Past Events 2023
Past Events 2022
Alcona GospelFest returned after a covid-induced hiatus on October 29, 2022.
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Sixth Annual Lost Lake Writers Retreat was held October
6 - 9, 2022. |
The 10th Annual Alcona Arts Retreat ran from September 8 to September 11, 2022.
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The Sunrise Side Music Festival featured the Brothers Walker on August 13, 2022.
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Sunrise Side Wine, Brew and Food Festival
July 16, 2022 Big crowds filled the tent above Harrisville harbor all during the afternoon. This photo was taken at 3 p.m. |
Summer Art for Kids, June 20 -30, 2022
About 30 kids signed up for one of the two weeks of lessons. |
Grand Art Spring 2022
Professional sculptor Autumn Bildson led fourth- and fifth-graders in weekly art lessons at the Lincoln Senior Center, where older adults also pitched in with the kids. |
Diamonds in the Rust Songwriters Retreat
Singer-songwriters Annie Capps, Jan Krist and Jim Bizer led their students in a three-day workshop May 12-15. Everyone wrote and performed a new song during the retreat. |
Harbor Nights
The concerts ran from 7 to 9 Fridays all summer long, with professional Michigan musicians entertaining the crowds. |
Dockside Jams
At the pavilion above Harrisville Harbor during decent weather, local musicians played during open mic concerts from 6 to 9 p.m. |
Art for Adults
Fine artist Gary McKinney led a series of six-week sessions, starting with drawing basics, at the Harrisville branch of the Alcona County Library. |
Alcona Authors Writers Group
Will St. John, a retired Detroit Free Press editor, hosts this program for adults who write or want to give writing a try. |
Past Events 2021
Weekly after school
Grand Art 2021
Professional sculptor Autumn Bildson led fourth- and fifth-graders in weekly art lessons at the Lincoln Senior Center, where older adults also pitched in with the kids. |
October 7 - 10
Fifth Annual Lost Lake Writers Retreat
The 2021 retreat featured John D. Lamb as the retreat director with a new team of experienced teachers who have multiple publications. |
September 9 - 12
Ninth Annual Alcona Arts Retreat
The classes featured plein air painting, jewelry making with silver clay, experimental watercolor and a draped figure drawing class. |
Dave Adkins headlined on August 14, playing for a crowd of 400.
Sunrise Side Music Festival
This event featured the bands Breaking Grass from Mississippi, the Brothers Walker from Missouri and Kentucky's Dave Adkins Band. |
FRIDAYS JUNE 18 - SEPTEMBER 17
Harbor Nights Concerts
Professional musicians performed at the pavilion above Harrisville Harbor during the warm weather. |
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Every Saturday
Art for Adults
Fine artist Gary McKinney led a series of six-week sessions, starting with drawing basics, at the Harrisville branch of the Alcona County Library. |
First and Third Saturdays
Alcona Authors Writers Group
Will St. John, a retired Detroit Free Press editor, hosts this program for adults who write or want to give writing a try. It was held at the Harrisville branch of the Alcona County Library. |
Past Events 2020
TUESDAYS, 2019 - 2020
Dockside Jams
It's open mic night every Tuesday at the Dockside Restaurant in Harrisville. This class was interrupted in March 2020 by the covid 19 crisis but ran outdoors during the summer of 2020. It will resume outdoors June 1, 2021. |
JANUARY 16, 2020
Scheer Genius
Doug Scheer's Diversity Circus assembly show entertained and educated Alcoma Elementary School students. The presentation was about fairness, awareness of others, inclusion and respect. The photo above shows that Americans come from all over the world. |
FIRST & THIRD SATURDAYS, 2019 - 2020
Alcona Authors Writers Group
Enthusiastic and experienced leader MaryAnn Crawford, a former college English professor, hosted this program for adults who write or want to give writing a try. This class was interrupted in March by the covid 19 crisis. It will resume in September 2021. |
