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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Ely Folk School to close for renovations

New kitchen, classes, website under construction as school looks to the future

Keith Vandervort
Posted 12/28/16

ELY - Since the first day the doors opened on the Ely Folk School in June 2015, the little folk school in the north woods has been a hub of activity. EFS board members announced Tuesday that a …

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Ely Folk School to close for renovations

New kitchen, classes, website under construction as school looks to the future

Posted

ELY - Since the first day the doors opened on the Ely Folk School in June 2015, the little folk school in the north woods has been a hub of activity. EFS board members announced Tuesday that a temporary closing of the building is necessary to focus on several changes and make space for renovation of the kitchen.

Organizers have thrown off their mittens, rolled up their sleeves and are preparing for a terrific new year at the Ely Folk School. “New themed weekend classes will be featured, such as “Finnish Midsummer Weekend,” “Slovenian Miners Weekend,” and “Foragers Weekend” just to name a few, said Program Coordinator Jaime Brennan. The school is also in the process of creating an entirely new website.

“The past year has seen dances, concerts, numerous classes, and the unique Birch Bark Canoe Project in which saw participants working together to build a unique canoe in the traditional way,” she said.

“With the successful fundraising efforts this fall toward the kitchen redesign, plans are now moving forward to create a new teaching kitchen. With a new kitchen in 2017, students can look forward to more tasty and popular ethnic cooking classes,” Brennan said.

EFS will be open during Winter Festival, Feb. 2-12, with several class offerings like Winter Survival Skills, Herbal Eye Pillows, Beaver Fur Hats, Simple Stab Bound Book, and Introduction to Digital Photography among others.

Office staff will continue working on the spring/summer course catalog throughout the winter, and will be available by phone or email. The mercantile and building will not be open to the public during the winter months, but will reopen in the spring.

“The website will be up and running sometime in March, and the staff anticipates a more streamlined registration process and updated web presence,” she said.

The Ely Folk School has the mission to build community by providing learning experiences that celebrate the wilderness heritage, art, history, culture, and craft of the people of northern Minnesota. Numerous classes and events are held throughout the year both at the location in downtown Ely, and other sites in the surrounding area.

Contact EFS by phone at 218-235-0138 or info@elyfolkschool.org. Visit them on the web at elyfolkschool.org for more information.