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2 02, 2023

2023 John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon

2023-04-21T16:11:07+00:00Activities & Attractions, Events & Holidays|

Celebrating its 39th year of racing along the North Shore, the 2023 John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon was as exciting as ever. Perfect weather conditions combined with excellent trail conditions lead to perfect race conditions. And, a few thrilling scenes at the finish line added to the excitement of the race. Here are the results of the 2023 John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, along with our recap of the finish line. Perfect Racing Conditions Lead to Fast Finishing Times What may seem like frigid, cold temps to a person is experienced very differently from the perspective of a sled [...]

24 08, 2022

Radio Waves Music Festival

2025-08-20T17:35:48+00:00Activities & Attractions, Events & Holidays|

WTIP's Radio Waves Music festival is an annual event that takes place in Grand Marais on the weekend after Labor Day. This wonderful, local tradition features both local and regional musicians playing at Sweetheart's Bluff near the Grand Marais Recreational Park and Campground. Enjoy music from a variety of genres while enjoying foods from local vendors. About WTIP's Radio Waves Music Festival With music on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, this family-friendly event is a great way to take in some local music in a beautiful setting. The first festival was held in 2008 to celebrate WTIP Community Radio's 10th [...]

26 05, 2022

Gunflint Trail Canoe Races

2023-12-08T15:36:27+00:00Events & Holidays, Gunflint Trail/BWCA|

In 1976 a group of friends and neighbors on the Gunflint Trail gathered together and organized the first Gunflint Trail Canoe Races as a fundraiser for numerous programs and causes on the Gunflint Trail. For the past 40+ years, the area has hosted the races every year - with one exception. In 1999 the catastrophic Boundary Waters Blowdown storm caused the cancelation. This was due to most of the Trail residents participating in the rescue efforts. In 2020 and 2021 the races were cancelled due to COVID-19. Besides those summers, the races have been a community staple every July [...]

1 12, 2021

The Dark Sky Festival

2023-12-08T15:45:22+00:00Events & Holidays, Grand Marais, Gunflint Trail/BWCA|

December is the darkest month of the year, and towns along Lake Superior's North Shore have some of the clearest night skies in the world. To celebrate the wintertime darkness, Visit Cook County presents The Dark Sky Festival. An annual event celebrating the stars, the moon, Northern Lights, and the area's dark skies. Cook County, home to the towns of Grand Marais, Lutsen, Schroeder, Tofte, Hovland, and Grand Portage, has one of the darkest skies in the entire world! Thanks to the absence of large cities and light pollution from our small northern county, visitors can enjoy clear views [...]

12 10, 2021

Moose Madness

2024-10-09T20:05:25+00:00Events & Holidays, Grand Marais|

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 [...]

17 12, 2020

Outdoor Winter Events

2024-03-21T18:32:59+00:00Activities & Attractions, Events & Holidays|

The North Shore is a haven for outdoor winter events. Up here, we spend our winters racing everything from cross-country skis to sled dogs! Our winters are full of events,  everyone can join in the fun in some way or another. If you like being outdoors in the winter, the North Shore is the place to be. In no particular order, since chronologically, they might vary slightly from year to year, here are a few of our favorite outdoor winter events: Bearskin Nordic Race Series For your chance to compete in a race at your own pace in your [...]

26 11, 2020

Oh Ole Night

2024-11-13T17:32:16+00:00Events & Holidays|

Experience the Magic of Oh Ole Night in Downtown Grand Marais Join the excitement in downtown Grand Marais on the day after Thanksgiving for the beloved holiday celebration, Oh Ole Night! This annual festival embraces the area's rich Scandinavian heritage. Featuring "Sven and Ole" humor and family-friendly festivities that have become a cherished tradition along Minnesota’s North Shore. Oh Ole Night: A Grand Marais Holiday Tradition Kicking off the festive season, downtown Grand Marais transforms into a holiday wonderland. Drawing families and visitors alike to shop, celebrate, and make memories. The day begins with holiday sales at local shops, [...]

1 10, 2020

John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon

2025-02-19T16:13:00+00:00Events & Holidays|

Each January, the beloved John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon is held in northeast Minnesota. The race is named after the mail carrier, John Beargrease, who delivered mail up and down the North Shore via dogsled and rowboat in the late 1800s until his death in 1910. The race began in 1980. Today, there are three races for teams to choose from: The full marathon, the 40-mile race, and a 120-mile race. All races begin in Duluth at Billy's Bar. Teams then follow a hilly course through the Sawtooth Mountains. The 40-mile race ends near Two Harbors while the full [...]

1 10, 2020

Le Grand Du Nord Gravel Bike Race

2025-05-06T15:37:05+00:00Events & Holidays, Grand Marais|

Le Grand Du Nord Gravel Buke Race With an abundance of gravel roads and trails, the North Shore is a prime destination for gravel bike enthusiasts. Clearly, it's no surprise that in recent years, the popular pastime has grown to include some well-known gravel bike races. The first big bike race of the year, held each May on the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend, is the Le Grand Du Nord Gravel Bike Race by Heck of the North Productions. As described on their website, the Le Grand Du Nord "represents one of the most amazing gravel courses in the [...]

30 09, 2020

Grand Portage Rendezvous Days

2025-07-31T14:28:47+00:00Events & Holidays, Hovland/Grand Portage|

Grand Portage Rendezvous Days and Celebration Pow Wow is a weekend-long celebration honoring the Anishinaabe culture and the area's historic fur trade. The historic trade took place between the Ojibwe and the French in the 1730s and with the British in the 1760s. During this time, traders made a nine-mile portage, named the Grand Portage, around the Pigeon River. The portage allowed them to access the fur-rich areas of the state and establish trading relationships. Throughout the years, the relationship between the Anishinaabe and the traders was strong. The Great Rendezvous was celebrated each year at the end of [...]

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