central Av 409-6870 Sunday 9:30
United Methodist Church of Ely 305 E Camp St 365-3355 Sunday 10
Christmas Eve Services
Candlelight, Carols, Lessons. Celebrate the Peace on Earth message. All are welcome. First Lutheran Church 5 pm First Presbyterian & St. Mary’s Episcopal Winton New Life Church 4:30 combined service 4 pm St. Anthony’s Catholic Church 5:30
Ely Area 12-Step & Recovery Meetings
Recovery - For those dealing with any addiction in friends or family
Sober Squad Talking Circle The Hub, Well-Being room Thurs 6:30pm
AlAnon Ely Willingness AFG 1st Lutheran Church Wed 7pm
Alcoholics Anonymous Women’s Open Ledgerock Church Mon noon Miracle on Camp St, open 1st Lutheran Church Mon 7pm
Primary Purpose Men’s Group 1st Presbyterian Ely Tues 7pm
Babbitt AA Group, open 1st Lutheran Tue 7pm Ely AA Group, open 1st Lutheran Church Wed 7:30pm
Lake Vermilion 12x12, open Immanuel Lutheran Tower Thu 6:30pm
Babbitt Back2Basics, open Woodland Presb Church Thu 7pm
Happy, Joyous, and Free First Presbyterian Church Fri 7pm
Ely AA Group, open 1st Lutheran Church Sat 7:30pm
Winter 2025-2026 Ely Area Calendar
Most locations are shown on the maps on pages 71-74. Church addresses are on page 61. Vermilion Theater is on the MN North Vermilion College Campus. Area code is 218 unless noted. Activities are open to the public, but some require registration.
NOVEMBER
1-Dec31
Art Show, Wendy Rouse. Also see WendyRouse.com
The Hub 19, 6pm Holiday Wines Tasting, charcuteries available, TheNorthernGrounds.com Society Hall 20-21
Community Craft Swap, see website for details or 235-0138 Ely Folk School
21, 7pm Reflections Dance Company Winter Showcase Vermilion Theater
23 - Dec 7 Festival of Trees, Northwoods Partners fundraiser, lighting 7pm 11/23 Grand Ely Lodge 26, 5pm Thanksgiving Eve Service 1st Lutheran Church
27, 11 or 4
Thanksgiving Potluck, all are welcome, turkey provided, bring side dish or dessert Ely Folk School
28, all day Free Park Day at MN State Parks Bearhead and Lake Vermilion State Parks 29, all day Shop LOCAL Saturday, support Ely’s marvelous retail shops All of Ely
Cut your own Christmas tree or balsam greens.
Permits and rules at recreation.gov/tree-permits.
A small portion of the Ely Folk School Thanksgiving potluck
Northern Lakes Arts Association 2024 holiday play, Elf. This year it’s the musical A Christmas Carol, Dec. 12-21
Do you know? Northern Lakes Arts offers pay-what-you-can performances for all plays. Check their website for those dates. “Theater should be for everyone!” Scholarships are available for Reflections Dance Company classes.
DECEMBER
All month Take home Gluckhaus (family history game) and Take & Do Craft Kits, free Ely Public Library 1-31 Applications Open for Tofte Lake Arts residencies in 2026 TofteLake.org
3, 5pm Make Norwegian Lefse, 235-0138 Ely Folk School
3, 6pm Wine Tasting, Bordeaux Reds, charcuteries available, TheNorthernGrounds.com Society Hall
4, 3:30pm It’s a Holiday! National Dice Day, age 3 and up, pre-register Ely Public Library
5, 6-7:30 Hand-dipped Candles for beginners, ages 14+ Ely Folk School
5-6 evenings Shine Bright Ely, drive around and vote for your favorite decorations, ely.org Downtown Ely
6-7, all day Mrs. Claus Holiday Hop, special activities for kids, visit and get a button
More Ely Folk School classes for every month can be found at ElyFolkSchool.org
Ely Community Resource Holiday Project
Pick up a Child’s Wish Tag at a church or Ely Surplus Store Buy a gift • Drop it off, unwrapped, at ECR by 12/5
knowing
DECEMBER - continued
6, 9-11am
Pin!
