NMU Music Hosts Summer Concert Series
2026-07-14 17:00, 2026-07-21 17:00 UTC | NMU Reynolds Recital Hall, Marquette, Michigan
The Northern Michigan University Department of Music will present a second season of Its series, Summer Concerts at Reynolds (SCR). This year’s events will all take place at 5 p.m. in Reynolds Recital Hall on Tuesdays in July and August. Admission is free, though donations will be gratefully accepted, with all proceeds benefiting the department to enhance the experience for students.
This summer, SCR is highlighting music department faculty members, who are highly trained professional musicians as well as full-time educators. They will present both solo and group performances. Further details will be shared at nmu.edu/music and the department’s social media accounts. The list of concert dates and featured artists follows:
July 7: Echoes of the Jazz Age: An Exploration of Early Jazz, featuring Mark Flaherty, Steve Riley, Steve Grugin, Christopher Schoelen, Gordon Erickson and Jim Strain
July 14: Fiddle & Folk Tunes, featuring Barbara Rhyneer and other talented community musicians
July 21: World premiere of The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse, featuring Patrick Booth
July 28: Romanza: A Classical Guitar Recital, featuring Christopher Schoelen
Aug. 4: Fluxus, Improvisation & Audience Participation, featuring Patrick Booth and Keri Lee Pierson
Aug. 11: The Complete 24 Italian Songs & Arias: Part 1, featuring Theresa Camilli, Keri Lee Pierson and Stephanie Beinlich

PWPL Presents: Drop-in Meditation with Meditate Marquette
2026-07-14 18:00 - 19:00, 2026-07-17 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-07-21 18:00 - 19:00, 2026-07-24 12:00 - 13:00 | pwpl, 217 N Front St, Marquette, MI, 49855, United States
Tuesdays, July (7, 14, 21, 28) 2026. 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Fridays, July (3, 10, 17, 24, 31) 2026. Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Peter White Public Library Heritage Room.
Mediate Marquette and PWPL have collaborated to offer two weekly, in-person mindfulness meditation programs. Sessions will include a combination of talks, seated meditation, and movement practices. All individuals, regardless of previous experience or spiritual affiliation, are welcome to attend.
For further information, please contact meditatemarquette@gmail.com or call 906-226-4303.

Emberlight Festival Emberlight Photographers Exhibition
2026-07-15 00:00 - 2026-08-22 23:59 | Historic Depot Museum, 150 N Lowell St., Ironwood, MI, 49938, United States
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/

Emberlight Festival Emberlight Photographers Grand Opening
2026-07-15 16:00 | Historic Depot Museum, 150 N Lowell St., Ironwood, MI, 49938, United States
Wednesday, July 15 at 4:00 pm CDT
Historic Depot Museum
150 N Lowell St. Ironwood, MI 49938

Free event

Join us on Wednesday, July 15 at 4:00 pm at the Historic Depot Museum for the opening reception of Emberlight Photographers 2026 – an evening celebrating the artists, images, and visual storytelling that have become one of the festival’s signature traditions. Throughout the evening, guests can meet the photographers, hear the stories behind the images, and explore the exhibition as Festival Ironwood officially comes to life across downtown Ironwood.

https://emberlight.org/event/emberlight-photographers-grand-opening-2026/

The Marquette Regional History Center presents: Historic Marquette Bus Tours 2026
2026-07-15 18:00 - 19:30, 2026-07-21 13:00 - 14:30, 2026-07-22 18:00 - 19:30 | Marquette Regional History Center, 145 W. Spring Street, Marquette, Michigan
Enjoy a tour through town in an air-conditioned Checker bus. Sit back and relax, meet a few entertaining historic characters, and learn from the tour guide along the route. Each summer the tours include something new, and delight locals and tourists as well. 90-minute tour departs from and returns to the MRHC.
Tickets are $25, and on sale now!
Advanced purchase is recommended.
These tours sell out fast. For more information and ticket purchase visit marquettehistory.org.

