Hosted by Visit Cook County, Moose Madness is an annual family-friendly festival that takes place over MEA weekend each October in Grand Marais. A popular favorite amongst visitors, the festival includes several scheduled events and activities and various ways for participants to earn “Moose Bucks”. You then redeem your Moose Bucks collection at participating stores around Grand Marais. During Moose Madness you have the best chances of spotting Murray the Moose, the mascot of Visit Cook County. He gets called to town each year at the start of the festival and can be found walking around the downtown area most of the weekend!

Visit the Visit Cook County website for a full list of events and details!

Moose Madness Events

Most of Cook County gets into the Moosey spirit each October. Activities and events are found throughout the county over MEA weekend. Most events are family-friendly and fun for everyone. Some fan favorites over the years have been the Grand Marais State Bank Medallion Hunt, meeting Murray the Moose, and going on an adventure to find Moose Bucks.

Moose Madness changed its formatting a bit back in 2021. Instead of running around gathering as many Moose Bucks as possible to spend at Moose Headquarters, participants now have fewer Moose Bucks activities to choose from, but the bucks actually equal $1 each and can be redeemed at a variety of stores in Cook County. In the past, the following businesses have participated in redeeming Moose Bucks:

  • Beth’s Fudge & Gifts
  • The Big Lake
  • Cook County History Museum
  • The Crooked Spoon Food Truck
  • Dairy Queen of Grand Marais
  • Drury Lane Books
  • The Fisherman’s Daughter
  • Great Gifts
  • Hungry Hippie Tacos
  • Joy & Co.
  • Joynes Ben Franklin
  • Lake Superior Trading Post
  • The Market
  • Moose Tracks
  • North House Folk School
  • Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply
  • Subway of Grand Marais
  • World’s Best Donuts
Past Year’s Events Have Included

Grand Marais State Bank Moose Medallion Hunt! A fan favorite around here! Search for the Moose Medallion for a chance to win $100! Clues are released on the Visit Cook County Facebook account starting on Friday morning. This year, the search area has been expanded to include the entire city of Grand Marais! Be sure to tune into the Cascade Vacation Rentals TikTok channel to watch CVR’s own Medallion Hunter, Adam, as he hunts for the Medallion again this year.

Meet Murray the Moose! Come say hi to Visit Cook County’s beloved mascot, Murray the Moose, who will be hanging out and taking photos at various places in Grand Marais.

Go on a Moose-Safari! Exploring the boreal forest by foot and boat is the best way to find moose, but you can also take a drive through prime moose habitat with VCC’s moose driving routes. Ranging from 1 to 2 hours, these driving routes will give you an opportunity to find our favorite animal in the wild. Even if you don’t see a moose, you’ll enjoy scenery that cannot be beat!

Check out the Visit Cook County website for a the full details on the Moose Madness activities this year.

Have Fun at Moose Madness!

Check out our video from 2018! Note that this was taken during the old Moose Bucks/Moose Central format.