New and Expecting Parent Social, free child care, sponsored by ECR, 365-5354 The Hub
6, 11-1pm Mrs. Claus kids holiday party, treats and crafts and Santa Grand Ely Lodge
6, 1-4pm Woodburning Holiday Ornaments
6, 2-5pm Learn to Make Spring Rolls, no cooking experience needed
8, 3pm Friends of the Library Book Club, James
9, 4pm Accidental Quartet concert, free
Ely Folk School
Ely Folk School
Ely Public Library
Ely Public Library
9, 4:30 Call of the Wild Poetry Night, 1/2 hr workshop, readings, “Winter Lanterns” Vermilion Theater
10, 9-6:30
10, 5-7pm
12-21
11-13, 10-3
Holiday Stress Re-DUCK-tion Day, find hidden rubber ducks and relax
Ely Public Library
Making Felt Ornaments, no sewing experience needed Ely Folk School
A Christmas Carol, the musical from NLAA, tickets at northernlakesarts.org Vermilion Theater
Ely Public Library 17, 6 pm Bubbles Wine Tasting, prepare for New Year’s Eve, TheNorthernGrounds.com Society Hall
18, 12pm Deadly Knits, knit or crochet along with a true crime podcast
18, 1:15 Elementary school holiday concert
19, 3:15 Holiday Movie TBD, PG
19, 5pm Make Norwegian Lefse, 235-0138
20,12-1pm Christmas Cookie Swap, bring 2 dozen homemade cookies
Ely Public Library
Washington Auditorium
Ely Public Library
Ely Folk School
Ely Folk School
21, 4-6pm Celebrate Solstice! Tea, Snacks, and aromatherapy The Meadows
29, 1 pm Get Crafty: Soap Carving, age 10 and up, pre-register
30, 10:30 Move and Groove for pre-schoolers (with an adult)
30, 5-7pm Beginning American Sign Language, ages 7+
31, 6:30 New Year’s Eve with the Mesabi Symphony Orchestra
8-10:30 am Tuesday & Thursday
Ely Public Library
Ely Public Library
Ely Folk School
Vermilion Theater
Free Services for all ages at Ely Community Health Center
Thursday Evening Clinic, 5:30-7 Dental Clinic by appointment
Snow Sculptures at Ely Winter Festival
GYMS,
YOGA, and FITNESS CLASSES for WALK-INS and MEMBERS
Classes are 45-60 minutes. Check for descriptions and schedules:
EndoftheRoad.yoga 235-7294
FunctionalFitness.com 235-0835 text
Raven’s Wing Yoga Studio 365-4322
StudioNorthElyMN.com 365-2493
Cost is $12-15 with discounts for membership or multiple classes. See locations on the maps inside the back cover. Free Senior classes - NorthwoodsPartners.org 365-8019
JANUARY
Jan & Feb Ely Youth Ski League,Sun 2pm starts 1/4, ages 4-11, eysl@elynordic.org to register Hidden Valley 1 Registration opens for Youth Arts Summer Programs NorthernLakesArts.org
Board game night, all ages. Bring your own or use the ones there. Ely Folk School
Squirt B/B2 Hockey Tournament
Last day to apply for an amateur snow carving block
Ely Ice Arena
ElyWinterFestival.com
Dark Sky Festival, ely.org/darkskyfest for special programs, sauna, trivia, + Ely area
Spring Semester starts MN North Vermilion 12, 3pm
Call of the Wild Poetry Night, 1/2 hr workshop, readings, “Treks in the Snow” Vermilion Theater
Friends of the Library Book Club, The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife Ely Public Library 13, 4:30
24, 9:30am Ely Invite high school XC ski races, cheer on Ely athletes!