 FRIDAYS, 2020
Art for Adults
Fine artist Gary McKinney led a six-week session on drawing basics, which then was extended to run year-round. This class was interrupted in March by the covid 19 crisis. It resumed in March 2021, limited to nine students, when the library board agreed that it could be hosted safely. |
FEBRUARY 28 - 29, 2020
Third Annual Alcona Small Farm Conference
Amy Eberling, managing partner of Zingerman's Bakehouse and coauthor of the "Zingerman's Bakehouse" cookbook, highlighted the Saturday conference with her workshop on creating a vision of success for your farm, business and life. On Friday night, she talked about milling and baking with a variety of Michigan grains. |
SCHOOL FRIDAYS, 2019 - 2020
Free After-School Grand Art
On most Fridays right after school, Alcona Community Schools bused students in the fourth and fifth grades to the Lincoln Senior Center for two hours of art plus dinner. Seniors were encouraged to join with the kids in all the fun. This class was interrupted in March by the covid 19 crisis. It will resume as soon as the school and senior center can host it safely. Above are monsters made for Halloween in October 2019. |
SCHOOL MONDAYS, 2019 - 2020
Free After-School Ukelele Lessons
Each Monday, right after school, Joe Thomas (Mr. Tech Tuesday at the Alcona County Library) gave free ukelele lessons to Alcona Community Schools students in the fourth and fifth grades. This class was interrupted in March by the covid 19 crisis. It will resume in fall 2021. |
SCHOOL MONDAYS, 2019 - 2020
Free After-School Guitar Lessons
Each Monday, right after school, Joel Choate of Joel’s Guitars in Alpena gave free guitar lessons to Alcona Community Schools students ages 14 and up. This class was interrupted in March by the covid 19 crisis. It will resume in fall 2021. |
TUESDAYS JUNE - SEPTEMBER
Dockside Jams
It's open mic night every Tuesday at the pavilion above Harrisville Harbor. The 15 free concerts drew an average of more than 50 people each night, and only one Tuesday was rained out. |
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2020
John D. Lamb in concert
Local songstress Laura Frawley opened for John. The Detroit singer-songwriter made a special appearance at an outdoor concert in the pavilion above Harrisville harbor. John is an active performer across the Midwest and has operated Lamb's Songwriters Retreat for more than two decades. |
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020
Shoreline Jazz in concert
The 11-person jazz band based in Oscoda and Tawas played a special concert at the pavilion above Harrisville Harbor. A crowd of approximately 60 came to listen to the band and its lead singer, above. |
Past Events 2019
OCTOBER 10-13, 2019
Fourth Annual Lost Lake Writers Retreat
Poets Robert Fanning and Kelly Fordon, novelists Irina Reyn and Michael Zadoorian and storyteller Allison Downey led students through three days of learning and writing, all hosted by John D. Lamb of Springfed Arts, cosponsor of this retreat. |
SEPTEMBER 27 AND 28, 2019
Child of the Holocaust
Irene Miller, who survived the Nazi attempt to exterminate European Jews during World War II, years in a Soviet labor camp and more years in orphanages, spoke at the Alcona County Library and at sessions with middle school and high school students at Alcona Community Schools. |
SEPTEMBER 5 -8, 2019
Eighth Annual Alcona Arts Retreat
Thirty-four students took classes from instructors Cindy Evans (experimental watercolor), Ted Fines (digital landscape photography), Autumn Bildson (quick sculpture) and Richard Jordan (plein air painting). Opening and closing parties completed the retreat. |
TUESDAYS ALL SUMMER, 2019
Dockside Jams at the Harbor
It was open mic at the pavilion above Harrisville Harbor every Tuesday from June 25 through September 10. |
AUGUST 20, 2019
Ukulele Double Workshop with Ben Hassenger
Sunrise Side Strummers and Inspiration Alcona brought the organizer of the Interlochen Uketoberfest to Lincoln for back-to-back lessons, "Become One with the Strum" and "Playing Well with Others." |
