For over a decade, I have been traveling twice a year to Marquette, Michigan. In particular, I really appreciate how Marquette is an inclusive and welcoming destination for queer travelers. I am very grateful for the partnership with Travel Marquette and their support of our show. It was a joy to talk with the CEO of Travel Marquette Susan Estler about Marquette as a destination and upcoming fall events. Article continues below.
Watch our conversation
Fall Colors, Fall Events
While the fall colors are just starting to emerge in Marquette, fall events are already underway.
“We have the Fall Enduro coming up,” Estler said. “We have the Lake Superior Performance Rally, which is amazing. There’s a UP 200 Dryland Dash, which is kind of a dry run for the UP 200. And there’s also the Fresh Coast Film Festival, which is one of my favorites.”
The film festival celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year with 94 films to be screened at 10 venues across four days. The festival also includes 17 outdoor tours that attendees can sign-up for. Per its website, the Fresh Coast Film Festival, “[gathers]Â the best in environmental and cultural filmmaking from around the world while creating a venue for, and building a culture of, Great Lakes storytelling.”
Estler noted that it’s not just film lovers who attend the event. “I really like the number of filmmakers that are actually at the festival,” said Estler. “The evening event, on Thursday, there’s the filmmaker’s reception. And then on Saturday night, they have a lot of the filmmakers there.”
This year’s films include, “Cold Blooded Kari,” “Beyond Our Senses: Bank Swallows,” “Aanikoobijigan [ancestor / great-grandparent / great-grandchild],” and “Finding the Universe“.
Laser Shows On The Ore Docks
In Marquette’s harbor is the historic Lower Harbor Ore Dock, an 1,800-foot long ore dock that is now decommissioned. Originally built in 1931, it closed forty years later. Today it serves as a canvas for laser shows that run during the holiday season from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve. The location on the harbor allows for people to watch from the cars Thursday through Saturday evenings. The shows begin at 6 p.m. and for the Fresh Coast Film festival, there will be a special laser show on opening night.
Visitors also head to the Lower Harbor Ore Dock to witness “Orehenge.”
“Orehenge” is when the tilt of the earth is such that the rising sun can be seen through the dock itself. The phenomenon happens twice a year, when the sun is at 119 degrees. In the fall, that is typically around November 20. Estler said that while it started with a few locals observing the phenomenon, now “it’s a big thing” with people traveling to Marquette to see it while hoping for clear skies.
Old Town Negaunee Offers Spooky Spot
For those looking for a more haunted visit to Marquette County, they often head to Old Town Negaunee.
Founded as a mining town in the mid-1800s, cave-ins started to happen due to mining operations underneath the town.
“So what they did was they picked houses up,” Estler said. “They moved them. And you can go through Old Town, you see abandoned stairs, stairs to nowhere. You can see railings, the streets, everything. And it’s just really fun to go through there and it’s really pretty amazing.”
Sunset Point on Presque Isle Park
At the north end of Marquette is a small peninsula extending into Lake Superior: Presque Isle Park. On it, you can hike, bike, and at certain times of day drive around it at 15 mph. There are large rock formations, access to the water for swimming and diving, and hiking trails.
“Great place to see the northern lights if they’re out,” Estler said. “We have lights pretty much everywhere, but it tends to be dark enough [at Presque Isle] that if you look closely, you can see them.”
On the west side is Sunset Point, which provides multiple parking spots, benches, and lookouts to enjoy every sunset.
Respect Marquette Campaign Promotes Outdoor Responsibility
“During the pandemic, we had quite a few people coming through Marquette and the Upper Peninsula as a whole who had never been outside,” Estler said. “I saw many expensive vehicles coming around town, none that would go through muddy trails.”
Concerns grew that visitors didn’t know outdoor recreate etiquette. Estler convened a coalition of trail organizations, the DNR, municipal governments, as well as residents to create Respect Marquette County. It’s mission is to “promote stewardship and respect for Marquette County’s natural and community spaces by encouraging local collaboration and education.”
Estler said that Respect Marquette partnered with Leave No Trace to create the principles and programs. “If you’re on a trail and you see a puddle, walk through the puddle,” she said. “Be prepared to walk through a puddle because if you go around it, you’re creating a social trail.”
Key principles include: Leave it as your find it, trash your trash, stick to trails and campsites, keep wildlife wild, and know before you go.
Colorful Variety of Dining Options
There is the LGBTQ-owned Cafe Bodega. Downtown there are several options including the Delft Bistro and the newest addition: earl e. byrds, an American style diner offering breakfast and lunch.
In town, there are 48 culinary options of cafes, bar and grills, breweries, and bakeries.
To learn more about Travel Marquette visit travelmarquette.com.
