Melissa Wentarmini
Associate Editor
Every fall, the harbor town of Grand Marais bursts with color — not just from the changing leaves, but from the creativity and community spirit that fills the annual Women’s Club Color Tour Craft Show.
This year’s event, which will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday at Burt Township School, promises to be one of the most vibrant yet.
What sets this year apart is the care and attention that’s gone into curating the vendors.
“We’ve worked hard to screen the products we accept into the show,” event coordinator Roxanne Knowles said. “We’ve managed to revamp the quality of art that the participating crafters bring. Of our 32 available spaces, 30 are already filled.”
The result will be an inspiring showcase of talent, from stained glass and rock art to hand-crocheted animals, porch signs, photography, jewelry, soaps, candles, homemade breads and even the much-requested wind chimes.
But the Color Tour Craft Show is about more than beautiful handmade goods. It’s about giving back. The Women’s Club ensures that the event’s impact ripples throughout the community, beginning with the local students who help make the day possible.
“We donate money to the kids at school for their help with set-up and tear-down,” Knowles said. “They also serve lunch as a 100% fundraiser for them.”
This year’s lunch has a special twist. An aspiring culinary student has been given the opportunity to plan and lead the menu — an experience that blends education with community service, and one that guests can literally savor. Proceeds from the show also support the Student Council at Burt Township School, while additional funds raised by the Women’s Club continue to flow back into Grand Marais throughout the year.
For a town as small as Grand Marais, events like this carry meaning.
“It helps bring awareness of how our community works together,” Knowles said. “Visitors come to town, support our businesses and discover the shops and eateries alongside the craft show. It’s a way for us to open our doors and show who we are.”
Perhaps the most powerful part of the event is the human stories that unfold along the way. Knowles recalls one vendor’s emotional gratitude.
“Two years ago, a vendor sold over $1,000 worth of product,” she said. “At the end of the show, she hugged me with tears in her eyes and told me she hadn’t known how she was going to pay her apartment rent that month. That’s the sort of thing that makes events like this so special. It touches people on many different levels.”
The Grand Marais Women’s Club is proud of the quality of the show — and even prouder of the sense of connection it creates.