Keep It In The UP!

League of Women Voters of Marquette County Meeting
2025-04-02 18:30 - 20:00 UTC
The League of Women Voters of Marquette County will hold its next general membership meeting on Wednesday, April 2nd at 6:45 p.m. Social time begins at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in Studio 1 on the Lower Level of the Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St., Marquette. The meeting will feature a presentation about immigration by the NMU student group, the Latinx Student Union.
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.

All community members are welcome to attend. For more information, send an email to lwvmqtco@gmail.com. If inclement weather, visit website lwvmqt.org to confirm if the meeting is “Live” or “Zoom”.

Houghton - Public Educational Meeting on the New County Jail in Houghton County
2025-04-02 18:00 - 19:45 | Portage Lake District Library, 4585 W. Lakeshore Drive, Houghton, MI, 49908, United States
Please come learn more about the plans under consideration for a new county jail in Houghton County.

Two Public Educational Meetings to Discuss Jail Plans

Houghton
When? Wednesday April 2, 2025, 6pm-7:45pm
Where? Portage Lake District Library Community Room
Who’s speaking? Faith Morrison, League of Women Voters of the Copper Country along with the chair of the Houghton County Board of Commissioners, Tom Tikkanen and Sheriff Josh Saaranen. (There may be an additional commissioner as well, TBD)
Who’s sponsoring? The League of Women Voters of the Copper Country

Hancock
When? Monday April 7, 2025, 6pm-7:45pm
Where? 5th and Elm Coffeehouse, 426 Quincy St, Hancock
Who’s speaking? Same as above
Who’s sponsoring? Same as above

Faith Morrison, co-president of the LWVCC, is a member of the large committee of community members and court/county stakeholders that has been working with the jail-designing experts from AbonmarcheByce and Securitechture who are designing the jail project. The AbonmarcheByce and Securitecture team has completed more than twenty corrections projects in the U.P., including the design of the Delta County Jail (completed in 2018).

The proposed plans for the HoCo Jail will be formally presented to the Houghton County Board for discussion at their special meeting on April 15, 2025 at 10am in the courtroom in the Houghton County Courthouse (open to the public; virtual attendance by Microsoft Teams link that will be in the agenda posted on the County’s website).

The educational meetings on April 2 (Houghton) and April 7 (Hancock) are intended to provide an atmosphere in which members of the community can see the plans, ask questions, and generally learn more about the proposed project and its costs in advance of attending the April 15 County Board meeting.

Those that cannot attend the County Board meeting on April 15 and all others may email their questions directly to the commissioners (emails are on the County website).

The League team is open to presenting their materials at other meetings in the county; please contact us to arrange.

The proposed plans for the jail project are posted on the County’s website. Please click on this URL:
https://www.houghtoncounty.net/news-view.php?target=311
Direct URL:
https://www.houghtoncounty.net/pictorials/311.pdf

PWPL Director Chat
2025-04-02 11:00 - 12:00
Director Chat
Wednesday, April 2, 2025. 11:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. & 5:00-6:00 p.m. Peter White Public Library Circulation Lobby. Stop by the Library to chat with Library Director Andrea Ingmire. For more information and to check the status of the program, call 906-226-4303 or visit www.pwpl.info.

Baraga - KBOCC Job Fair & Career Expo
2025-04-02 10:00 - 14:00 | Niiwin Akeaa Community Center, 111 Beartown Road, Baraga, Michigan, 49908
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College Job Fair & Career Expo
April 2 from 10:00 – 2:00 pm
Niiwin Akeaa Center, 111 Beartown Road, Baraga (behind the Ojibwa Casino)

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

Baraga - KBOCC Job Fair & Career Expo 2025
2025-04-02 10:00 - 14:00 | Niiwin Akeaa Community Center, 111 Beartown Road, Baraga, Michigan, 49908
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College Job Fair & Career Expo 2025

April 2nd from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Niiwin Akeaa Center, 111 Beartown Road, Baraga

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

For more information visit: kbocc.edu/jobfair

Maritime History on Tap
2025-04-01 19:00 - 21:00
Marquette Maritime Museum’s final Maritime History on Tap features paranormal stories from the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse. Susan Hill and Trish Kautz of Yooper Paranormal share their spooky experiences from paranormal tours and investigations of the lighthouse during the summers of 2021 through 2024. Join us on April 1, 2025, at 7:00 pm at the Ore Dock Brewing Company. $5 at the door.

Maritime History on Tap is sponsored by the Ore Dock Brewing Company and in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Michigan Arts and Culture Council.

