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January 2025 | Industry Newsletter

The Keweenaw’s visitor economy plays a vital role in our region’s quality of life and future prosperity. To keep local leaders and stakeholders current on issues impacting the industry, Visit Keweenaw created this monthly newsletter to share information on topics such as economic trends, destination and community investments, and other pertinent news.

We hope you find this a valuable resource to stay up to date on the Keweenaw’s visitor economy and encourage you to share it with parties you think would benefit from the information. As always, we look forward to sharing what makes the Keweenaw a special community to both live in and visit.

Within this newsletter, you'll find: 

Visit Keweenaw and City of Houghton Celebrate Another Successful Chook Drop

Happy New Year! Visit Keweenaw proudly supported the City of Houghton in bringing a fresh twist to the now-beloved Chook Drop celebration on New Year’s Eve. This year, we introduced an earlier drop to make the event more inclusive for families and added live entertainment that had the pier full of life and grooving into the new year.

With the growth of the event – more additions are sure to come over time. Visit Keweenaw thanks the City of Houghton and Mr. Cesar & The Lucha Tones for helping put on a night to remember.

four people stand smiling outdoors at night
The Visit Keweenaw team welcomed over a hundred NYE celebrants to the Houghton Pier!

Visit Keweenaw Invested Over $100K in Trails, Safety Improvements and Conservation Efforts in 2024

As part of Copper Shores Giving Tuesday, Visit Keweenaw contributed $15,000 to local trail organizations and conservation groups. This ensures visitors and locals alike can continue to enjoy the area’s unmatched beauty. Combined with the last round of Destination Development Awards – Visit Keweenaw directly invested over $100k into projects in Houghton and Keweenaw County. These funds are generated by room night stays at Visit Keweenaw member properties.

Giving Tuesday Donations:

  • Keweenaw Land Trust: $2,500
  • Keweenaw ATV Club: $2,500
  • Hancock Trails Club: $2,500
  • Keweenaw Snowmobile Club: $2,500
  • Swedetown Trails Club: $2,500
  • Copper Harbor Trails Club: $2,500

Destination Development Fund Projects:

  • Swedetown Recreation Area - $20,000 - Beginner level biking/hiking trail
  • Hancock Trails Club - $17,000 - Swedetown Creek Bridge connector at Maasto-Hiihto/ Churning Rapids Trail System
  • Copper Harbor Trails Club - $11,500 - Berry Picker climbing trail at Brockway Mountain
  • Main Street Calumet - $8,000 - Downtown seating and planters
  • City of Houghton - $7,500 - Installation of Historic Houghton downtown signage
  • Calumet Air Force Station Heritage Museum - $6,000 - Safety railing atop viewing tower
  • Calumet Township - $5,000 - New 18-hole disc golf course
  • Painesdale Mine & Shaft, Inc - $4,900 - Interpretive signage and visitor kiosk
  • Chassell Township - $2,750 - Wayfinding Signage on US 41 for Accessible Kayak Launch
  • Keweenaw County Sheriff's Office - $1,725 - Directional and safety signage for County trails
  • Keweenaw ATV Club - $695 - Trail directional signage

Encourage guests to seek out these new improvements around the Keweenaw when they ask for recommendations!

collage of people holding promotional check
Visit Keweenaw's 2024 Giving Tuesday Recipients

Destination Development Awards are Open: Apply Before March 31

Visit Keweenaw is thrilled to announce it is accepting 2025 applications for Destination Development Awards. Nonprofits and local units of government may apply before March 31.

Destination development is the process of investing in a community’s infrastructure to make it better at attracting visitors and improving their experience while they’re there. These projects can vary but often focus on placemaking – using what makes a community unique and building on its strengths to create memorable experiences. The goal is to benefit both visitors and the local community by enhancing the destination in meaningful ways.

For Visit Keweenaw, that often looks like new signage, trail features or interpretive additions that help folks have a richer interaction with the area’s best assets: the great outdoors, compelling history and culture. Destination development is building upon existing (or creating new) attractions like trails or scenic overlooks to enhance them or creating new experiences altogether. Visit Keweenaw uses a matching grant program to help fund these types of projects in Houghton and Keweenaw County each year, called its Destination Development Fund.

