Cook County is kicking off summer on Memorial Day Weekend with events for sports, arts and history enthusiasts. From gravel cycling to art with a view, Cook County will be the place to be. Events include the Le Grand Du Nord Gravel Cycling Classic biking event, Art Along the Lake gallery events and the opening of Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center on the Gunflint Trail, which will feature a brand new exhibit commemorating the 10thanniversary of the Ham Lake Fire.
Le Grand Du Nord is a gravel cycling event on Saturday May 27 with 100-mile and 50-mile distances. This will be the event’s second year and up to 300 riders are expected to attend. The event begins and ends in downtown Grand Marais. Riders take off from Artists’ Point and (new this year!) will complete their rides at Voyageur Brewing Company for live music, food and beer. Spectators are welcome at the start or the finish line.
Art Along the Lake highlights a collaboration of the art galleries in Cook County. The galleries will host a variety of events, Friday May 26 – Sunday May 28. Events include artist demonstrations, children’s activities and a bronze pour where visitors can watch an artist pour hot bronze to create a cast bronze sculpture.
Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center is located 54 miles up the Gunflint Trail Scenic Byway and will open on May 27 for the season. A brand-new exhibit will tell the stories of the Ham Lake Fire, which occurred in May 2007. A panel designed by Split Rock Studios in Arden Hills, Minn., displays the fire progression via a map and photographs. Using a tablet device, visitors to the museum are able to listen to WTIP Community Radio audio interviews and view Good Measure Media’s Ham Lake Fire video. An electronic photo frame shows photographs received from the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department, Cook County, local residents and others. This compelling new exhibit will be open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. every day beginning on Saturday May 27.
