PLEASE NOTE: Your free event news can be posted on the Ely Echo newspaper’s Community Calendar. Send your info to: [email protected].
The Babbitt, Ely Area Musicians (BEAMs) are hosting their first ever musicians’ symposium event at the Minnesota North Vermilion Campus on Saturday, Oct. 11 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Rural interdisciplinary artist and 2025 McKnight Choreographer Fellow Kayla Schiltgen presents her experimental dance performance, “is this magic?” followed by an artist chat on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. at The Vermilion Fine Arts Theater. Suggested donation: $10 - $20 at the door. As part of this event, Schiltgen will also lead a free dance workshop for ages 12+, exploring personal expression through movement activities. No prior dance experience is required, all bodies and abilities are welcome. No registration is necessary. The workshop takes place on Saturday, Oct. 11 from 10-11:30 a.m. at the Ely Community Center.
The Ely Weavers and Fiber Arts Group will meet on Monday, Oct. 13, at the Grand Ely at 11:30 a.m. Anyone with shared interests is welcome.
At the Ely Public Library on Monday, Oct. 13 at 3 p.m. – Friends of the Library Book Discussion. The title for discussion this month is The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls. You do not need to be a member of Friends of the Library to attend.
An Ely for Ely monthly gathering with a topic of conflict resolution 101, for working through hard things in the workplace will be conducted by Rachel Hedlund, outdoor educator/facilitator, on Tuesday, Oct. 14 from 7:30-8:45 a.m. at the Ely Community Center. The program is free and open to all.
History Happy Hour delves into the rich history of the Ely, Minnesota Area with pint-sized stories that are informative and entertaining in less than a half an hour. The 2025-26 season starts Oct. 15 by digging into Northwoods Monsters of legend, lore and superstition. Join host Jess Edberg, executive director of the Dorothy Molter Museum as she scratches the surface of a local history topic, inspiring listeners to take a deeper dive on their own. This program is offered as a free, in-person, 30-minute or less presentation October through May, typically on the third Wednesday of the month at 5 p.m. at the Boathouse Brewpub & Restaurant in Ely. History Happy Hour is supported in-kind by the Boathouse Brewpub, Ely’s Heritage Preservation Commission, the Dorothy Molter Museum, Boundary Waters Connect and the Ely Folk School.
At the Ely Public Library on Thursday, Oct. 16 at noon it’s Deadly Knits. Knit-along (or crochet) while we listen to and discuss a true crime podcast. If you have a project you would like to share or work on, bring it along and you can work on it in the company of others! This is a welcoming environment where you can ask questions and share tips. Registration not required. This program is sponsored by Friends of the Library.
Taste, vote, and crown Ely’s best soup at the first-ever Golden Ladle Soup Contest on Thursday, Oct. 23, from 5-7 p.m. at the Ely Community Center. Local restaurants will compete ladle-to-ladle as the community tastes, votes, and crowns Ely’s top soup. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids (ages 6–12), free for children under 5, with a $20 family maximum include soup samples, bread, dessert, and drinks - or get in free when you buy a handmade pottery bowl. The event is sponsored by the Ely Community Center and the Ely Folk School.
The fall gathering of the 100 Ely Women Who Care will be held at the Ely Community Center on Sunday, Oct. 26 at 4 p.m. As usual it will be a pot luck of appetizers and desserts, it usually wraps up at about 5:30 p.m. 100 EWWC is a giving circle based in Ely that nominates and then votes on a local non- profit to donate to twice each year. Over $80,000 have been donated over the years. For more information call Cindy Gardner at 651-303-1094.
The Ely Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a Trunk or Treat event at Whiteside Park from 4:30-6 p.m. on Oct. 31.
