Spring & Summer

The City of Houghton and the Copper Country Community Arts Council invite you to the Annual Houghton Spring Art & Music Festival in mid-June on Shelden Avenue in downtown Houghton.  Events include an art fair with demonstrating artists and a lively variety of music by local and regional musicians.  The Community Arts Center hosts an information booth, family art activities area and an extreme bake sale.  There is plenty of parking and the event is free and open to everyone.  For more information, call the Arts Center at 906-482-2333.

The Pine Mountain Music Festival 2012 - It's All About Love" From Mozart to Sondheim - brings world class singers and instrumental ensembles to the Keweenaw June 11 through July 15 to perform opera, chamber music, new music, symphony, jazz and more.  For more information call 906-482-1542 or visit the website.

The Houghton Rotary Seafood Fest, always held on Father's Day weekend in conjunction with Bridgefest, offers a chance to sample your favorite seafood, listen to music and join in the fun.  For more information visit the website or email admin@houghtonrotary.com.

The Bridgefest Celebration, always held on Father's Day weekend, takes place at various locations throughout Houghton and Hancock. Events include a parade, a kids fair, arts & crafts, live music, the Houghton Rotary Seafood Fest, the children's shore fishing derby, the family olympics, and the fireworks extravaganza.  For more information visit the website of email info@bridgefestfun.com.

Always held on Father's Day weekend, in conjunction with Bridgefest, the Keweenaw Chain Drive Festival Mountain Bike Race has 16 & 32 mile point to point races and the Junior Chain Drive.  For more information visit the website or email haus@chartermi.net.  (Photo courtesy of Thomas Lindley).

The Longest Fishing Tournament is held on the waters of Lac La Belle, Copper Harbor, Eagle Harbor and Lake Medora. No boat is permitted more than 5 miles from the Lake Superior Shoreline. Tournament begins at 6 am on the "longest day", and ends at 3:30 pm with the Awards Ceremony at the Mariner North in Copper Harbor. Check in and weighing of fish are done at the Gaslite General Store. A pre-tournament meeting is always held on the Friday before the tournament at the Copper Harbor Community Building and includes refreshments, live music and a fish boil.  For more information call Don at (906) 289-4637.

Enjoy a family day of fun with prizes, lunch and refreshments at the Lake Linden-Hubbell Sportsmen's Club Fishing Derby at Rice Lake.  The event is always held on Michigan's Free Fishing Weekend.  For more information call Dave at 906-296-9431.

Main Street Calumet' Pasty Fest takes place the last weekend of June.  Events include the Pasty Walk and the Pasty Parade.  There will be food, fun and music in Agassiz Park on 4th Street.  The Pasty Bake-off begins at 1 pm, followed by children's games (including the dreaded PastyPull).  For more information, or to register for the bake-off, contact Main Street Calumet at 906-337-MAIN or info@mainstreetcalumet.com or visit the website..

Many Keweenaw communities, from South Range to Copper Harbor, have Independence Day celebrations with parades, childrens games, BBQs, entertainment and good old-fashioned family fun.  Fireworks displays will be held in Lake Linden on the 3rd and in South Range & Copper Harbor on the 4th.

The Annual Horse Trail Scramble Trail Run and Fitness Walk always takes place on July 4 beginning at 1 pm at Churning Rapids Trails at 53044 Hwy M-203, 4.5 miles past Hancock Beach on M-203 towards McLain State Park.  Challenge the 10k Trail Run or enjoy a leisurely 5k Fitness Walk.  The event is held in conjunction with the annual 4th of July Celebration at Churning Rapids.  Scramblers are invited to join the music, feast and festivities following the Scramble (please bring a dish to share and your own place settings & utensils if you are staying). There is no entry fee but donations are welcome and will go to the Keweenaw Land Trust's Land Stewardship Fund.  If you have any questions, please call Terry Kinsel at (906) 482-6827.

Held the first weekend in July, the International Guts Frisbee Tournament brings old fashioned "guts" frisbee to Agassiz Field on Elm Street in Calumet.  Visit the website for more information.

The Strawberry Festival, held in the downtown Chassell area, is two days of family fun the first weekend in July that isn't the 4th of July.  Events include an Arts & Crafts show, the Chassell Heritage Center Open House, horse-drawn wagon rides, a fish boil, live music and entertainment, a children's parade, awards and auction, queen crowning and dance, a French Toast Breakfast, the parade, a chicken BBQ, the Friends of Fashion Vintage Fashion Show, children's games and a quilt raffle.  Strawberry shortcake, brats, hot dogs, ice cream and more will also be available.  For information, or to register for the craft show, call Al at (906) 487-6708 or email aeckhart@chartermi.net.

Come join us for an exciting weekend on the beautiful and rugged trails of the Keweenaw.  Run the Keweenaw, A Festival of Trails is held in mid-July in Copper Harbor.  Saturday's activities include: the 6k hill climb at Mt. Baldy in Eagle Harbor, a kids 2k/5k run, the 12k Vasque Trails Challenge and the 12k Copper Harbor Trails Non-Competitive Run/Hike.  The 25k Carl Olson Memorial Adventure Trail Run and the awards ceremony take place on Sunday.  Registration and details are available on the website.