JULY 13, 2019
Brunch at the Harbor
Inspiration Alcona's Farm to Fork Alcona committee sponsored its second annual brunch under the big tent above Harrisville Harbor, serving breakfast burritos in several combos. |
JUNE 11 - JULY 10, 2019
Summer Art for Youth
Inspiration Alcona's annual summer art lessons ran 10 to noon at the EMT station on M-72 just south of Lincoln. Alcona Elementary art teacher Brooke Green led all sessions. |
AFTER-SCHOOL FRIDAYS, 2018 - 2019
Grand Art
Fourth- and fifth-graders from Alcona Elementary School joined in art projects with a grandparent or other senior citizen at the Alcona Senior Center each Friday, with exceptions based on the school calendar. Sculptor Autumn Bildson (not shown) was the principal instructor for this 10-session series. This program is cosponsored by the Harrisville Arts Council, Alcona Community Schools and the Alcona County Commission on Aging. |
MAY 5, 2019
'Creation' by Northeast Academy of Dance
This original ballet featured the students of Northeast Academy of Dance in Oscoda, which draws enrollment from all over the nation. |
APRIL 15, 2019
Tax Day Boogie-Woogie Blues
Matthew Ball played to lift the spirits of taxpayers at 5:30 p.m. at the Harrisville branch of the Alcona County Library, 312 W. Main St., Harrisville. |
MARCH 16, 2019
Alcona FFA's Maple Syrup Celebration Day
More than 800 people enjoyed pancakes and sausage, and maple syrup created by Alcona High School's FFA students. The meal was certified as 85% local food by Taste the Local Difference. The syrup, sausage, everything except the pancake mix came from northeast Michigan. Inspiration Alcona's Farm to Fork Alcona committee gave away seed packets and information. |
FEBRUARY 9, 2019
Valentine's Dance
Kim Casey and the Skylark band provided the music for an evening at Harrisville United Methodist Church's fellowship hall. Tickets, $10, supported the Alcona Food Pantry and other local missions. |
FEBRUARY 6, 2019
Joni Mitchell Tribute Show
The Skylark band, featuring Kim Casey, performed a selection of folk-jazz-pop music from one of Canada's best songwriters, Joni Mitchell, at the Harrisville branch of the Alcona County Library, 312 W. Main St., Harrisville. |
JANUARY 18-19, 2019
Alcona Small Farm Conference
Eighty-three people attended the conference, with 50 more at the reception the night before. Doug Paulus, shown above, was the morning keynote speaker. |
JANUARY 17-18, 2019
Guy Louis at Alcona Elementary
Singer-entertainer Guy Louis visited Alcona County. On Thursday night, he did a public show that was just for fun. On Friday, he did two events emphasizing good citizenship for elementary students. |
JANUARY 15, 2019
Farm to Fork Alcona Winter Photo Contest
Shelly Hoffmeyer, a paraprofessional worker at Alcona High School, won the 2019 Farm to Fork Alcona photo contest with this image of a barn enduring a wintry day in Alcona County. |
Past Events 2018
NOVEMBER 3, 2018
Celebration of Water
Poet Alison Swan, editor of the Michigan Notable Book "Fresh Water," read from her poetry about the waters of our state. This special event related to the Smithsonian traveling show Water|Ways, which opened two weeks later. This program was held at the Harrisville branch of the Alcona County Library. |
OCTOBER 7, 2018
'Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman'
This acclaimed movie showed how three small communities made local agriculture better and at the same time helped preserve their environments. About 55 people was the movie at the Alcona High School auditorium. |
OCTOBER 6, 2018
Opening of the Water|Ways Art Exhibit
Artists from six northwest Michigan counties entered the competition for this juried show, which ran for the rest of the month, to celebrate Michigan's waters and the Smithsonian touring exhibit coming in November to the Alcona County Library. Shelly Hendrick Kasprzycki, president and CEO of the Michigan Humanities Council, was the juror. |
OCTOBER 4 - 7, 2018
Third Annual Lost Lake Writers Retreat