Visit Keweenaw helps make these ideas a reality through its Destination Development Fund, a matching program that supports innovative projects in Houghton and Keweenaw County each year. The Destination Development Fund pays for projects by using a portion of Visit Keweenaw’s annual budget which is supported by membership dues from Visit Keweenaw partner lodging properties.

a trail winds through a cliffside forest with lakeside overlook
Past Destination Development awards have yielded access to incredible viewpoints, like the Berry Picker Overlook.

Love the Keweenaw Campaign Talks Snowmobile Safety

Visit Keweenaw is excited to announce the release of its new snowmobile safety video, “Ride Right, Ride Safe, Ride Sober.” The video provides essential tips on snowmobile safety, promoting responsible riding and enhancing safety across the Keweenaw. We’re proud to share the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has already praised the video for its clear messaging and promotion of responsible recreation. With winter in full swing, we encourage riders to watch and share the video to ensure everyone enjoys the trails safely. Together, we can keep the Keweenaw’s snowmobile trails safe and enjoyable for all.

Historic Dee Stadium Featured on “The Crossing Place”

Visit Keweenaw’s documentary series “The Crossing Place” just featured the Dee Stadium with a warm-hearted interview from Zamboni Driver and Stadium Manager Michael “Jet” Lucchesi. The episode delves into the historic significance of the Dee, affectionately known as the “Birthplace of Professional Hockey.” Through Jet’s engaging narrative, viewers gain insight into the stadium’s vibrant past and its ongoing role as a community hub for skating, hockey and local events.

Watch the latest episode to see the magic of the Dee Stadium and learn why it remains a cherished piece of Houghton’s legacy. Stay up to date with all the latest episodes of ”The Crossing Place” to connect more with the Keweenaw.

winter aerial of a hockey arena
The Dee Stadium, located on Houghton's waterfront, is known as the home of professional hockey.

Upcoming Events to Share

  1. Sauna Week (Jan.19-25): National Sauna Week is an American Celebration at the end of February to build awareness and appreciation for the art of sauna, and Finnish/Finnish-American Heritage. In the Keweenaw, it features a self-guided sauna tour, an oral history project and a public sauna forum with a special guest speaker.

  2. Heikinpaiva (Jan. 25): Heikinpaiva is the celebration of Finnish Culture: marking the middle of winter, where the bear rolls over in its den. During Saturday, Jan. 25 – Hancock comes to life with a parade down Quincy Street and family-friendly games on the Quincy Green. Bring the family to race kicksleds in the snow or try your arm in the wife carrying contest.

  3. Michigan Tech Winter Carnival (Feb. 5-8): One of the community’s most long-standing traditions: Winter Carnival is a busy week for the Keweenaw. Campus groups sculpt massic snow and ice sculptures and the town turns into a queue of folks touring the statues. This year’s theme is “Dragons, Knights & Legendary Sights”. Watch broomball games outside the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts and check out the full winter carnival schedule online.

  4. Jibba Jabba (Feb. 15): Jibba Jabba, Houghton’s professional snowboard event shreds down Huron Street on Saturday, Feb. 15. It’s the ultimate Valentine’s Weekend special and the event has only grown since it returned to Houghton in 2023. Visit Keweenaw proudly supports the event with the City of Houghton and Minnie Farms. It brings thousands of spectators to downtown Houghton who line the snow course spanning over a block down Huron Street to the pier.

  5. Hancock Snow Sculpting Competition (Feb. 21-13): Hancock will welcome artists from across the country for its first-ever snow sculpture competition. Using only hand-tools, participants will transform 8-by-8 blocks of snow into works of art. The event will also feature smaller cubes for families and organizations to join the fun. This year’s competition sets the stage for a permanent move to Heikinpaiva in January 2026.

  6. CopperDog 150 (Feb. 28 - Mar. 2): Winter is looking promising for the CopperDog150 – slated to happen at the end of February. The beloved race draws visitors and locals alike who watch several dog sled races around the Keweenaw. The ultimate spectator night is the race start in Calumet on Feb. 28 where you can cheer on mushers as they begin their journeys.

A team of dogs leads a contestant through the CopperDog150.
There's no shortage of winter fun in the Keweenaw!