Wooden Boat Show & Summer Solstice Pageant draws hundreds to North House Folk School
Jun 23, 2025 11:20AM ● By Content Editor
By Brittany North and Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - June 23, 2025
While temperatures soared near 100 degrees throughout Minnesota, Grand Marais' "built-in air conditioner," also known as Lake Superior, kept temperatures pleasant and mild (perhaps even a little chilly for some) for the annual Wooden Boat Show and Summer Solstice Pageant this past weekend. Hundreds of people visited North House Folk School on Friday and Saturday to walk along a variety of wooden boats, try their hands at different crafts, enjoy food from the Grand Marais Lions Club, Superior Creamery, and chowder from local restaurants, listen to live music, and of course, watch the Summer Solstice Pageant, courtesy of the Good Harbor Hill Players.
North House Folk School Facilities Director Joe Beres said, “The Wooden Boat Festival is a great reason to bring the community together, not only locals but those who’ve never been to Grand Marais or Cook County. It’s also a way to support Empty Bowls and the Lions Club, to learn about the harbor, and how you can be part of North House.”
A group of long-time friends sharing stories over chowder as they return to the Wooden Boat Festival this year. Photo by Brittany North
Friends simultaneously experiencing chowder, boats, the harbor, and North House Folk School. Photo by Brittany North
Cedar strip canoe: “Locals, Carol Anderson Morgan and Jeff Reihle, share knowledge about the cedar strip canoe they built, named Bear Mountain Prospector. Photo by Brittany North
Boats to Tools Auction consisted of tools, gear, craft essentials, and things that float! Photo by Brittany North
Cody Meyers provided quite the punny blacksmithing demo. Photo by Brittany North
Learning to make pom poms from yarn was part of the fiber station. Photo by Brittany North
Shelling out smiles and filling hungry bellies, one bowl of chowder at a time, to raise money for Empty Bowls. Photo by Brittany North. 
Shelling out smiles and filling hungry bellies, one bowl of chowder at a time, to raise money for Empty Bowls. Photo by Brittany North.
Shelling out smiles and filling hungry bellies, one bowl of chowder at a time, to raise money for Empty Bowls. Photo by Brittany North.
The 2025 Summer Solstice Pageant kicked off amongst the fog on Saturday evening. The pageant, organized by the Good Harbor Hill Players, has been held annually since 1999. Board Chair Lindsey Gau addressed the crowd before the show and stated that, typically, around 800 people attend the summer pageant each year. By the looks of the packed crowd on Saturday evening gathered to watch the show, that number seemed accurate.
Earlier in the week, the Good Harbor Hill Players received a special shout-out from the Jim Henson Foundation on Facebook, stating that the Summer Solstice Pageant is one of the "Can’t-miss puppet shows you should catch this summer."
The theme for the 2025 show was "Bring Your Own Light."
Community members and visitors packed any available space at North House Folk School to watch the 2025 Good Harbor Hill Players Summer Solstice Pageant. Photo by Laura Durenberger-Grunow
The show, which is entirely volunteer-driven and performed, consisted not only of performers but also of tons of behind-the-scenes creators and crafters. Photo by Laura Durenberger-Grunow
This year's performance included a large ship. Photo by Laura Durenberger-Grunow
Performers on stilts dressed as giraffes wowed the crowd. Photo by Laura Durenberger-Grunow
This year's performance included a large ship. Photo by Laura Durenberger-Grunow
The sun at the end of the show marked the longest day of the year, while the live band sang "Let The Sunshine In." Photo by Laura Durenberger-Grunow
