Join us for the 2024 North House Folk School Wooden Boat Show and Summer Solstice Festival on June 21-23, 2024 at the North House Folk School in Grand Marais, Minnesota. Rows of hand-made and unique watercraft, a boat parade, craft demonstrations, an evening square dance, boat and tool auction, chili and brats. There’s a bit of everything during our Wooden Boat Show and Summer Solstice Festival.

Try your hand at a workshop or course; be inspired by the stories of boat builders, sailors and travelers; plan your next adventure. Join us as we welcome the summer season in the best way possible: talking boats, celebrating community and hanging out on the shores of Lake Superior.

Wooden boats galore, activities for people of all ages, a celebration of the start of summer on Lake Superior. The Wooden Boat Show is made possible with the support of many volunteers each year. It’s not only a great way to help support an educational, fun-filled event, it’s an opportunity to meet other folks and be a part of making it all happen!

Location

North House Folk School
500 W Highway 61
Grand Marais, MN 55604

Wooden Boat Show Event Highlights

On Campus Events: June 21-23, 2024
NOTE: Following schedule detail is from prior year for reference.

Crafting on the Commons – Friday-Saturday

Witness skilled traditional craft artisans as they join up in community over the weekend to celebrate the process of craft. Demonstrators will be on hand outdoors Friday-Saturday, welcoming your curiosity, questions and interest.

Wooden Boat Display – Friday-Saturday

Wooden boat builders and enthusiasts from across the Midwest are invited to display their crafts on campus throughout the weekend. Admire the work of others, get your questions answered and perhaps feel inspired to build one of your own. Registration begins in early spring.

Family Drop-In Crafts – Friday-Saturday

Bring the whole family down to the Boat Show and drop by the Family Area. We’ll have craft supplies for all ages to join in the fun as we get creative on the theme of boats, water, and fish! Perfect for imaginative folks ages 2-102. We will host a number of short drop-by activities for family small groups on campus.

Boats-to-Tools Auction – Friday-Saturday

Find boats, unique craft, tools, books, and other treasures for sale at our annual auction! Interested in supporting North House’s mission by providing a donation? If you have a boat you are interested in headlining the auction, contact Libby (llarson@northhouse.org). We’ll begin accepting all other items in late May. For more information, visit the Boats to Tools auction page.

Community Gatherings

To be announced.

Updates throughout Winter; Full Schedule available early May. See Full Schedule

About the North House Folk School

North House Folk School, host of the annual Wooden Boat Show and Summer Solstice Festival, was founded in 1997 by a small handful of inspired locals passionate about traditional craft and cooperative learning. When we published the first catalog of 12 courses (including Inuit kayak building, Scandinavian bowl carving, and canoe paddle making), North House didn’t yet have a home — or even a classroom. However, two old forest service buildings on the harbor serendipitously became available, and North House settled in and began building a campus. Campus has changed and expanded over the years, but those two original buildings — the red building and the blue building — are still at its heart. North House has thrived over the ensuing two decades, and now hosts over 350 classes and 3,000 students per year, and connects students and instructors from all over the state, country, and world.

Mark your calendar today so you don’t miss the next North House Folk School Wooden Boat Show and Summer Solstice Festival in June at the North House Folk School in Grand Marais, Minnesota.

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