Great Lakes Poetry Festival: Kathleen M. Heideman Book Launch Reading
2025-04-01 18:30 - 19:30
Great Lakes Poetry Festival: Kathleen M. Heideman Book Launch Reading
Tuesday, April 1, 2025, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Peter White Public Library Community Room. Adults, Seniors, Teens. Poet Kathleen M. Heideman reads from her recently released collection of poems, The Caving Grounds, from Modern History Press. No admission charge. For more information, contact Marty at 226-4322, machatz@pwpl.info, or visit pwpl.info.

SNL Alumna Rachel Dratch to Visit NMU
2025-03-31 19:00 - 21:00
Northern Michigan University’s Platform Personalities will host “An Evening with Rachel Dratch.” The multifaceted comedian, actress and writer is perhaps best known for her seven-year run on “Saturday Night Live,” where she created many memorable characters, including Debbie Downer. She will participate in a conversation at 7 p.m. Monday, March 31, in the Northern Center Grand Ballroom. Admission is free for NMU students with ID and $5 for the general public.
Dratch appeared on “Saturday Night Live” from 1999-2006. She has had an extensive career spanning television, film and theater.
Born and raised in Lexington, Mass., Dratch’s comedic roots were nurtured during her time at Dartmouth College. She later moved to Chicago to become a part of the famous Second City theater, a launchpad for many SNL alumni. It was here that she honed her skills in sketch comedy and improv, leading to her invitation to join the SNL cast in 1999.
On SNL, Dratch became celebrated for her ability to transform into a wide array of personalities, including Boston teen Denise. Beyond her SNL fame, she has showcased her talents in critically acclaimed movies like “Wine Country” and “Click,” as well as popular TV shows such as “30 Rock,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” and “The Simpsons.”
Her versatility extends to voice acting and writing. Her memoir, “Girl Walks into a Bar…: Comedy Calamities, Dating Disasters, and a Midlife Miracle,” provides an insightful glimpse into her personal and professional life.

Marquette County Habitat for Humanity Bingo Fundraiser
2025-03-31 19:00 - 21:00
Marquette County Habitat for Humanity Hosts Bingo Fundraiser on March 31st
Marquette, MI – Get ready for a night of fun and fundraising! Marquette County Habitat for Humanity (MCHFH) invites you to B-I-N-G-O Night on March 31st at The Mather in Ishpeming. This exciting event will feature up to 10 games with 2 winners per game, a 50/50 drawing, a cash bar, and more!
All proceeds from the event will support Habitat’s mission to provide safe, affordable housing for families in Marquette County. By joining the fun, you’re helping to build homes, communities, and hope!
Event Details:
📅 Date: March 31st, 2025
📍 Location: The Mather, Ishpeming
Tickets & Pricing:
🎟 Available at:

MCHFH Admin Office – 2354 US Hwy 41 South, Marquette
MCHFH ReStore – 133 Carmen Drive, Marquette

💰 Ticket Options:

$20 – Admission + 2 sets of boards
$100 – Admission + 10 sets of boards + a Habitat swag bag
Extra Boards: $5 for 2 additional sets

Come out for a great cause and a great time while supporting affordable housing in our community!
For more information, visit www.mqthabitat.org or follow us on social media.
Media Contact:
Joan Nystrom
Marquette County Habitat for Humanity
Phone: 906-228-3578
Email: volunteers@mqthabitat.org
Website: www.mqthabitat.org

L'Anse - Blood Drive
2025-03-31 11:00 - 15:00 | L’Anse Methodist Church, 304 North Main Street, L'Anse, MI, 49946, United States
BLOOD DRIVE
Friday, March 21st
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
L’Anse Methodist Church
The need is always urgent…all blood donations go to our UP hospitals.

Marquette - Benefit Concert
2025-03-30 15:00 | St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 201 East Ridge Street, Marquette, Michigan
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of Marquette will host a benefit concert featuring local artists and choral groups on Sunday, March 30 at 3:00 pm at the church at 201 East Ridge Street in Marquette. The concert is a kickoff event to celebrate the 150th anniversary of St. Paul’s sanctuary building.

Admission will be free and donations will be accepted. All donations will benefit St. Paul’s Building Restoration fund as the church seeks to match the grant it received from the National Fund for Sacred Places. The NFSP grant will help St. Paul’s address urgent structural needs, ensuring its continued role as a gathering place for worship, outreach, and community activities into the next 150 years.

