Central UP Events

February 23, 2026-January 2, 2027 This exhibit showcases two hundred and fifty artifacts, photographs, and documents from our permanent collections. These objects connect local history to the national story while commemorating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has often seemed remote from the rest of the country. However, the themes and movements of U.S. history can be seen here as well, especially since the War of 1812. When the country braced for the Civil War, U.P. iron miners raced to uncover iron for the Union army’s railroads and ammunitions. When labor movements exploded following

May 1st through July 31st, 2026. Peter White Public Library Youth Services desk   Jurassic Art Reception on August 4th, 2026  3:00pm-6:00pm   Calling all young artists! Youth of all ages are encouraged to submit art to the Peter White Public Library Youth Services desk beginning May 1st through July 31st, 2026. Artists may find inspiration in the Summer Reading: Unearth a Story theme, but are not confined to the given theme for their art pieces. We ask that your submissions do not exceed 12 inches in any direction, and that only one art piece is submitted per child. Submissions

Step Right Up for the Greatest Show in Marquette County: U.P. Hospice Foundation Unveils ‘A Night Under the Big Top’ presented by Dancing with our Stars Marquette County Style! After ten unforgettable years of dancing, fundraising, and community spirit, the beloved event is evolving! This year’s production transforms the stage into a whimsical, high-energy circus-inspired celebration packed with excitement, creativity, and show-stopping performances- all in support of compassionate Hospice care throughout our community. Under the glow of the big top, local celebrity groups will team up with talented Marquette dance professionals to deliver unforgettable performances that go far beyond traditional

June 17 – August 19, 2026 Opening Reception: Wednesday, June 17, 7-8:30pm The Folk School at Midsummer exhibit in the Finlandia Gallery at Finlandia Foundation’s Finnish American Heritage Center opens on Wednesday, June 17. A reception will begin at 7 p.m. that evening and takes place in conjunction with the opening of an archival exhibit featuring the works of painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela that are part of the Heritage Center’s archive collection.  “It has become an annual tradition to celebrate midsummer with work from our Folk School, but what visitors see in the exhibit really changes in beautiful ways from year

June 19 through Sept. 4. DeVos Art Museum Northern Michigan University’s DeVos Art Museum will host “North of the 45th,” an annual juried exhibition featuring artists living in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota locations north of the 45th parallel, which is known as the halfway point between the equator and north pole. The show opens June 19 and will be on display through Sept. 4. The 2026 jurors are: Shane McAdams, an artist, writer, curator and educator from Cedarburg, Wis.; and Shane Walsh, a painter and teacher who splits his time between studios in Milwaukee and New York City. Both are

Coming up Saturday, September 12 in Marquette, Michigan   Tickets went on sale Thursday, June 25 at 10am (at MiBeer.com) for the 17th Annual U.P. Fall Beer Festival hosted by the Michigan Brewers Guild on Saturday, September 12 along the Lake Superior shoreline in Marquette’s Mattson Lower Harbor Park.    General Admission is 1-6pm, with the gates opening at Noon for Enthusiast Members. Tickets are $55 per person in advance ($65 the day of). Those wanting a VIP experience can purchase tickets which allow for an extra hour of beer sampling-those tickets are $75 in advance or $85 the day

June 27 – August 22 Miners Memorial Heritage Park 771 E Ayer St. Ironwood, MI 49938   Free event   Sponsored by the Gogebic Community College Foundation, in memory of Alex Marciniak.   From June 27 through August 22, visitors are invited to wander the 1.2-mile Aurora Loop and discover large-scale installations nestled among towering pines, winding trails, and the rugged beauty of the Northwoods. Created by artists from across the region, this year’s exhibition reflects Emberlight’s 2026 theme, New Ways to Dream – exploring imagination, transformation, memory, identity, and the power of collective creativity.   Alongside this year’s juried

