Celebrate the beauty and bounty of Lake Superior! Copper Harbor community volunteers, along with the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative and Michigan Tech’s Great Lakes Research Center, are organizing the 9th annual Lake Superior Day Festival with lots of special activities at the 6th Street Dock along the Copper Harbor Boardwalk (near Isle Royale Queen boat dock) on Sunday, July 23 from 1 to 4 p.m.
Enjoy fish stew (Kalamojakka), rieska (Finnish flatbread), cake, and other treats at a community picnic ($5 donation suggested).
Watch a log rolling demonstration
Explore your artistic side - paint the model freighter and decorate the street with chalk drawings
Take a walk along the boardwalk to learn about Lake Superior’s geoheritage with Erika Vye from Michigan Tech’s Great Lakes Research Center
Learn about fishing with Michigan Sea Grant Extension educator Lauren Jescovitch.
Explore the area’s history with the Keweenaw Time Traveler
Reflect on treasured landscapes with Keweenaw Outdoor Recreation Coalition (KORC)
Free scientific excursions aboard MTU's research vessel Agassiz
From 1 to 4 p.m., a special highlight is the opportunity for festival attendees to find out how scientists study the Great Lakes by taking a 40-minute scientific excursion in the harbor aboard Michigan Tech’s research vessel, the Agassiz. These excursions will be led by a specialist who will talk about how the health of the lake influences their work and research. The excursions are FREE and are offered as part of the Ride the Waves Program, funded by a grant from General Motors.
The Agassiz will depart every 45 minutes from the Isle Royale Queen dock beginning at 1 p.m. Participants must be at least 7 years old, and youth under the age of 15 must be accompanied by an adult. All participants should wear closed-toe shoes. Space is limited. Interested participants may pre-register for a scientific excursion aboard the Agassiz by registering online using this link.
For questions about the Agassiz registration, contact Lloyd Wescoat at lwescoat@mtu.edu.
Lake Superior Day is celebrated throughout the Lake Superior basin on or close to the third Sunday in July in many communities around Lake Superior. The event highlights the special connections people have to this unique world treasure. All residents who live, work, play, and worship around the lake are invited to organize events in their communities or take action in their homes, at their places of employment or in community groups to help protect Lake Superior.
Copper Harbor’s celebration is coordinated by the Copper Harbor Improvement Association, the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative, and MTU’s Great Lakes Research Center with financial support from General Motors’ Ride the Waves program at MTU’s Center for Science and Environmental Outreach. Technical support is provided by Pasty.NET and donations from Peterson’s Fish Market, Pat’s Foods, and residents of Copper Harbor make the community picnic possible.
To learn more about Lake Superior, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) provides information on Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes here or visit the EPA’s website.
