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Happenings in the Keweenaw Peninsula July 16, 2007  Updated July 17, 2007 Press release  © 2007 Keweenaw Krayons. Published with permission. Photos © 2007 Gustavo Bourdieu and Michele Anderson, as indicated.

Keweenaw Mountain Lodge to celebrate Grand Opening with Thimbleberry Jam Fest July 21

COPPER HARBOR -- The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge and Keweenaw Krayons are joining efforts to offer a premiere event this month. The eighth annual Thimbleberry Jam Festival will be held in conjunction with the Grand Opening of the newly remodeled Keweenaw Mountain Lodge in Copper Harbor.

The art and music festival will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday July 21, at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge. The schedule is as follows:

10:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. -- Keweenaw Mountain Lodge Grand Opening. See the amazing new 7,000 square-foot conference center, renovated lodge, dining area and lodging units. 

Darlene Bjorn, Keweenaw Mountain Lodge general manager, prepares tables in the new banquet room for a large group of visitors on June 30, 2007. Bjorn said the room can accommodate 280 people for dining. (Photo © 2007 Michele Anderson)

Noon - 4 p.m. Guided Trail Hike/Bike Tours leaving at the top of each hour, courtesy of the Copper Harbor Trail Club. Explore the NEW hike/bike trails from the Lodge to Copper Harbor. A limited number of mountain bikes will be made available by Keweenaw Adventure Company. 

Food and beverages will be available for purchase throughout the day, including what else? Thimbleberry Sundaes! The Mt. Lodge will be serving/selling hot dogs, sloppy Joes, tuna and ham salad sandwiches. Visitors may also taste a free sample of a special, surprise dish. 
 

The Thimbleberry Jam Fest is part of the Key Ingredients / Michigan Foodways year-long series of events, which opened locally on July 13 with exhibits at the Keweenaw Heritage Center and in store windows in Calumet. Keweenaw Krayons is exhibiting this large thimbleberry mosaic made out of jelly beans in the window of Calumet Mercantile on Fifth Street. (Photo © 2007 Michele Anderson)

The lodge restaurant will also be open for meals and will be serving their prime rib buffet from 5 p.m.  to 9 p.m. Reservations are recommended for parties with more than five. 

The following acts are signed on to perform at the event:

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m. -- Seth Bernard and Daisy May*
11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. -- On the Spot Blues Band
1 p.m. - 2 p.m. -- Crawfish Moiakka 
2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. Graham Parsons and Joe Artibee
3:45 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. Erin Smith and Scott McIntosh
5 p.m. - 6 p.m. Fiddlehead
6:15 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. Seth Bernard and Daisy May*
7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Keweenaw Jazz Band
Seth Bernard and Daisy May will be joining some of the above musicians on stage throughout the day.

The following musicians will be playing during break times: 
· The Mineral Range Mandolins
· Kiersten Bergdahl Birondo 
· Ariel and AHarpo on the Harp
· Don Rupp and Billie Clark of The Noteblenders 
· Kristen Niemela, Katie Johnson, Heaven Hawkins, Matt Manninen and Joe Peterson 
Sound by: Red House Recording

While admission to the music events is free, donations are welcome. Music schedules are subject to change. .

Crawfish Moiakka, a local Cajun band, will be among the musical groups performing at Keweenaw Krayons' Thimbleberry Jam Fest July 21 at the Grand Opening of the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge in Copper Harbor. Pictured here during their performance at Keweenaw Krayons' 2007 Mardi Gras party, from left, are Oren Tikkanen, guitar, mandolin; Randy Seppala, percussion; Audrey Viola, bass and vocal; Kelly Suvanto, fiddle; Gary Aho, fiddle, guitar, vocal. (Photo © 2007 Gustavo Bourdieu)

Festival goers are invited to stick around after the Jam Fest for easy listening jazz by Mz. Behavin’ with the Swing Cats inside the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge from 9 p.m. till midnight. 

Another night-time option is a trip to the Fort Wilkins Historic State Park, where Fiddlehead will be playing during "Fort Wilkins by Candlelight," beginning at 8 p.m. 

The On the Spot Blues Band, pictured here at Keweenaw Krayons' 2007 Mardi Gras party, will also play at the Thimbleberry Jam Fest July 21 at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge. Musicians are John Snyder, guitar and  vocals; Eric Vertin, trumpet; Joey Utzman, drums (in the photo but hidden); Steve Loukus, alto sax; Trevor Mills, bass; Peter Golus, trombone. Not pictured is Phil Munch, bass. (Photo © 2007 Gustavo Bourdieu)

Additional parking will be found in Copper Harbor. Day parking at the Fort will also be available -- motor vehicle permit required. Shuttle buses will run throughout the day between Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, Copper Harbor and Fort Wilkins. From 10:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. the Copper Harbor School bus and the Red Jacket Trolley will be available for free rides to and from the Harbor and the Fort. The bus rides are underwritten by U.P. Engineers and Architects and the Red Jacket Trolley.

Artists and vendors will occupy spaces both inside the NEW conference center at the Mountain Lodge and outside on the grounds. All vendors will have at least one thimbleberry related item to display. Due to the ample indoor space at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, the event will take place regardless of weather conditions. In the case of rain, musical artists will be moved indoors.

A Harpo will perform at various times inside the new Keweenaw Mountain Lodge conference center during the Thimbleberry Jam Fest on July 21. Here she entertains at Keweenaw Krayons' 2007 Mardi Gras party.*** (Photo © 2007 Gustavo Bourdieu)

"This is going to be such an amazing event and we are thrilled with the partners and supporters we have at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge," said Carol Rose, Keweenaw Krayons marketing director. "Over the past eight years this little fundraising function has grown into a major musical event in the Keweenaw. What better way to make it more accessible to all and really create the county-wide event of the summer than to partner with the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge?"

The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge was built in the 1930s as a part of Civil Works Administration’s solution to decrease the high unemployment rate due to the closing of the local mines. Spanning 167 acres, the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, a county-owned facility, boasts a fine golf course, spectacular dining and beautiful lodging facilities. With the completion of their recent renovation and expansion project the Mountain Lodge now has a spectacular 7,000-square-foot conference facility that can host up to 280 people for various types of events. In addition, the Mountain Lodge, formerly closed in winter, underwent essential renovations that will allow the main lodge/dining room and 18 lodging units to remain open year-round.** 

This photo shows one of the entrances to the new Conference Center at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge in Copper Harbor. (Photo © 2007 Gustavo Bourdieu)

Keweenaw Krayons began in the summer of 1998 as a way for kids to work on art projects that vary from watercolors and pottery to murals and sculptures that can be seen throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula. Keweenaw Krayons is a non-profit organization that provides art programs for kids and families for little or no fee. The Thimbleberry Jam Fest is one of the major annual fundraisers for Keweenaw Krayons.

Vendors and quality artists may contact Keweenaw Krayons at 906-337-4706 or staff@keweenawkrayons.org  for more information. For additional information about the event, log on to www.keweenawkrayons.com  or www.AtTheLodge.com.

Editor's Notes:

* Read about Seth Bernard and Daisy May on Earthwork Music.com.

** See a related story on the renovation of the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, coming soon.

*** Visit A Harpo's Web site to learn more about her.

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