Winter has arrived in Grand Marais, and we are embracing it in style in 2023.
Burt Township has answered the calls of many residents in turning the Community Center Barn back into a seasonal indoor Ice Rink. While the kids are skating with joy with visions of becoming the next Olympic figure skater or Stanley Cup winner, if you look closely at their parents, you can see a hint of a limp or a slow rise as they attempt to stand up from a sitting position. While the unseasonably 40 degree weather is meet with groans from the little ones in town, parents are secretly relived to swap a day on the ice rink for a day with some much needed Icy-Hot. Overall, it’s been a big hit to have the ice rink return.
In other news the snowmobile trails in Grand Marais are holding up nicely and bringing tons of snowmobile traffic to the area. While this is great news for business that depend on the tourism dollars to glide into the summer months, snowmobile season does come with some concerns.
Trailer and truck parking can be an issue as up until recently there wasn’t a real designated Day Parking solution. The Chamber of Commerce has worked with Burt Township and can happily announce that Day Parking Only is available at the Marina Parking Lot. This area is diligently plowed and maintained by the DPW and available for use. We ask that trucks and trailers steer clear of parking near the large fueling station and respect the Day Parking only rule as overnight parking could be subject to towing at the owner’s expense.
Please Facebook message, email or call the Grand Marais Chamber of Commerce for some additional pay-to-park options offered by private landowners. Our goal is to keep trucks and trailers parked safely and off the side of roads, or parking in several spots of our already limited standard-vehicle parking around town. As always, ride right, adhere to speed limits while riding in town and stay safe out there.
The Burt Township School Forest ski/snowshoe trails are being beautifully groomed regularly. Stop in and see Jeannie Kain and staff at The Grand Marais Outfitters on the corner of Lake and Carlson, for your snowshoe rental needs.
As we continue making our way into 2023, The Chamber of Commerce has already started planning for the 41st Music and Crafts Festival that will take place August 10th, 11th and 12th. Last year’s Thursday night free family night was a huge hit and we are bringing it back! Stay tuned for our announcement of the band line up and ticket sales date in the future Thank you all that continue to support the business in Grand Marais. We do our best when we get to serve the best!
