Celebrate the crafts, customs, landscape, history and stories of winter travel and traditional life ways in the North. Featuring winter-centric coursework, a winter tent camp, gear swap, film festival, speakers, this is a classic event to welcome the season of white.

The Winterers' Gathering & Arctic Film Festival is a multi-day educational event that celebrates the crafts, customs, landscape, history and stories of winter travel and traditional life ways in the north. Winter travel enthusiasts and northern culture admirers merge on the North House campus for four days of winter travel seminars, courses and workshops complemented by multiple evenings of inspiring thought-provoking international films about arctic life.

Schedule of Events

Presentations

Event Seminars are 45 minute presentations that cover a variety of winter-related topics: from camping tips to travelogues, cultural reflections to winter sport secrets, these inspiring talks offer something for everyone and take place throughout the weekend. Held in the Blue Building.

November 18, 2022

3pm - Winter Weather Forecasting Up North with Joe Moore

Are you ready for winter weather? Meteorologist Joe Moore will discuss winter weather safety, forecasting challenges on the north shore (it's more than just lake effect!), and the products and services the National Weather Service offers to help you stay ahead of the storm. Beyond just the basics, Joe will discuss all different kinds of winter precipitation (sleet, snow, freezing rain), how to find probabilistic snowfall forecasts (what are the odds we see more than 8 inches?), and even how you can help the National Weather Service this winter! Whether you dread our long winters or you find joy in watching the flakes fly, this talk is for everyone who wants to learn more about winter weather forecasting.

4pm - Polar Life in Northwest Greenland with Pascale Marceau & Lonnie Dupre

From January to May 2022, Pascale Marceau and Lonnie Dupre lived amongst the Polar Inuit of Greenland in one of the northernmost communities in the world. From Polar night through to 24hrs of daylight, they experienced an incredible world of snow and ice, a place where life is uniquely challenging and incredibly breathtaking. Together they built a komatik (dog sled), acquired a dog team and trained them to be expedition ready. With local hunters, the team launched on a journey further north. What unfolded was a story of resilience through roadblocks, of optimism despite disappointment, of creative problem solving in the face of a warming planet.

November 19, 2022

12pm - Embrace the Darkness: Why Dark Skies Matter with Caroline Torkildson

Caroline Torkildson will give an introduction to why we need to protect the night sky, and how we need to change how we light the night. She will talk about how wasted light, known as light pollution affects everything from humans, to nature and our psyche. She will offer simple solutions we all can do at home to create healthier and safer lighting. Torkildson is an amateur astronomer and board member of Starry Skies North, the Minnesota Chapter of the International Dark Sky Association works to protect the night sky for present and future generations. She has lived in Cook County for three years and feels fortunate to have three recently designated dark sky places nearby.

November 20, 2022

1pm - Oshkigin: Spirit of Fire with Vern Northrup

Join Vern Northrup, a retired wildland firefighter and elder of the Fond du Lac band of Ojibwe to learn how Anishinaabe and other indigenous peoples have used fire to shape the land for millenia. Vern will share his experiences using fire as a tool and discuss how traditional knowledge that has been too long dismissed can help us better care for the boreal forest.

Skill Share Demonstrations

These short intensive sessions focus on particularly handy skills. Dress for a partially heated environment. Free to attend, materials fee occasionally applies, payable at door. Blacksmith Shop.

November 18, 2022

1pm: Quilting Bee with Laura Brown: Help tie a community quilt! No experience necessary

2pm: Ropework: Short, Long and Eye Splices with Ted Gephart: Learn ropework from one of the best. Ted will cover the short splice, long splice, eye splice and tidy up the end, working with three strand round line.

3pm: Darn It!: Mending Sweaters with Christine Novotny: Learn to repair those pesky holes in woolen goods with a few simple tools. $3 materials fee

4pm: Helving & Prepping Kolbulle Pans with Paul Linden and Joe Beres: Kolbulle is a traditional Swedish pancake made over the campfire with limited ingredients. Buy the pan in the school store and we will help you to make handle for it and get it all ready for the cook out on Friday evening.

November 19, 2022

1pm: Pack and Gear Mending with Amir Najam: Get advice on how to repair small tears and other malfunctions. If time allows, some repairs may be possible

2pm: Cinnamon Rolls in a Dutch Oven with Martha Williams:Delicious, just the right amount of gooey: campfire cinnamon rolls in a Dutch oven are sure to win your heart. Learn Martha's tricks for making sure they turn out perfectly every time.

3pm: Saddle Stitch on Leather with Candace LaCosse: Practice this handy stitch on your own card holder. Materials fee of $10 applies

November 20, 2022

10am: Calories to Carry You through Winter: Starch Extraction with Eric Edgin: Learn how to extract pure starch from any starchy foods unlocking huge potential with a number of wild foods.

11am: Beyond Bannock with Emily Derke: Baking on the winter camp woodstove with simple ingredients and no measuring tools. Cookies are important fuel for cold nights.