Eight total tours in July and August.
July Bus Tours:
6:00 p.m Wednesdays: July 15, 22, 29
1:00 p.m Tuesdays: July 21 & 28

August Historic Marquette Bus Tours:
1:00 p.m. Tuesday: August 4 & 11
6:00 p.m. Wednesday: August 5

PWPL Presents: Concert on the Steps
2026-07-15 18:30 - 19:30, 2026-07-22 18:30 - 19:30 | pwpl, 217 N Front St, Marquette, MI, 49855, United States
Wednesdays, July (8, 15, 22, 29), 2026, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Peter White Public Library Front Street Steps.
Teens, Family, Adults, Seniors. Dust off your lawn chairs and unpack your picnic blankets–Concert on the Steps is back! This summer, enjoy an all-star lineup of incredible performances right on the library historical steps. Concerts run 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the Front Street Steps. Inclement weather location is the Community Room.
Visit pwpl.info for the updated weather location!

Wednesday, July 8: Finding Feathers (formerly Seth Brown Duo)
Wednesday, July 15: Bluegrass Throwdown
Wednesday, July 22: Ramble Tamble
Wednesday, July 29: Copy That

PWPL Presents: Gather2Grow: Feeding America West Michigan
2026-07-16 11:30 - 13:00, 2026-07-21 11:30 - 13:00, 2026-07-23 11:30 - 13:00 | pwpl, 217 N Front St, Marquette, MI, 49855, United States
Tuesdays & Thursdays July (2, 7, 9, 14, 16, 21, 23, 28, 30), 2026.
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Peter White Public Library Lower Level Lobby.
PWPL is once again partnering with Feeding America West Michigan in the Gather2Grow summer meals program and will serve as a pickup site for shelf stable meals. Available at no cost to all youth (18 and under) and disabled adults up to age 26.
No admission charge.
For more information and to check the status of the program, call 906-226-4323 or visit pwpl.info.

Music on Third
2026-07-16 18:00
Music on Third

Thursdays, July 16, Aug. 20, Sept. 17, 6 – 9 pm

Saturday Morning Farmers Market﻿
2026-07-18 09:00 - 13:00, 2026-07-25 09:00 - 13:00
Saturday Morning Farmers Market

Saturdays, May 16 – Nov., 9 am – 1 pm

Marquette Area Sister Cities Partnership to Host Delegation from Higashiomi Japan
2026-07-19 00:00 - 2026-09-29 23:59
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 by Higashiomi Deputy Mayor Namikawa. Host families are needed to host our seven delegates. Delegates will be in the Marquette Area for 11 days and 10 nights.
Delegation visits include two host family days and seven community days provided by the Marquette Area Sister Cities Partnership.
For an application form or for more information, visit http://www.mqtsistercity.org/, contact the Marquette Area Sister Cities Partnership at contact@mqtsistercity.org, or contact Board Members Bill Brazier at (906) 869-4859 or Collin Banger at (616) 368-2624.

PWPL Presents: Storytime In the Park- Ohio St. Park
2026-07-21 09:30 - 10:00 | Williams Park, Marquette, MI, 49855, United States
Tuesdays July (7, 14, 21), 2026. 9:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
Ohio St. (Williams) Park.
Families and youth, join us outdoors for Park Storytime! Books, songs, action songs, bubbles & parachute play, and more! Rain Location-Peter White Public Library Community Room.
No admission charge.
For more information and to check the status of the program, call 906-226-4323 or visit pwpl.info.

PWPL Presents: 1-ON-1 Tech Coaching for Seniors
2026-07-21 10:00 - 15:00 | pwpl, 217 N Front St, Marquette, MI, 49855, United States
Tuesday, July (7,14,21,28), 2026 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Local History Research Room, Peter White Public Library.
Need help with the settings on your phone or iPad? Want to download travel apps before you leave town? Need help utilizing the library’s Memory Lab or navigating Libby? Learn how to make your electronic devices work the way you want, with the help of Christine Ault, retired teacher and tech coach, Tuesday mornings from 10 AM – 3 PM during June, July and August in the Local History Research Room of the Peter White Public Library.
Call the Reference Desk at 906-226-4311 to schedule a 30-minute session.
Please charge your electronic device and have your questions prepared before each session.
Bring your passwords and pins as needed.