Hancock - Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser
2025-03-30 12:00 - 16:00 | Alfred Erickson American Legion Post 186, 424 Quincy Street, Hancock, Michigan, 49930
Alfred Erickson American Legion Post 186
Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser
Sunday, March 30 2025
@ the Post Home
1308 Quincy Street, Hancock
Serving from 12 noon – 4 pm
Donation $10
Curbside pickup only

We ask people to enter from birch street and exit onto Quincy Street. Watch for our people directing traffic. Food will be delivered to your car. Tickets can be purchased from Legion members or at the event. The sauce is scratch made by our veteran members from a recipe we have been using for decades. Served with fresh French bread, coleslaw and a cookie. Please support our fund raiser that supports the post and its various veteran and community projects. These include veteran’s funeral services, Boys State, Girl and Boy Scouts, Legion baseball and other charitable community projects. For more information contact Public affairs officer Jim Peterson at 906-370-8144

NEA Big Read Dr. Martin Reinhardt Keynote: Indigenous People in the U.P.
2025-03-29 13:00 - 14:00
NEA Big Read Dr. Martin Reinhardt Keynote: Indigenous People in the U.P.
Saturday, March 29, 2025, 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. Marquette Regional History Museum. Adults, Seniors, Family Friendly. Dr. Martin Reinhardt will speak about Native Americans in the Upper Peninsula, including information on culture, history, interaction with white settlers, and Native American Boarding Schools. For more information, contact Marty at 226-4322, machatz@pwpl.info, or visit pwpl.info.

L'Anse - Country / bluegrass Gospel Concert
2025-03-28 18:30 | L’Anse Methodist Church, 304 North Main Street, L'Anse, MI, 49946, United States
Country / Bluegrass Gospel Concert

March 28th at 6:30 pm
Everyone is invited to L’Anse Methodist Church

Featuring the musical talents of: Bill Kautto, Mike Roberts, Katie Waara, Laura Augustine, Todd Overbeek and the Women’s Trio

FREE WILL OFFERING

Baraga - Fish Fry
2025-03-28 16:30 - 18:30 | St. Ann’s Catholic Church, 318 Lyons Street, Baraga, Michigan, 49908
Knights of Columbus 2934 is having a Fish Fry every Friday during Lent

Fish Fry Dates : March 28th, April 4th and April 11th

at St. Ann’s Church Hall, Baraga from 4:30p to 6:30p

Serving: Fried and/or Baked Cod, French Fries and/or Potato Wedges, Macaroni & Cheese, Coleslaw and Dessert

Cost: Adults – $15.00 – Children 5-12 $6.00 and Under 5 Free

NEA Big Read Cinema: On Golden Pond
2025-03-28 12:00 - 15:00
NEA Big Read Cinema: On Golden Pond
Friday, March 28, 2025, 12:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Peter White Public Library, Community Room. Adults, Seniors, Family Friendly. PWPL screens this classic film which explores aging, dementia, and intergenerational communication. Following the film, there will be a discussion of the movie and Roz Chast’s Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? with a representative from the Marquette Alzheimer’s Association, focused on connections and care of the people we call home. For more information, contact Marty at 226-4322, machatz@pwpl.info, or visit pwpl.info.

NEA Big Read Christine Saari Book Release: A Stitched Life
2025-03-27 18:30 - 19:30
NEA Big Read Christine Saari Book Release: A Stitched Life
Thursday, March 27, 2025, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Peter White Public Library, Community Room. Adults, Seniors, Family Friendly. Writer/artist Christine Saari reads from her newly released memoir in poems, A Stitched Life. The book details Saari’s childhood experiences growing up in Austria during the rise of Adolf Hitler to her eventual settlement in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Join us for this powerful testament to the human spirit overcoming authoritarianism, war, loss, and grief to find this place we call home. For more information, contact Marty at 226-4322, machatz@pwpl.info, or visit pwpl.info.

Marquette County Board of Health Monthly Meeting
2025-03-26 18:00 | Marquette County Courthouse, 234 W. Baraga Avenue, Marquette, Michigan, 49855
The regular monthly meeting of the Marquette County Board of Health will be held on Wednesday, March 26, 2025 at 6:00 pm. The meeting will take place in Room 231 of the Henry A. Skewis Annex, Marquette County Courthouse, Marquette.

Houghton - Copper Country League of Women Voters "Red Out" Information
2025-03-25 11:30 - 12:30 | Memorial Union Building, MTU, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI, 49908, United States
EQUAL PAY DAY

Date: 03/25/2025 – Tuesday
Time: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Location: At the Michigan Tech Husky Statue

Stop by for cookies and information. Join the copper Country League of Women Voters for a “Red Out” on March 25, 2025, to recognize Equal Pay Day. Campuses across Michigan are wearing red to symbolize how for women are “in the red” with their pay. Women working full-time make 83 cent for every $1 of what men earn. Do you want to bring awareness to this issue?