At the third annual retreat, students learned from six talented author-teachers including novelists Jacquelyn Mitchard and Michael Zadoorian; poets Cecilia Woloch, Kathleen McGookey and Jack Ridl, and songwriter-poet Emily Rose. Hosted by John D. Lamb. |
SEPTEMBER 13 - 27, 2018
British Comedy Film Series
All were shown on the big screen at the Harrisville branch of the Alcona County Library. Free movie, free popcorn and free beverages. |
SEPTEMBER 5 - 8, 2018
Seventh Annual Alcona Arts Retreat
The annual retreat ended with a tasty farewell cookout. Instructors were Colleen Wilson (jewelry), Joan Schwartz (mosaics), Helen Kleczynski (pastels), Richard Jordan (plein air all media) and Laura Whitesides Host (experimental watercolor). |
AUGUST 17, 2018
Patsy Cline tribute
Kim Casey and the BobCat Band played from 6 to 8 p.m. at the pavilion at Harrisville State Park. Their repertoire consists of many Patsy Cline hits, some Joni Mitchell and a variety of country hits. Attendance was about 75 people at the outside venue. |
JULY 14, 2018
Brunch at the Harbor
Inspiration Alcona sponsored its first brunch under the big tent above Harrisville Harbor, serving breakfast burritos in several combos. Response overwhelmed us; we sold out in less than an hour and a half in a planned three-hour event. We'll make more food next time. |
JUNE 19 - JULY 19, 2018
Summer Art for Youth
This annual summer event covered drawing, watercolor, pastels and sculpture in eight sessions. |
APRIL 28, 2018
Fourth Annual Alcona GospelFest
The fourth annual Alcona GospelFest was held at First United Methodist Church in Harrisville. Jean Wilson of Saline, Michigan, was back again to lead the mass choir. Solo and small group performances opened the concert before the gospel choir took over. The next Alcona GospelFest will be held in 2020 as the event adopts an every-other-year schedule. |
MARCH 29, 2018
Baffling Bill
The magician not only baffled Alcona Elementary School students but also showed them the importance of reading. |
FEBRUARY 10, 2018
Alcona Regional Farm Conference
More than 90 people came to this educational event about the finances, help available and success stories in growing food for profit in northeast Michigan. Breakfast and lunch each featured locally grown food. |
JANUARY 25, 2018
Thunder Bay International Film Fest
The 2018 "On the Road" version of the festival drew 130 people. One special highlight was the showing of local resident and former Hollywood producer Mary Ellen Jones' short film, "Mindjimendamowin" ("Blood Memory"), which starred local actor Travis Agosa (with the mic above). |
Past Events 2017
OCTOBER 5-8, 2017
Second Annual Lost Lake Writers Retreat
Teachers Jack Ridl, Anne-Marie Oomen, Craig Holden, Maureen Dunphy and Whit Hill led this all-Michigan version of the writers retreat. |
SEPTEMBER 30, 2017
Fermentation Workshop and Dinner
David Klingenberger of Ann Arbor's The Brinery taught a crowd of almost 100 about natural fermentation. A dinner of certified local products was praised. After dinner, a mini farmers market sold local food to participants. |
SEPTEMBER 22-24, 2017
Thunder Bay Folk Festival
Inspiration Alcona was a gold sponsor of this annual weekend of folk music, dancing, food and friendship. |
SEPTEMBER 7 - OCTOBER 12, 2017
Reeling with Laughter
Film historian John Blakemore, who summers in Black River, led a six-session class about movie comedies. The films were "Duck Soup," "Roman Holiday," "The Thin Man," "Top Hat," "Dr. Strangelove" and "Blazing Saddles." |
SEPTEMBER 18, 2017
Spaghetti a la Alcona
This special dinner featured the traditional dish but made with all Michigan products. The meat and sauce were sourced locally and the pasta came from downstate. This event kicked off fundraising for the February 10, 2018, Alcona Regional Farm Conference, designed to promote the farm to fork movement in Alcona County. |
SEPTEMBER 9, 2017
An Evening of Acoustic Music with Neil Woodward and Suzanne and Jim
This event marked Inspiration Alcona's second benefit for the newly re-formed Alcona Schools band. More than $800 went into the band activity fund. |