17, 1-5
Hidden Valley
Sew Your Own Mittens Ely Folk School
17-18, Wolf Photography Weekend, register at wolf.org Int’l Wolf Center
18-19, 6-9
23-24
29, 5-7 pm
30-2/1
Auditions for Spring Musical Annie, northernlakesarts.org Vermilion Theater
Night Sky Photography, times TBA
Ely Folk School
Braver Angels Social, all are welcome, free beer and food Boathouse upstairs
Peewee B/B2 Hockey Tournament Ely Ice Arena 31, all day Fun Run Snowmobile Ride, money raised goes for trail grooming, 365-3141 Ely, Babbitt, Tower
FEBRUARY
2, 6:30 Board game night, all ages. Bring your own or use the ones there. Ely Folk School
5-15 Ely Winter Festival & Snow Sculpting Symposium, ElyWinterFestival.com Ely Area
5-6
Tofte Lake Center Visual Artist Workshops, 10-2 and 2-4, info@toftelake.com Camp du Nord 5-8
6-7
Amateur Snow Carving Contest, see ElyWinterFestival.com by 1/10 to claim a block Whiteside Park
Friends of the Library Book Sale, watch for more details
Ely Community Center
6-7 Great Nordic Beard Festival, live music, toga party, more. See website Ely State Theater
6-7, 13-14
Special Winter Opening, 10-4
Ice Skating
Dorothy Molter Museum
Ely Rec. Center - Mon-Fri 3-8, Saturdays 12-8, Sundays 1-6pm
For special hours over the holidays and other updates see https://www.ely.mn.us/reccenter Ely Ice Rink by the school - TBD, check ElyClasses.com
Whiteside Park during Winter Festival, weather permitting
Regularly Scheduled Events (open to all)
Community Center is the former Senior Center Monthly Craft kits and history games to take home, available all month Ely Public Library
Mon-Thur Open Swimming, 9am-8pm, bring your own towel, 365-6565 Grand Ely Lodge Mondays Schmear, 6pm, all ages Community Ctr
2nd Mondays Friends of the Library Book Club, 3 pm Ely Public Library
4th Mondays (12/15) Family Support Group for caregivers of children with special needs, 5:30 Elementary School Tuesdays Chair Yoga, 9-10am The Hub Tuesdays (Jan-Nov) Tuesday Group, educational speakers, noon, ElyTuesdayGroup@gmail.com GEL&Zoom
2nd Tuesdays Ely for Ely, for anyone but especially businesses, 7:30am, 320-420-0089 Varies 2nd Tuesdays Ely Climate Group, 4 pm, all welcome, elyminnesota.com/elyclimate Varies, see website
3rd Tuesdays Caregivers Support Group, 11-12 The Hub
3rd Tuesdays Tasty Tuesday, cooking up fun with friends 2-3:30, register 218-302-1778 The Hub
3rd Tuesdays Sound Healing with Nancy Scheibe, 5:30pm End of the Road Yoga Wednesdays Weight Training for the 60+ seniors The Hub Wednesdays Men’s Memories & Movement Group, 10-11:30am The Hub
Wednesdays BINGO, 1-3:30, for everyone Community Ctr
Wednesdays Bridge 12-3:30, all welcome Community Ctr Wednesdays Ping-Pong, 6pm Community Ctr
Wednesdays Open Mic, 6 pm, everyone welcome Boathouse
1st Wednesdays Potluck, 11-12, Sign up to bring a dish or pay $5. All are welcome. Community Ctr
1st Wednesdays Wellness Wednesday, BP checks and other activities, 11:30-1 Community Ctr
2nd Wednesdays Cancer Support Group, 6pm Community Ctr
3rd Wednesdays Food Shelf open 11am - 5pm, elyareafoodshelf.org
15 W. Conan
3rd Wednesdays History Happy Hour, 5-5:30 Boathouse upstairs
4th Wednesdays Ely Photographic Collaborative, 7pm (Dec 17th) Ely Folk School
Thursdays Makers Mornings, work on projects in community, free, 9:30am-12:30(not Xmas) Ely Folk School
Thursdays Community Exercise, all are welcome 10:30 First Lutheran Church
Thursdays Mah Jongg, 12-2 Community Ctr
