Central UP Events

Thursday, April 9 3:30-5:30 p.m.  The Negaunee Public Library will hold a drop-in craft event for kids ages 5 and up from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 9. Children can stop by to create something fun to take home. Youngsters ages 7 and under must be accompanied by a caring adult; older youth who are unaccompanied must be able to provide a caring adult’s phone number in case of emergency. This event is free. For more information, visit the library’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NegauneePublicLibrary/ or call 906-475-7700 ext.18.  

Thursdays, April (9, 23, 30), 2026.  4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.  Peter White Public Library Youth Services Makerspace.  Youth of all ages who are interested in Pokémon card trading and gaming are invited to our new monthly Pokémon Trading & Gaming Sessions. Kids who attend will be able to trade & play the card game with other kids. Please note that staff do not know how to play the game, so it is not guaranteed that gaming will always happen. If your child has a friend they like to game with, come together! Kids will also be able to spend

Thursday, April 9 5 p.m.  The Negaunee Public Library is offering a poetry and short story night at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 9. This is a recurring event that meets on the second Thursday each month, but all are welcome to attend. Bring your own work or share a poem or story from your favorite writer or collection. This is a creative space to share the love of writing with others. This program is free and all are welcome to attend. For more information, visit the library’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NegauneePublicLibrary/ or call 906-475-7700 ext.18.  

Thursday, April 9 5:30 p.m.  The Negaunee Public Library will hold an interest meeting for a language club at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 9. All are welcome to attend and help to shape a new language learning group. This meeting is free. For more information, visit the library’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NegauneePublicLibrary/ or call 906-475-7700 ext.18. Negaunee Public Library will hold a graphic novel book club interest meeting at 3 p.m. Friday, April 10. Youth ages 10-18 are invited to attend and share ideas, decide meeting dates and times, and choose books for the group to read at this meeting.

Thursday, April 9, 2026,  6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m.  Peter White Public Library Community Room. Adults, Seniors. In partnership with NMU’s Visiting Writers program, Marquette Poets Circle hosts author Melissa Faliveno, former senior editor of Poets & Writers Magazine. Faliveno’s essay collection Tomboyland was named a best book of 2020 by NPR and Oprah Magazine, and their debut novel, Hemlock, was released in January 2026.  No admission charge.  For more information, contact Marty at 226-4322, machatz@pwpl.info, or visit pwpl.info.  

MARQUETTE – The “big bear” of Upper Peninsula festivals returns for its twelfth year after taking a brief hiatus in 2025 due to the opening of The Trestle Building. Ore Dock Brewing Company’s Festival of the Angry Bear is a spirited and much anticipated street festival that has become an annual spring tradition in downtown Marquette. Since its founding in 2014, the festival has evolved into a weekend long celebration as thousands of enthusiastic (and often fur-clad) celebrators gather to “wake the bear” and shed their winter fur in downtown Marquette. “After taking 2025 off so we could focus on

Tuesdays & Fridays April (7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24, 28), 2026.  10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.  Peter White Public Library Great Room.  Preschool age children. Stories, songs, finger-plays, crafts and other school-readiness activities for preschool age children and a loving adult. Siblings welcome.  No admission charge.  For more information and to check the status of the program, call 906-226-4323 or visit pwpl.info.  

Fridays, April (10, 17, 24) 2026.  Noon – 1:00 p.m.  Peter White Public Library, Heritage Room. In partnership with several area organizations, this hour-long event offers a safe space to pause, reflect, and build meaningful connections with others who are committed to cultivating kindness in our world. Each week, a different organization takes the lead, with experienced educators and leaders facilitating. This rotating format ensures diverse perspectives and practices while maintaining a shared commitment to the Charter for Compassion and the Circle of Trust principles.  For more information and to check on the status of the program, call 906-226-4303 or

Friday, April 10, 2026.  12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.  Peter White Public Library Community Room. Adults, Seniors. As part of the Great Lakes Poetry Festival, PWPL screens this portrait of a writer driven to become a great Canadian poet at a time when that title barely existed. Rated PG. No admission charge.  For more information, contact Marty at 226-4322, machatz@pwpl.info, or visit pwpl.info.  

Fridays, April (10, 17, 24), 2026.  4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.  Peter White Public Library Great Room. Meet other LEGO enthusiasts and build LEGO projects with the library’s LEGO blocks. Family friendly, children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by an adult.  No admission charge.  For more information and to check the status of the program, call 906-226-4323 or visit pwpl.info.