Please see attached pdf for info   MarquetteCountyHealthDepartment_20260622_100713

exhibition opens July 9 and will be on display through Oct. 3 The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at NMU will open a new exhibition July 9 that features the work of one of the U.P.’s most prolific photographers. It is titled “Munising in Black & White: The Photographs of Mary Jayne Hallifax.” She was an in-demand commercial photographer who also captured numerous candid images of her hometown over seven decades. Hallifax died in 2025 at the age of 96 and donated many of her original negatives to photograph collector Jack Deo, who is loaning 60

July 15 – August 22 Historic Depot Museum 150 N Lowell St. Ironwood, MI 49938   Free event   This annual exhibition transforms moments both grand and intimate into works of visual storytelling. Featuring the work of Emberlight’s acclaimed photography team and guest artists, these images form a vivid portrait not only of a region, but of the artists who continue to interpret it through their own unique lenses.   https://emberlight.org/event/emberlight-photographers-2026/  

The Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the 28th Annual Keweenaw’s Premier Golf Outing on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Rain date is Wednesday, September 16, 2026. The event will be held at the Portage Lake Golf Course, 46789 US – 41, Houghton, MI Check-in time 8:30AM Shotgun start at 9AM Must RSVP by August 28, 2026 Cost of Team: Team of four $450 – (includes green fees, cart, lunch and 1 drink ticket) Skins – $20 per team Mulligans – $10 per team Raffle Tickets – $20 per stretch Prize for BEST DRESSED! Top Prizes: • $125 Keweenaw Cash

We are now accepting applications for the 2026 26th Annual Holiday Art Sale, to be held at the Marquette Regional History Center on Saturday, November 14 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. There is limited space for this show and there will not be a tent this year.. Incomplete applications will be an automatic disqualification via the jury from the sale. Please drop them off or mail them to the Marquette Regional History Center. Additional details are in the application. The deadline to submit your completed application is September 14, 2026. Please email jbays@marquettehistory.org for additional info and thank you! We’re

The Marquette Area Sister Cities Partnership is proud to announce the 2026 incoming delegation from our sister city Higashiomi, Japan, celebrating our 47th year of sister city relations. A delegation of seven Higashiomi citizens will arrive in Marquette on July 19 and depart on July 29, 2026, Our seven delegates are the Deputy Mayor, a Higashiomi City Council member, Higashiomi City Staff, members of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Higashiomi International Exchange Association, and Higashiomi citizens. The Marquette Area Sister Cities Partnership Committee is proud to host the events for the Sister City delegation. The Japanese delegation is led

The U.P. Hospice Foundation is excited to announce that tickets will go on sale for the general public on July 20th for its signature annual fundraiser, A Night Under the Big Top – presented by Dancing with Our Stars Marquette County Style, taking place Thursday, October 8, 2026, at Kaufman Auditorium. After ten years of entertaining sold-out audiences, this year’s production introduces an exciting new circus-inspired theme that promises an unforgettable evening of music, dance, theatrical performances, dazzling costumes, and larger-than-life entertainment—all while supporting compassionate Hospice care for families throughout Marquette County. Tickets are $50 and include admission to both

ISHPEMING, Mich. – The St. Rocco-St. Anthony Society of Ishpeming will host its 126th annual Italian Fest on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at the Al Quaal Recreation Area in Ishpeming. The event is free and open to the public.  Festivities begin at noon and will feature a full day of Italian heritage, family entertainment, food, music, and community activities. Guests can enjoy traditional Italian and American cuisine, games of chance, ring toss, balloon darts, bingo, a giant glide slide, and a bounce house for children. One of the festival’s longstanding traditions, the Greased Pole competition, will return with participants competing

114 West Spring Street, Marquette, MI 49855   Dates: July 25, 2026 Queen City Half Marathon & Breakwater 5K   With a fast and scenic course taking you along the shores of Lake Superior, chip-timed results and near-award winning shirt and medal design, the Queen City Half Marathon and Breakwater 5K is a race that needs to be on your summer calendar! Beat the record and win big! Registration is now live, so don’t wait to sign up for this year’s race!   Proceeds for the race help sponsor JJ Packs, a local volunteer group that helps feed at-risk youth.