Arctic Film Festival

This one of a kind festival features films from around the globe that visually tell the story of the North. Documentaries, features and shorts showcase arctic landscapes, traditional cultures, northern adventures and changing climates. All films screenings are free and held in the Blue Building.

November 18, 2022

10am: This Bountiful Land (97 min, Ásdís Thoroddsen, 2019)

12pm: Built with Love (27 min film, Mike Scholtz, Editor, 2022)

1:30pm: Freshwater (51 min, 2021)

9pm: Woman at War (101 min, Benedikt Erlingsson, 2018)

November 19, 2022

9am: Exposure (89 min, Holly Morris, 2022)

10:30am: Craft in America: HOME episode (55 min, Carol Sauvion, 2022)

11:30am: Imalirijit (27 min, Vincent L'Hérault and Tim Anaviapik Soucie, 2021)

1:30pm: A Voice for the Wild (19 min, Jesse Roessler, 2022)

2pm: Šaamši? - Great Grandmothers Hat (60 min, Anstein Mikkelsen and Harry Johansen, 2021)

3:10pm: The Arctics (60 min, Suzanne E. Greening, Naomi Mark, and Marty O'Brien, 2020)

4:15pm: Angakusajaujuq - The Shaman's Apprentice (21 min, Zacharias Kunuk, 2021)

9pm: The Alpinist (82 min, Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen, 2021)

November 20, 2022

9am: Spirit of the Peaks (41 min, Connor Ryan and Tim Kressin, 2021)

10am: Classic (81 min, Dr. Tim Kaminski, 2021)

11:30am: Stronger Together (20 min, Brandon Watts, 2022)

12pm: Into the Dark (28 min, Michael Snyder, 2021)

1pm: Oshkigin: Spirit of Fire (16 min, Tom Deschenes and Andrew Bydlon, 2021)

Harborside Winter Tent Camp, All Weekend

An opportunity for winter campers to set up their shelter near campus, whether it be a canvas wall tent, an expedition or 4-season nylon-grade tent, or a traditional Mongolian yurt, and share information and ideas about winter camping in the elements of cold weather. Participants are invited to be a part of the Winter Tent Tour scheduled on Saturday at 2pm.

Costs vary; payable to the Grand Marais Rec Park (advance registration required).

November 18, 2022

3pm-5pm: Artisan Development Open Studio
Drop by the Artisan Development Program studios to meet our Resident Artisans, Delaney Keshena, Wesley Hathaway, Nate White and Laura Brown and see some of their current works in progress. The Artisan Development Program is a two-year professional development and residency program for craftspeople through North House. Location: Betsy Bowen Gallery and Studios building, 301 1st Ave W

5:30pm - Open Fire Dinner on a Stick & Outdoor Shorts Film Festival
Gather around a bonfire and cook over an open fire as a community. Participants bring their own food; we'll provide the fire and the pointy sticks. Sausages to steaks, pudgie pies to home fries, it's all welcome. Beginning at 6:00pm, we'll enjoy a selection of winter short films.

Snowshoe Shuffle Traditional Community Contra Dance
Don your winter wardrobe and warm up at this friendly community contra dance. The dance takes place in the historic timbered woodshop and features Cook County's own Over the Waterfall.
Time: 7pm family dance, 8pm community dance

8pm - Cold Snap Poetry Slam
Cold Snap Poetry Slam is a friendly celebration of the spoken word and the glories of the frozen North! Join in the fun by reading one of your own works or any selected seasonal poetry of your choosing. By sharing your favorite hibernal verse, presenters will receive wide recognition as cultural icons, as well as a free bottomless bag of popcorn for the weekend!

November 19, 2022

10:30am – 11:30am: The Great Gear & Ski Sale
Bring your outdoor equipment to sell or get in on some great bargains & buy. Registration forms to sell your gear are ready. Backcountry skis to winter canvas tents. Ice skates to kites. Winter boots to down jackets. All are welcome. Registration for items in swap is required, registration forms available online and in-person the morning of the event

11am-1pm: Sled Dog Puppy Meet and Greet
Join handler Linda Newman of Points Unknown Dog Sledding to meet some furry friends, and get inspired to plan a dogsledding adventure of your own.

2pm: Winter Tent Camp Tour
Meet at the Fire Circle
Peek behind the flap of some of the tents set up for the weekend. Hot to cold, yurt to quinsey, there's always an intriguing variety of cozy habitations on display.

5:30pm - The Deep Freeze Chili Feed
Bundle up and grab your bowl for this traditional winter favorite: chili & freshly baked cornbread. Hot chili (your choice: vegetarian or meat) is cooked up in the kettle and eaten in the great outdoors around a cozy campfire. ($10/person paid at the door)

7pm - Featured Speaker Talk at Red Building
The Lake Superior region and beyond have been home to the Anishinaabe people for thousands of years, which of course means thousands of winters. Join Featured Speaker Anton Treuer to learn about the oral traditions, Ojibwe language and lore for the coming season.

Date: November 17-20, 2022

Location:
North House Folk School,
500 West Highway 61,
Grand Marais, MN 55604.

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