Trending
HOUGHTON -- A series of coordinated autumn events, including the annual Canal Colors Festival, the Keweenaw Color Run, and the global Plaidurday celebration, will take place across the Keweenaw Peninsula starting today, according to Jesse Wiederhold, public relations manager for Visit Keweenaw.
The three-day string of events kicks off from 6 to 8 p.m. tonight with local business events, including a public paint-and-sip session at Small Craft in Hancock and a community bingo night at Beviamo Wine Bar in Houghton.
On Friday, the schedule shifts to the 16th annual Plaidurday festivities, a tradition honoring the heritage of the Upper Peninsula's signature attire. The global garment holiday was founded in 2011 by Upper Peninsula native Justin “Bugsy” Sailor to celebrate plaid clothing and its cultural connection to northern working communities.
Wiederhold said the community doesn't focus on its achievements being recognized nationally or globally.
"In 2023, we broke a record for having the most people together wearing plaid," he said. "It was 1,743. We'd love to see 1,800 or 2,000 this year. We don’t need some fancy award to prove it, so we’ll just beat our own record."
The 2026 group photograph will take place at the Houghton High School football field, located at 1603 Gundlach Road. Gates to the stadium open at 1:00 p.m., with the official photograph scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
Friday evening events continue with the “Brew Street” street closure on Lakeshore Drive behind the Keweenaw Brewing Company (KBC) from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. In 1900, Brew Street was what is today Lakeshore Drive. It primarily serviced the Haas Brewery, and the road ran from Dodge Street to Isle Royale Street. In 1915, Brew Street was shown on a Sanborn insurance map of the village of Houghton.
The modern block party doubles as an active fundraiser for the Carnegie Museum, said Wiederhold. Local establishments The Den, Beviamo, The Ambassador and KBC will donate one dollar from every social district cup sold during the event to the museum, while the Douglas House will donate a percentage from its complete beverage menu.
"We thought it was so cool to find the true inspiration behind the event," Wiederhold said. "We are bringing the brews back to Brew Street."
The weekend itinerary concludes Saturday with the annual Keweenaw Color Run 5K walk and run at 10 a.m. with departures from the Downtown Houghton Pier.
Following the race, the waterfront Fall Fest will operate at the pier until 2 p.m. The public festival includes autumn tractor rides, a public pumpkin pie eating contest sponsored by Range Bank, and dry-land dog sled demonstrations to highlight the upcoming winter CopperDog routes.
Wiederhold noted that because there is no snow yet, dog teams will pull wheeled sleds. The weekend festivities are coordinated collectively by the City of Houghton, Visit Keweenaw, and Circle Up.