There might not be any snow on the ground and the temps are in the 40s — above 
zero — but that isn’t effecting the participants at Winterer’s Gathering & Arctic Film Festival at North House Folk School this weekend.
On the contrary, people have come from all over the region to set up their tents on the shore of Lake Superior, take classes, watch great movies from the northern regions of the world including “Never Cry Wolf,” and “Skiing in the Shadow of Genghis Khan”) and learn how to survive in the coldest of winter in a variety of winter skills seminars.
Howard Sivertson's "Mail for Ghyllbank"
There is also a slide show presentation by Howard Sivertson at Sivertson Gallery at 6 p.m. on Friday night followed by a dance (the Snowshoe Shuffle with Over the Waterfall).
On Saturday, the Great Gear & Ski Swap starts at 10:30 a.m. The Chili Feed and Food Shelf Fundraiser starts at 6 p.m. followed by the screening of “In Search of Indigenous Ski Culture”with Nils Larsen. Larsen is one of the presentors at Winterer’s Gathering this year.
Film screenings continue throughout the weekend. Here’s the schedule.
Friday:
9 a.m. Beautiful Journey: Daisy Stri Da zatse Demientieff (2009, Maria Shaa Tlaa Williams – Alaska, 70 min)
Noon: Pittarak (2007, Sarah McNair-Landry – Canada, 108 min) & The Dogrib Birchbark Canoe (1996, Tom Andrews & Terry Woolf, 28 min)
3 p.m. This Land (2008, Dianne Whelan – Canada, 35 min)
5 p.m. The Owl & The Lemming – An Eskimo Legend (1956, Co Hoedeman – Canada, 6 min)
8:30 p.m. Before Tomorrow (2008, Marie-Hélène Cousineau and Madeline Ivalu – Nunavut, 115 min)
Saturday
9 a.m. Cree Hunters of Mistassini (1974, Boyce Richardson, Tony Ianzelo – Canada, 57 min)
3 p.m. The Falun – Röros Expedition: A Historic Journey with Horse and Sled (2004, Stefan Quinth – Sweden, 49 min)
7 p.m. Featured Presentation & Film Screening by Nils Larsen , Skiing In The Shadow of Ghengis Kahn
The movie, "Never Cry Wolf" will be screened on Saturday night.
8:30 p.m. Never Cry Wolf (1983, Carroll Ballard – USA)
Sunday
9 a.m. Attiuk (1963, Rene Bonniere – Canada, 29 min)
10 a.m. Passage (2008, John Walker – Canada, 108 min)
Noon Ice Bears of the Beaufort (2008, Jennifer and Arthur Smith – USA, 52 min)
1 p.m. One River, Two Shores: Reflections on the Mackenzie Gas Project, (2008, France Benoit – Northwest Territories, 52 min) ; Tikanagan Dreams, Arctic Education (2009, Charles Catto & Marco Guzman – Canada , 24 min)
3 p.m. Foot, Paddle & Paw – 3 Years Across the Arctic (1993, Bonnie Dickie & Terry Woolfe – Alaska, 47 min)
For the complete event schedule, click here.
Quilts of every design and technique are featured in the quilt show at the Johnson Heritage Post.
Celebrations of the season start this weekend, too, with the opening of a fantastic Quilt Show at the Johnson Heritage Post. More than 150 quilts, toppers, banners and accessories are displayed in this show. The reception is from 5-7 p.m. Friday.
Then on Saturday, check out the North Country Creations Bazaar at the Schroeder Town Hall and annual Holiday Sale and Open House at Cross River Heritage Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The quilt drawing at the Heritage Center is at 2 p.m. Judy Gregg will do a krumkakka demonstration and Mrs. Claus will provide goodies.
Also on Saturday, commercial fisherman Mickey Lorntson, who fished Lake Superior near Beaver Bay for 50 years, will tell stories of the fishing life at the Tofte Commercial Fishing Museum at 2 p.m. Refreshments are served.
For music this weekend. John Mayall is at the Thunder Bay (Ont.) Community Auditorium tonight. For tickets, click here. The 34th annual Art and Fine Craft Show in Thunder Bay will be at the Valhalla Inn Saturday and Sunday.
Locally, the Pete Kavanaugh Group , a high energy band, plays at the GunFlint Tavern on Friday and Saturday night. The music starts at 9 p.m. Bump Blomberg plays acoustic folk on Sunday at 6:30 p.m.
Next week, the holiday celebrations continue with the Holiday Market at Last Chance Gallery in Lutsen. Twin Cities printmaker Dick Nelson will be giving demonstrations and Anna Hess will be signing her new book. The gallery will feature lots of new art by regional artists as well.