SEPTEMBER 7 - 10, 2017
2017 Alcona Arts Retreat
Forty-seven students signed up for the sixth annual retreat at Lost Lake Woods Club. They explored art journaling, making jewelry with silver clay, watercolor and collage, and portrait painting. |
JUNE 21 - AUGUST 29, 2017
Summer Art for Youth
Free weekly art lessons for elementary through high school students, taught by local professional artists, drew 20 young artists to the first class, drawing with Joe Jenney. (Some came late and missed the picture.) |
MAY 27, 2017
Spruce Country Days
This event celebrated the completion of the Spruce Windows Project. There were art and craft booths, antique booths, kids games for all ages, antique tractors, and more. In the evening there was a pig roast followed by a country style dance. |
APRIL 29, 2017
Third Annual Alcona GospelFest
First Baptist Church of Lincoln hosted this year. Our prized director, Jean Wilson of Saline, Michigan, was back again to lead the mass choir. The choir numbered 58 singers, plus musicians Susan Armstrong, Jeremy Smith and Terry Thomas, and assistant director Pam Barkel. The public event once again began with a dinner provided by and benefiting the church in late afternoon to early evening. |
APRIL 21 AND 24, 2017
Three Billy Goats Gruff
Actors from Thunder Bay Theatre in Alpena performed a modernized version of the fairy tail "Three Billy Goats Gruff" for elementary students at Alcona Elementary School. The troll, an otherwise nice young woman in a pig nose and weird green glasses, wasn't quite as frightening in this rendition, largely because she wasn't interested in eating the billy goats. Resolving the problem about crossing the troll's bridge involved pizza. |
MARCH 25, 2017
Author visit: Tom Stanton
In this work, Tom Stanton revealed the secret society that used murder and terror to try to control Detroit during the years when all the city's sports teams — and boxer Joe Louis — were winning almost every title available. Tom has written four other nonfiction books, all about baseball. |
MARCH 5, 2017
Patsy Cline Tribute
This fundraiser for the Alcona Community Schools band program featuring vocalist Casey Makela and a live band drew more than 500 people to the Alcona Community Schools Auditorium. It raised more than $3,400 for the band. |
JANUARY 20, 2017
Thunder Bay International Film Festival
Inspiration Alcona and the Alcona County Library co-hosted the first ever showing of the Thunder Bay International Film Festival away from its home base in Alpena. Attendance numbered 75 people. The two-hour show featured an intermission at which refreshments were served. |
Past Events 2016
DECEMBER 3, 2016
FFA Barn Dance
Inspiration Alcona helped the high school organization with this event, which drew 60 people who danced to live music. It raised money for the popular and academically valuable school program. |
OCTOBER 9, 2016
A Conversation with Mardi Jo Link
A full house of about 75 listened as this Michigan author discussed her career in true crime fiction and memoirs. |
OCTOBER 8, 2016
Farm to Fork Alcona
Twenty-two people learned how to use local foods in daily menus during demonstrations by chef Ben Kline. |
OCTOBER 6-9, 2016
First Annual Lost Lake Writers Retreat
Six teachers and 37 students came to the 2016 retreat. |
SEPTEMBER 8-11, 2016
Fifth Annual Alcona Arts Retreat
Four classes attracted 43 students to the fifth annual set of workshops for artists. |
APRIL 30, 2016
Second Annual Alcona GospelFest
An ecumenical choir of 41 local residents and 16 members of the One Voice Gospel Choir of Saline performed. The audience numbered 157, for a total attendance of 214 people. Director Jean Wilson returned to lead the ecumenical choir for the second year. St. Anne Catholic Church hosted. |
APRIL 2, 2016
Michigan Songwriters Concert
Four talented Michigan songwriters entertained an audience of 29 despite a late, heavy snowfall that kept many people off the roads. Kitty Donohoe of Ann Arbor, Jim Bizer of Detroit, John D. Lamb of Royal Oak and Laura Frawley of Hubbard Lake played original songs. |