Thursdays Ely Free Clinic, 5:30-7, elycommunityhealth.org Ely Community Health Center
Thursdays & Fridays Pinochle, 1-3 Community Ctr
1st Thursday Ely Area Writers’ Group, 6 pm, 235-1984 Ely Folk School
Open House and campus tours, 235-9092 MN North Vermilion admissions office
“Whirlwind” community event, fun winter activities for all ages, free Dorothy Molter Museum
Kicksled demos and trials, other TBA times during Winter Festival Whiteside Park
Howler Jamboree Mini and Mite hockey tournament, elyhockey.org
Ely Ice Arena
10, 7:30am Ely for Ely , Community Leadership Transition Ely Folk School
12, 3pm Friends of the Library Book Club, The Great Believers Ely Public Library
13-16
Great Backyard Bird Count, BirdCount.org/gbbc or see Ely Field Naturalists Ely and USA
6, 5:30 Dorothy Molter Museum fundraiser, tickets at RootBeerLady.com
13, 5-8 ish
14-15
Candlelight Ski, bonfire, music, open chalet, elynordic.org
Wolves After Dark, overnight for ages 12 and up, register at wolf.org
Grand Ely Lodge
Hidden Valley
Int’l Wolf Center
14, 12:30 Ely Nordic Loppet, Kids, 10K, 5K w/ costumes; food and music, ElyNordic.org Hidden Valley
17, 4:30 Call of the Wild Poetry Night, 1/2 hr workshop, readings, “Heartwood” Vermilion Theater
19, 6 pm
Braver Angels Gathering, all are welcome, see FB page for topic Ely Community Ctr 19, midnight Dogsled to Dorothy’s 2/26-3/1, last day to register, rootbeerlady.org Knife Lake
20, 4-7pm
Wolf Track Prance, live music and door prizes Grand Ely Lodge
21, 3-5pm Meet the Teams at Vet checks Mn North Vermilion
21, 4-6
Wolf Track Spaghetti Dinner, all-you-can-eat, Wilderness Club fundraiser Vermilion Cafeteria 22, 9am
WolfTrack Classic Sled Dog Race Starts Ely area TBD
MARCH • APRIL • MAY
2, 6:30 Board game night, all ages. Bring your own or use the ones there. Ely Folk School
3, 4:30 Call of the Wild Poetry Night, 1/2 hr workshop, readings, “Spring Thaw” Vermilion Theater
4 Gardner Trust Spring grants cycle open, for individual artists and organizations GardnerTrust.org
9, 3pm Friends of the Library Book Club, True Biz
Ely Public Library 11-15
Ely Film Festival, featuring NE MN and international independent films
Ely State Theater 13, 7 pm Music in our Schools concert, grades 7-12
21, 4:30 ECR Art Auction Fundraiser with appetizer buffet, auction at 6
Washington Auditorium
Ely State Theater 20-29, 2 and 7 Spring Musical, Annie, tickets at northernlakesarts.org
Apr 10-11
Apr 23, 5-7
Sew Your Own Bike Bag, 5-8pm and 9am-12
Vermilion Theater
Ely Folk School
New Resident Social, for new folks and long-time residents to meet TBA
Apr 25, 10-2 Writing for Women, Welcoming Spring Ely Folk School
April 26, 4pm 100+ Women Who Care, fundraising for Ely non-profits
May 6, 5-7
Ely Senior Center
Ely Folk School Spring Bonfire, fun for all ages and dogs, free food and drink Semers Park
May 9 Minnesota Fishing Opener, the REAL end of winter whatever the weather Ely Area Lake
May 12, 7:30am Ely for Ely, Business SUCCESSion and transition planning The Hub
May 13, 7pm Commencement for MN North Vermilion Vermilion gym
May 14, 7pm Spring Pops Concert, grades 5-12 Washington Auditorium
May 16 Last day to register for Women’s BWCA trip to Dorothy’s, 6/16-20, RootBeerLady.com Knife Lake
May 16, 8-4
City-wide Rummage Sale, Clean out your closets! Ely Chamber of Commerce 365-6123 Ely Area
May 16 Studio North Dance Recital,1pm and 5:30pm Washington Auditorium
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