Celebrate Lake Superior Day in Copper Harbor July 20

COPPER HARBOR -- Celebrate the beauty and bounty of Lake Superior this Sunday, July 20! Copper Harbor community volunteers, along with the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative, are organizing the second annual Lake Superior Day Festival, Sunday, July 20, with lots of special activities at the 6th Street Dock along the Copper Harbor Boardwalk (near Isle Royale Queen boat dock).

* Enjoy fish stew (Kalamojakka), homemade pies, rieska (Finnish flatbread) and more for a community picnic ($5 donation suggested).
* Canoe races and kayak demonstrations
* Interactive art (paint the model freighter)
* ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) demonstrations by the Dollar Bay High School S.O.A.R. team

On the dock near the Portage Lake District Library, Dollar Bay High School student Stanley Peterson prepares the ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) for a demonstration during a July 1, 2014, Ride the Waves program sponsored by Portage Library and Michigan Tech's Great Lakes Research Center. Dollar Bay students will demonstrate this equipment in Copper Harbor on Sunday, July 20, as part of the Lake Superior Day celebration. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

* Learn about the health of Lake Superior from a presentation by Great Lakes scientist Marcel Dijkestra from Michigan Tech Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
* Live music, poetry, and more.

From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., attendees can find out how scientists study the Great Lakes by taking a 25-minute scientific excursion in the harbor aboard Michigan Tech’s research vessel the Agassiz. These excursions are offered as part of the Ride the Waves Program with funding from General Motors.

Michigan Tech's research boat, the Agassiz, picks up passengers near the Portage Lake District Library on July 1, 2014, for a Ride the Waves scientific excursion. Similar trips are planned for Sunday, July 20, during the Lake Superior Day celebration in Copper Harbor.

The Agassiz will depart every half-hour from the Isle Royale Queen dock beginning at 1 p.m. Participants must be at least seven years old, and children must be accompanied by an adult. All should wear closed-toe shoes. Space is limited. Interested participants may pre-register for an excursion on the Agassiz by calling 906-487-3341 or email Lloyd Wescoat at lwescoat@mtu.edu. For more information about the event, contact lead organizer, Don Kilpela, Isle Royale Queen captain, at 906-289-4735.

Lake Superior Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in July in many communities around Lake Superior. The event, now in its 11th year, is spearheaded by the Lake Superior Binational Forum to highlight the special connections people have to this unique world treasure.*

Maritime History program at Fort Wilkins

For those interested in the Lake's history, Fort Wilkins Historic State Park, Copper Harbor, will be hosting a program titled "Maritime History of Lake Superior focused on Shipwrecks including the Edmund Fitzgerald" at 7 p.m. at the Lighthouse Overlook Deck.

George Schafer, ranger at Fort Wilkins, will be giving a talk on the Maritime History of our beautiful Lake and of the shipwrecks on the lake. A copper model of the Edmund Fitzgerald will be on display.

For information please call 906-289-4215.

* Click here on the Lake Superior Binational Forum Web site to learn more about Lake Superior Day events around the lake. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality also provides information on Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes -- or visit EPA’s website.