Wednesday Night Farmers Market﻿
2026-07-22 17:00 - 20:00
Wednesday Night Farmers Market

Wednesdays, June – August, 5 – 8 pm

Annual Italian Fest Returns to Ishpeming
2026-07-25 00:00 - 23:59
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 for a $100 prize.
Event Schedule
Noon – Festivities Begin
1:30 p.m. – Children’s Games Begin (Sawdust pile, sack races, egg toss, and more)
2:00 – 4:00 p.m. – Live Music by Soundz of Time
4:00 – 4:30 p.m. – Performance by the Blue Notes Drum Line
4:30 – 6:30 p.m. – Live Music by Diamanti
Italian Fest remains one of the Upper Peninsula’s longstanding summer traditions, bringing together families, residents, and visitors to celebrate the rich Italian heritage that helped shape the Ishpeming community. For additional event information, visit ishpemingitalianfest.com.

Art on the Rocks﻿
2026-07-25 00:00 - 2026-07-26 23:59
Art on the Rocks

Saturday – Sunday, July 25 – 26

126th Annual Italian Fest
2026-07-25 12:00 - 18:30 | Al Quaal Recreation Area, 501 Poplar Street, Ishpeming, Michigan, 49849
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 a $100 prize.

Event Schedule
Noon — Festivities Begin
1:30 p.m. — Children’s Games Begin (Sawdust pile, sack races, egg toss, and more)
2:00 – 4:00 p.m. — Live Music by Soundz of Time
4:00 – 4:30 p.m. — Performance by the Blue Notes Drum Line
4:30 – 6:30 p.m. — Live Music by Diamanti

Italian Fest remains one of the Upper Peninsula’s longstanding summer traditions, bringing together families, residents, and visitors to celebrate the rich Italian heritage that helped shape the Ishpeming community. For additional event information, visit ishpemingitalianfest.com.

Emberlight Festival Jeff Walker, Blacksmith (Performance Infusion)
2026-07-25 13:00 | Miners Memorial Heritage Park, 771 E Ayer St., Ironwood, MI, 49938, United States
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/

League of Women Voters present: election expert Mark Brewer speak on Challenges in Michigan Elections 2026
2026-07-25 18:30 | Women’s Federated Clubhouse, 104 W. Ridge St., Marquette, MI, 49855, United States
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 a brief review of What’s on Your Ballot in the August Primary Election? by a member of the Voter Services Committee of LWVMC.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Membership in the League is open to anyone 16 years of age and older who subscribes to the purposes and policies of the League. For more information, email lwvmqtco@gmail.com or visit the website: lwvmqt.org

Emberlight Festival The Opera House (Art on Film)
2026-07-25 19:00 | Theatre North, 825 N Lake St., Ironwood, MI, 49938, United States
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/

BIPOC Outdoors Summit & Rest Retreat
2026-07-27 00:00 - 2026-07-31 23:59
July 27-31
Northern Michigan University will host the 2026 BIPOC Outdoors Summit & Rest Retreat July 27-31. While the events are designed to center the experiences of Black, Indigenous and People of Color in outdoor spaces, everyone is welcome to participate. The emphasis is on creating an environment that fosters belonging, reflection and engagement with nature.
Programming will include outdoor adventures, skills workshops and discussions focused on leadership, wellness and community-building. Attendees will also have access to restorative spaces intended for reflection, connection and self-care.
The summit July 27-28 will feature keynote speakers, breakout sessions and local excursions. Block lodging will be at the Ramada Inn, with bookings encouraged by June 27. General registration is $175 and includes two light breakfasts, two lunches and an evening reception.
Jean Alicia Elster, a 2017 Kresge Fellow and award-winning author whose work brings family oral histories to life through powerful historical fiction, will deliver the first keynote. For more than 40 years, she and her family have returned annually to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Lance Woods, co-founder of WeRun313, is the other keynote speaker.
On a related note, the summit includes a new 5K run/walk on Monday, July 27, in collaboration with Woods. Registration is $20 for the general public and $5 for NMU students, faculty/staff and alumni. Check-in is at 5 p.m. at the Wildcat statue outside Jamrich Hall and the race starts at 6.
The Rest Retreat July 29-31 will be held at Raging River Campground, with reservations requested by July 1. It features excursions to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Big Bay, along with fly fishing and other campsite activities.
Basic registration of $250 includes a three-day, two-night shared campsite experience-reservations requested by July 1-two breakfasts and two dinners. Participants will need to bring and set up their own camping equipment; rentals are also available.
NMU’s Office of Opportunity, Empowerment and People is coordinating the summit and rest retreat.
For more information, visit https://nmu.edu/bipoc-outdoors/.