Held in Late July, the Canal Run includes a 10 mile run and a 10 mile competitive walk from McLain State Park to Hancock.  The run begins at 8 am at McLain State Park on M-203 west of Hancock.  The walk begins at 7 am.  T-shirts are provided to all participants with medals and trophies awarded to 1st, 2nd & 3rd place winners. Registration forms are available on the website.  Call 906-482-8562.

The End of the Road Keweenaw Tour & Car Show brings car and truck enthusiasts to Copper Harbor in late July. The Cruise leaves from the Pat's IGA Parking lot on Sixth Street in Calumet and the Car Show is held in Copper Harbor with awards, live entertainment, food and refreshments.  The event is a benefit for the Copper Harbor school.  For more information contact Matt at the Drift Inn at 906-337-3884 (ride questions) or Don at the Mariner North at 906-289-4637 (lodging questions).

Copper Harbor's Thunder in the Harbor, a Keweenaw Ride-In event, takes the last Saturday in July in downtown Copper Harbor.  Events start at 1 pm and include great food, a beer garden, bike show, biker games, horseshoe tournament, 50/50 raffle and more from Harley Davidson and lots of live music.

The annual reunion of the former Central Mine M.E. Church is held the last Sunday in July in the historic structure, 18 miles north of Calumet along US-41 in Keweenaw Count and features two services, the first at 9 am followed by an 11 am service.  For information contact Dave Thomas at 906-289-4579.

The Copperman Triathlon comes to Ft. Wilkins State Park on US-41 in Copper Harbor the first weekend in August.  Swim tranquil Lake Fanny Hooe, bike the rocky shores of Lake Superior & run through the wilderness on shaded roads.  Sponsored by the Keweenaw Memorial Medical Center.  For information visit the website or call Crystal Holzberger at 906-337-7000.

The A.E.Seaman Mineral Museum on the campus on Michigan Tech University in Houghton invites you to the Copper Country Mineral Retreat in early August.   This is a week of mineral collecting and more including prepared surface collecting, underground collecting, datolite collecting, photography workshop, a mineral banquet and auctions, invited speakers and more.  For more information contact the Museum at 906-487-2572 or dmcomfor@mtu.edu or visit the website.

History comes alive in August at Fort Wilkins State Park on US-41 just east of Copper Harbor.  Battery D, 1st Michigan Light Artillery, a Civil War era living history group returns to Fort Wilkins for a weekend encampment.  The weekend event is open to park visitors from 8 am to 8 pm on Friday and Saturday, and 8 am to 4 pm on Sunday.  Battery D will interpret army life of the period demonstrating artillery and small arms drills, period cooking and soldiers' pastimes.  A Michigan Recreation Passport is required for entrance into the park.  For more information, contact Fort Wilkins at 906-289-4215.  

St. Peters by the Sea on M-26 in Eagle Harbor hosts the annual Eagle Harbor Art Fair the second weekend in August.  For information and entry forms call 906-337-1252 or visit the website.  

The Kuparisaari Triathlon, a half-iron distance triathlon, is held in mid-August in Lac La Belle.  The event includes a 1.2 mile inland lake swim, a hilly and beautiful 56 mile bike course and the Lake Superior shore half marathon.  Complete details are available on the website.

The annual Heritage Celebration takes place on the third weekend in August in Agassiz Park on 4th Street in Calumet.  Activities begin with a breakfast featuring ethnic food followed by the horseshoe tournament, a parade, Coppertown USA Museum open house, live music, guided trolley and horse-drawn wagon tours, old-fashioned children's games, traditional artists/crafters, food vendors and the Great Deer Chase Mountain Bike Race.  For more information call Main Street Calumet at 906-337-6246 or visit the website..

The Annual Great Deer Chase mountain bike race is held at the Swedetown Trail system off Swedetown Road in Calumet.  The event, held in conjunction with Calumet's Heritage Days, features 15 and 25 mile cross country races as well as 3 and 4.25 mile youth races.  There is also a 40-yard Fawn Chase untimed youth race.  Races start at 10 am (Eastern) on Fourth Street in Calumet.  An awards ceremony is held at 4 pm.  Registration forms are available online and registration will be open at Cross Country Sports in downtown Calumet.  Visit the website for complete information or contact Marc at 906-337-1300 or gpc49913@charter.net.

The Michigan Tech MTB Rondevous is held on the Michigan Tech trail system off MacInnes Drive in Houghton in mid-August.  This is a 1 or 2 lap mountain bike race around the Tech trail system (on challenging but safe terrain entirely on trails with hills).  For more information email jjhaggen@mtu.edu or visit the website.  

Art in the Park, always the weekend after the Eagle Harbor Arts & Crafts Show, is held at the Community Center in Copper Harbor. This two day craft fair features local and regional artists, food and live entertainment. For information contact Johanna at 906-289-4363 or punkin906@yahoo.com.