Houghton - 4th Annual Nanda-Gikendan "Seek to Learn" POW WOW
2025-03-22 12:00 | Gates Tennis Center, 600 Macinnes Drive, Houghton, MI, 49931, United States
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College and Michigan Technological University presents

4TH ANNUAL NANDA-GIKENDAN “Seek to Learn” POW WOW

Saturday, March 22, 2025 at the Gates Tennis Center, 600 Macinnes Drive, Parking Lot 24, Houghton

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Grand Entries: 12pm & 6pm
Feast: 4pm
MC: Rodney Loonsfoot and Leroy Gauthier
Arena Director: Jon Dowd
Head Veteran Dancer: Donald Chosa
Honor Guard: Wiikwedong Ogitchidaa Society
Head Dancers: Jamie Brotherton & Naomi Smith
Special: Deadliest Auntie & Uncle Competition 3pm
Host Drum: Summer Cloud
Co Host: Four Thunders and other drums welcome

NEA Big Read The People Library
2025-03-22 11:00 - 14:00
NEA Big Read The People Library
Saturday, March 22, 2025, 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Peter White Public Library, Community Room. Adults, Seniors, Family Friendly. For this unique program, participants will be able to “check out” individuals from the library for short, individual conversations about their lives and experiences as miners, Native Americans, authors, teachers, clergy, individuals with mental illness—the people who make up our home. For more information, contact Marty at 226-4322, machatz@pwpl.info, or visit pwpl.info.

Baraga - March Madness Adult Tournament Class Fundraiser
2025-03-22 09:00 - 18:00 | Baraga Area Schools, 210 Lyons Street, Baraga, MI, 49908, United States
The Baraga class of 2028 is holding an adult basketball tournament Saturday March 22nd from 9am to 6pm. Entry to the event is by donation. Head on out and watch some great basketball. There are also basket raffles, 50/50, and concessions to benefit the booster club. The proceeds will go toward the class hosting prom, graduation and a class trip.

Radio X Airs 125th Anniversary Alumni Show
2025-03-22 06:00 - 23:30
Northern Michigan University students at Radio X (WUPX-FM) will broadcast an all-day NMU 125th Anniversary Alumni Show from 6 a.m. to midnight Saturday, March 22. Radio X alumni are scheduled to guest-DJ radio shows, and there will be interviews with other alumni. Radio X announcements from the past will air, and students will present NMU history moments that they have researched in the NMU Archives.
The day-long broadcast can be heard on WUPX at 91.5 FM, or streamed online at http://www.nmu.edu/wupx.

NMU Jazz Festival
2025-03-21 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-03-20 19:30 - 21:30
This month’s Northern Michigan University Jazz Festival will be preceded by a presentation on the history of jazz at NMU to coincide with the university’s 125th anniversary and feature opening and closing concerts with guest artist Matt Wilson, a drummer, band leader and educator. The annual festival brings middle and high school students from throughout the region to campus for performances and clinics.
Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center Director Dan Truckey will discuss the little-known history of the first jazz performers in Northern’s dance halls, gymnasiums and auditoriums during a free public presentation at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 18, in Mead Auditorium.
The NMU Jazz Festival opening night concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 20, in Reynolds Recital Hall. It features Wilson, who has released 13 albums as a leader, appeared on more than 400 as a sideman, and performed with some of jazz’s most legendary musicians. He will be accompanied by the NMU Jazz Band and NMU Jazz Combo. Friday’s closing concert, featuring Wilson and the same ensembles, will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 21, in Reynolds Recital Hall. Tickets for each are $12 and can be purchased at the door or in advance at tickets.nmu.edu.
The festival runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. Registered school ensembles will perform in scheduled time slots, receiving feedback and working with festival clinicians. On Thursday, performances and clinics will run from 8 a.m. to noon, followed by lunch and a guest artist clinic led by Wilson at 1 p.m. Ensembles will continue performing from 2 to 5 p.m., with a jam session in Hedgcock Atrium before the evening concert.
Friday’s schedule includes ensemble performances from 10 a.m. to noon, followed by lunch and another guest artist clinic with Wilson at 1 p.m. Additional ensemble performances will take place from 2 to 5 p.m., with another jam session from 5:30 to 7 p.m. before the second evening concert.
NMU has hosted numerous jazz clinics and concerts over the past 50 years, but the current NMU Jazz Festival began in 1998 when the NMU Friends of Jazz invited legendary trumpeter Clark Terry to perform with the NMU Jazz Band. Several local high school bands participated in clinics alongside the event, and positive responses led to the festival becoming an annual tradition.