MARCH 24, 2016
Carl Behrend in Concert
Singer-songwriter Carl Behrend of Munising drove through a blizzard to perform at his concert. His stories in prose and in song about the Great Lakes included Native American legends and recountings of shipwrecks in Lakes Superior and Huron. Local radio station WFTX rebroadcast the performance. |
MARCH 8, 2016
Historic Mackinac on Tour
Two presenters from Historic Fort Mackinac came to the Alcona Elementary on March 8, 2016, to show students from third through sixth grades how people lived in northern Michigan from the early days of the Native Americans up through the War of 1812. The children tried on clothing of the era, danced in historic patterns, listened to music of the times, sold real pelts at the trading post and heard more about life when Michigan was still covered in forest. |
FEBRUARY 13, 2016
Valentines Dance
In cooperation with First United Methodist Church of Harrisville, which provided the space, Inspiration Alcona sponsored a Valentines dance for the general public. A live four-piece band provided music from swing to classic ballroom to a polka for the crowd. Proceeds from the event went to My Brother's Hope, a local charity that helps with food, clothing and household items for people in need. |
Past Events 2015
DECEMBER 22, 2015
Palabras Luminosas
Two presenters from Magical Rain Theaterworks came to the Alcona Elementary on December 22, 2015, to show students Latin American culture through storytelling, song and laughter. The children especially liked, of course, the dancing skeleton. |
OCTOBER 15, 2015
A Conversation with Judith Guest
Michigan author Judith Guest, best known for her novels "Ordinary People," later a hit movie of the same name, and "The Tarnished Eye," spoke during the 2015 Lake Huron Discovery Tour. Inspiration Alcona, Women to Women Michigan Magazine and the Harrisville Arts Council were the main sponsors. Then-Inspiration Alcona board member Mary Ellen Jones, now a leader at Mitten Women Productions, a film production group, did the interview. |
OCTOBER 11, 2015
Movie Premiere
Inspiration Alcona co-sponsored the first showing of an award-winning short film by Alcona County filmmaker Mary Ellen Jones. The movie explores a young mixed-race girl's journey from bullied teen to Broadway star with the help of an unexpected mentor. |
SEPTEMBER 3 - 6, 2015
Fourth Annual Alcona Arts Retreat
Five classes attracted more than 40 students to the fifth annual set of workshops for artists and writers. |
JULY 16, 2015
Live Art at the Harbor
Sixty kids, with a few grandparent-age ringers, played with art at the second year of this fun event, under the direction of local artists as teachers. |
JUNE 4 - 7, 2015
Alcona Writers Retreat
The first writers retreat Inspiration Alcona sponsored brought noted Michigan writers Phillip Sterling (right, above) and Anne-Marie Oomen to Alcona County to teach a dozen students. |
APRIL 25,2015
First Annual Alcona GospelFest
The 2015 Alcona GospelFest was blessed with an ecumenical choir of 37 local residents. The audience numbered 166, for a total attendance of 203 people. Director Jean Wilson of Saline, Michigan, led the ecumenical choir. She is also a founding director of the One Voice Gospel Choir based in Saline. First United Methodist Church of Harrisville hosted. |
Past Events 2014
SEPTEMBER 4 - 7, 2014
Third Annual Alcona Arts Retreat
The arts retreat featured a collage class among its seven workshops. |
JULY 17, 2014
Live Art at the Harbor
Five teachers and 37 kids, plus a few grandparents, made a day of creativity under the big tent above Harrisville harbor a lot of fun. Lessons included watercolors, fingerpaints, stenciling and more. |
Past Events 2013
SEPTEMBER 5 - 8, 2013
Second Annual Alcona Arts Retreat
The second arts retreat included not only visual arts but also dancing and songwriting. |
Past Events 2012
SEPTEMBER 6 - 9, 2012
First Annual Alcona Arts Retreat
The first event Inspiration Alcona held was the 2012 Alcona Arts Retreat, which drew 37 students. |
