Central UP Events

 Prom Dress Swap  Saturday February 22, 2025. 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Peter White Public Library Community Room. All students in grades 9 to 12 are welcome. Looking for a Prom Dress, come to the Annual PWPL Prom Dress Swap.  The Swap will be open 10 am – 4 pm, to anyone looking for a prom dress.  We will be accepting dresses until Friday, February 21.  Dresses can be dropped off in the Teen Zone. No admission charge. For more information and to check the status of this program, call 906-226-4321, email Amanda at apierce@pwpl.info, and visit www.pwpl.info.

An iconic UP winter tradition returns for its 32nd year.  Outhouses pushed down the main street of Trenary, a mullet competition, food, fun and more.  Visit their Facebook page for more info.

A Shakespeare play presented with the second week of deer camp in the Upper Peninsula as its backdrop might seem a strange combination or stretch, but Jimmy Ludwig, director of this month’s Northern Michigan University production of Much Ado About Nothing, said his adaptation is designed to make the show more relatable to local audiences. “Shakespeare isn’t really worth doing if the audience doesn’t see themselves in it; otherwise, it’s museum theater, which is a lovely production that sort of mimics how it was done back in the day,” said Ludwig, who grew up hunting near Iron River. “It may be interesting

Soul Food Sunday buffet-style feast prepared by Madison chef Yusuf Bin-Rella, a community roller-skating event and film screenings. Bin-Rella is a celebrated chef, farmer and advocate for cultural foodways. He has worked alongside Michael Twitty, the renowned culinary historian and author of The Cooking Gene. Bin-Rella is a chef at the University of Wisconsin, Madison’s Dejope Residence Hall, and at TradeRoots Culinary Collective, a group of Afro-culinary genealogists exploring lineage through food, which he co-founded. He will prepare a soul food feast that will be offered from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, in the Northern Center Ballroom. He will also share insights

One of the remaining Black History Month activities planned at NMU this month is a “Soul Food Sunday” buffet-style feast prepared by Yusuf Bin-Rella. The celebrated chef, farmer and advocate for cultural foodways has worked alongside Michael Twitty, culinary historian and author of The Cooking Gene. Bin-Rella is a chef at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Dejope Residence Hall, and at the TradeRoots Culinary Collective he co-founded, which is a group of Afro-culinary genealogists exploring lineage through food. Bin-Rella will prepare a soul food feast that will be offered from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, in the Northern Center Ballroom. He will also

  Northern Michigan University’s Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble will launch a new Okanagan Charter Concert Series, which highlights musical themes that support NMU’s strategic commitment to well-being, at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24, in Reynolds Recital Hall. Both groups will perform pieces that advance the dialogue of mental health awareness. New Director of Bands Steven Riley will also mark his first NMU concert by incorporating a multi-movement suite by a Michigan composer that features the melodies of numerous folk tunes to honor the agricultural, maritime and lumbering history of the state. Riley said the bands will perform music each

Bluesday Tuesday Concert  Tuesday, February 25, 2025, 6:30 p.m.- 7:30 p.m.  Peter White Public Library Community Room.  Teens, Adults, Seniors, Family Friendly.  Peter White Public Library hosts a blues concert sponsored by the Marquette Area Blues Society. This month’s band:  TBA.  No admission charge.  For more information, contact Marty at 226-4322, machatz@pwpl.info, or visit pwpl.info.

The Finnish folk supergroup Frigg will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27 in Reynolds Recital Hall at Northern Michigan University. This concert will be part of the 2025 Winter Roots Festival, a collaboration between the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at NMU, Hiawatha Traditional Music Co-op, the Peter White Public Library, and the City of Marquette Arts and Culture Center. Frigg’s new album, “Dreamscapes,” is scheduled for release on Feb. 21. Advance tickets can be purchased online at tickets.nmu.edu. The prices are as follows: general public, $20 advance/$22 door; and NMU students/under 18, $10 advance/$12 door. To purchase tickets over the phone,

A Shakespeare play presented with the second week of deer camp in the Upper Peninsula as its backdrop might seem a strange combination or stretch, but Jimmy Ludwig, director of this month’s Northern Michigan University production of Much Ado About Nothing, said his adaptation is designed to make the show more relatable to local audiences. “Shakespeare isn’t really worth doing if the audience doesn’t see themselves in it; otherwise, it’s museum theater, which is a lovely production that sort of mimics how it was done back in the day,” said Ludwig, who grew up hunting near Iron River. “It may