Art on the Rocks Saturday – Sunday, July 25 – 26

The Lake Superior Art Association presents the 66th Annual Art on the Rocks Fine Art Show, Saturday, July 25 & Sunday, July 26, 2026 at Mattson Lower Harbor Park in Marquette, Michigan. The Show is open to the public from 10:00am-6:00pm on Saturday and 10:00am-4:00pm on Sunday. Admission is always free.  Art on the Rocks is a juried fine art fair hosted on the last full weekend of July each year. Art on the Rocks features over 100 artist booths featuring local, regional, and national artists presenting and selling artwork representing a wide variety of both 2-D and 3-D media,

July 25, 8 am The Queen City Half Marathon and Breakwater 5k return this summer on Saturday, July 25. Both races start at 114 West Spring St.. with the Breakwater 5k starting at 8 am and the Half Marathon at 8:05 am. Race Registration and Packet Pickup will be on Friday, July 24th, from 11 am – 7 pm. Registration is NOT available on race day.  

Saturday Morning Farmers Market Saturdays, May 16 – Nov., 9 am – 1 pm

July 25, 10 am – 6 pm July 26, 10 am – 4 pm Find over 140 artists featured at the Art on the Rocks Festival this month, held in Mattson Lower Harbor Park. Open from 10 am – 6 pm on Saturday, July 25, and 10 am – 4 pm on Sunday, July 26, this event helps to support local artists and creators in our community as well as bringing artists from across the country.  

The St. Rocco–St. Anthony Society of Ishpeming will host its 126th annual Italian Fest on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at the Al Quaal Recreation Area in Ishpeming. The event is free and open to the public.   Festivities begin at noon and will feature a full day of Italian heritage, family entertainment, food, music, and community activities. Guests can enjoy traditional Italian and American cuisine, games of chance, ring toss, balloon darts, bingo, a giant glide slide, and a bounce house for children.   One of the festival’s longstanding traditions, the Greased Pole competition, will return with participants competing for

Saturday, July 25 at 1:00 pm CDT Miners Memorial Heritage Park 771 E Ayer St. Ironwood, MI 49938   Free event   Jeff Walker learned the art of blacksmithing twenty years ago in his home state of South Dakota. As a member of the Dakota Artists-Blacksmiths’ Association, he is passionate about preserving blacksmithing in the modern world. Now transplanted to Northern Wisconsin, he travels with a trailer full of tools, portable forges, and homemade charcoal, and showcases his blacksmithing wherever there are people curious about this ancient craft.   https://emberlight.org/event/jeff-walker-blacksmith/  

Saturday, July 25, 2026 6:30pm Women’s Federated Clubhouse, 104 W. Ridge St. The League of Women Voters of Marquette County invites all citizens to a free event on July 25, 2026 at the Women’s Federated Clubhouse, 104 W. Ridge St. in Marquette at 6:30pm. Mark Brewer, a long-time election consultant and lawyer, will speak on Challenges in Michigan Elections 2026.  Mark has been the litigator for the League of Women Voters of Michigan in the past, and continues as a vigilant observer and commentator on the state of election law and security in Michigan. His presentation will be preceded by

Saturday, July 25 at 7:00 pm CDT Theatre North 825 N Lake St. Ironwood, MI 49938   $10 Regular seats; Free student tickets   This film takes a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of an opera house against the backdrop of the politicians, philanthropists, artists and institutions that collectively shaped the cultural life of New York City, including the people who were displaced from their homes to make room for the new center. Their intersection would lead to the transformation of a neighborhood and the building of one of the crown jewels of the city’s cultural institutions.    https://emberlight.org/event/the-opera-house/