Baraga - Fish Fry
2025-03-21 16:30 - 18:30 | St. Ann’s Catholic Church, 318 Lyons Street, Baraga, Michigan, 49908
Knights of Columbus 2934 is having a Fish Fry every Friday during Lent

Fish Fry Dates : March 21st, March 28th, April 4th and April 11th

at St. Ann’s Church Hall, Baraga from 4:30p to 6:30p

Serving: Fried and/or Baked Cod, French Fries and/or Potato Wedges, Macaroni & Cheese, Coleslaw and Dessert

Cost: Adults – $15.00 – Children 5-12 $6.00 and Under 5 Free

NEA Big Read Global Cinema: Tokyo Story
2025-03-21 12:00 - 14:30
NEA Big Read Global Cinema: Tokyo Story
Friday, March 21, 2025, 12:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Peter White Public Library, Community Room. Adults, Seniors. PWPL screens Yasujiro Ozu’s crowning achievement, Tokyo Story, a devastating film that explores the themes of old age and parenting. Following the film, there will be a discussion about the effects of aging and caregiving for the people who made us, including elements from Roz Chast’s Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? For more information, contact Marty at 226-4322, machatz@pwpl.info, or visit pwpl.info.

NEA Big Read Elder Caregiving
2025-03-20 18:30 - 19:30
NEA Big Read Elder Caregiving
Thursday, March 20, 2025, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church. Adults, Seniors, Family Friendly. For this event, a representative of the Alzheimer’s Association will discuss how to care for individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia. No admission charge. For more information, contact Marty at 226-4322, machatz@pwpl.info, or visit pwpl.info.

NMU Social Work Celebrates 'Golden Legacy'
2025-03-20 12:00 - 14:00
Northern Michigan University’s Social Work Department will hold two events marking the 50th anniversary of its “unwavering dedication to social justice, community engagement and transformative education.” A reception will take place from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, March 20, at the Landmark Inn’s Harbor Room. An open house on campus is scheduled from noon to 2 p.m. in 2400 Jamrich Hall. Alumni, students, faculty and community partners are invited to honor the department’s legacy and envision its future.
The reception will feature a welcome and opening remarks by Department Head LaMart Hightower; land acknowledgement by Graduate Administrative Assistant Shelby Boggs; department history and highlights from Professor Emeritus of Social Work Patricia Cianciolo; a panel discussion with students, faculty, and alumni; and remarks by NMU Alumni Achievement Award recipient Thomas Fish. Non-alcoholic beverages will be provided beforehand, with an assortment hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar afterward.
The open house on campus will give visitors an opportunity to enjoy some snacks, say hello to Wildcat Willy, and visit with faculty and students.
The NMU Social Work Departments also invites support for its fundraising initiatives to facilitate new learning opportunities, experiences and connections for students. Donations can be made on NMU Giving Day, April 17, via this link or by visiting the NMU Foundation home page for more information.
For more information and to RSVP, please visit Celebrating the Golden Legacy of Social Work at NMU or nmu.edu/socialwork/events-page.

2nd Annual Yooper Poker Run
2025-03-20 00:00 - 2025-03-22 23:59
Twenty businesses from the Lake Gogebic area have partnered up to host the 2nd annual YOOPER POKER RUN which starts March 20 and runs through March 22nd at 9 p.m. EST. The event is a benefit for the local area grooming clubs which work all year round to make sure that visitors and guests have the very best trails in the country. $10 gets you in on the event and your chance to win $$ and prizes and a free t-shirt if you visit 10 or more businesses. First place is $1000, 2nd place is $500 and third place is $200. The event is three days long which provides an opportunity to visit all participating business including Club 28 in Wakefield, Stubbs Museum Bar in Ontonagon, the Rousseau Bar in Mass City, Hoppy’s Bar in Kenton, Northern Waters Casino in Watersmeet and several businesses on Lake Gogebic and Marenisco. Last deal takes place at 9:00 p.m Eastern at AJ’s Lodge and Oven on Lake Gogebic with live music with Melissa
Childers with a 50/50 raffle with prizes donated from the local area businesses.
Visitors from all over Michigan and the Midwest head to the Western UP to take part in the snowmobile experience, but none of this would happen without the tireless work that goes on 12 months a year – an effort that is taken on by local area grooming clubs. In the off season, groomers are out clearing and brushing trails. During the winter season groomers are out day and night battling equipment issues, mother nature, and high volumes of traffic – all in an effort to help maintain a trail system that helps create good times and great memories.
Come on out and show your support for these local area businesses which are helping to raise money for local grooming clubs and the sport of snowmobiling! For more information, visit www.ajslodgeandoven.com and follow them on facebook!
