A celebration is in the works to celebrate the Great Lake that's in our own backyard. An afternoon of free family fun is being planned for Sunday, July 19 at Barker's Island Festival Park to celebrate Lake Superior Day.

Festivities begin at 11:30 am and will extend through the afternoon until around 3:30 pm. The day will be accented with musical performances from Grand Marais artist Michael Monroe, local band Red Mountain, and the Oshkii Giizhik Singers. Special kids activities, food vendors, and local art displays and vendors will also be on site for the celebration.

At 1:15 pm, the Twin Ports Ministry of Seafarers will conduct a Blessing of the Fleet for Twin Ports watercraft. Boats of all kinds are encouraged to head to Barker's Island to meet on the water near the festival bandshell for the blessing. The neighboring SS Meteor Maritime Museum will also be offering half-price tours through the day on Sunday as part of the festivities.

Lake Superior Day came into existence in the early 1990s as a way to highlight the impact and importance of the waterway for not only the economy, but also the environment. This year's Lake Superior Day is being coordinated by the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, which is a federal reserve that encompasses over 16,000 acres along the St. Louis River estuary.

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