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Events

Unplugged XX

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Overview

Tickets on sale now - purchase yours today

It’s hard to believe it’s been 2 decades since our first unplugged, and through this annual celebration of music, craft, and community, we have built a strong foundation for the future of craft. We’ve come a long way as a community since then, but there is still so much joy to be discovered in the work we have ahead.

This year Unplugged will offer more ways to be involved than ever before. 

North House is closely following recommendations from the CDC and MDH regarding Covid protocols related to the delta variant. In the spirit of caring for community, proof of vaccination or a recent negative covid test are required to attend the on campus Unplugged Celebration. Full protocols and refund policies are available here.

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ONLINE: Unplugged Streaming Event

Participate in the virtual event from the comfort of your home! Purchase a ticket to simply stream the event or choose to receive a gift box brimming with treats from New Scenic Café and local partners.

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ON CAMPUS: Unplugged Celebration

Join us on campus to enjoy beverages, live music, and delicious hors d'oeuvres from our local community! Attendees will gather in the Red and Blue buildings following the social hour to watch the streamed event.  

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Featured Speaker: Jay Blades

Our featured speaker this year is Jay Blades, host of The Repair Shop (on Netflix and the BBC), furniture restorer, and advocate for the power craft holds to restore community and self. Jay will be joining us virtually for the streaming event.

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Featured Performer: Amythyst Kiah

We are excited to welcome Amythyst Kiah, GRAMMY-nominated songwriter and Americana musician, as our featured performer. Amythyst will be joining us virtually for the streaming event.

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ONLINE: Points North Auction

Our Points North auction is your opportunity to find one-of-a-kind hand crafts and engaging North Shore experiences while supporting the North House mission! Bidding will run online from September 10th through the 19th with a sneak-peek starting in late August. 

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On Campus: Unplugged Harborside Gathering & Pie Social

All are welcome to join us on Friday September 17th for a cozy evening of pie, artisan demonstrations, and live old time music! Friday night is free and open to the community.

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Intro to Wood Fired Baking

For new and seasoned bakers alike, experience the delight of baking in our outdoor wood-fired oven. In this two hour course, students will be introduced to baking bread and using a wood fired oven.

Event Details

Unplugged Harborside Gathering & Pie Social

Friday, September 17 5pm-8pm. Free and open to all.

Join us on Friday night for an autumnal gathering on the Commons. Pull up a straw bale and watch the sunset over the Big Lake and the Sawtooth Mountains. We’ll have cozy fires, freshly pressed apple cider, and live old time music. And did we mention pie? Apple to pumpkin to berry, we’re welcoming the fall season with a pie social featuring pies from Bluewater Cafe. Artisans will be on hand demonstrating and have an array of beautiful crafts for sale.

Unplugged Performance

Saturday, September 18 

Tickets on sale now - purchase yours today.

The evening will open with a musical performance by the trio of Barbara Jean Meyers (a former North House intern!), Molly Dean, and Mike Lewis.

North House is excited to welcome Jay Blades as our featured speaker. Jay is host of The Repair Shop (on Netflix and the BBC), a furniture restorer, and an advocate for the power craft holds to restore community and self. His autobiography, Making it: How Love, Kindness and Community Helped Me Repair My Life comes out this summer and shares his story of growing up in East London in a council estate, experiences with racism, homelessness, and depression before finding his way forward in craft.

This year’s featured performer will be Amythyst Kiah, who Rolling Stone magazine called “one of Americana’s great up-and-coming secrets.” Along with tapping into the vibrant musicality she honed in part through her studies in East Tennessee State University’s Bluegrass, Old Time, Country Music program, the Chattanooga-bred singer/songwriter expands on the uncompromising artistry she’s displayed as a member of Our Native Daughters (with Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell) —an all-women-of-color supergroup whose Kiah-penned standout “Black Myself” earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best American Roots Song and won Song of the Year at the Folk Alliance International Awards.

This year you can enjoy the streaming event from the comfort of your own home OR join us on campus for a social hour before gathering to watch the streaming event in community!

On-Campus Celebration

Saturday, September 18 - 5:30pm

Join us on campus before the event broadcast on the evening of September 18th to enjoy the flavors of the North! Fresh focaccia from our woodfired ovens, smoked fish and cheese, and delicious offerings from The Bad Seed and The Crooked Spoon food trucks will be served on the commons, in addition to beverages from Voyageur Brewing Company, North Shore Winery, and Fulton Brewery! With live music, freshly pressed cider, and a dessert prepared by North House Instructor Kim Ode, the evening promises to be extra sweet!

Following the social hour, attendees will gather in the Red and Blue buildings to watch the evening’s online stream with friends of the school. Group and individual tickets are available and seating is limited to promote the health of our community. 

Proof of vaccination or a recent negative covid test will be required for the event.

North House will provide a full description of the covid safety protocols in the weeks before the event - keeping folks healthy is part of caring for community! You can anticipate that these efforts will align with the most up-to-date recommendations from the CDC and MDH.

Tickets on sale now - purchase yours today.

There will be a special Saturday run of the 2 hour Intro to Wood Fired Baking course from 9-11am. Each student will get to bake carta di musica (thin wafer bread) and focaccia while exploring the history and science of bread baking.

Streaming Event

Saturday, September 18 - 7pm

Gather with friends to enjoy the online event broadcast from the comfort of your home!

Online ticket options range from simply streaming the event to receiving a shipped gift box featuring items from New Scenic Café and other great North Shore partners! Watch for a detailed description, coming soon!

We hope you will mark your calendar now and start to make your plans for this incredible night. Tickets will go on sale August 8.

Any questions or comments can be sent to our Development Director, Tom Morse (tmorse@northhouse.org)

Tickets on sale now - purchase yours today

Points North Auction

From unique North Shore experiences to one-of-a-kind instructor craft, explore this year’s Points North Auction and place your bids and support North House’s mission! Online bidding opens from September 10th through 19th. If you can't wait until the 10th, here's a preview of the items available so far.

Latest Update: View recent changes →

Course Offerings

Handcrafting A Northwoods Paddle

Wed, Sep 15th, 2021  –  Thu, Sep 16th, 2021
9 am-5 pm each day
Instructor: Mike Schelmeske

Needle Felting & Bead Embroidery: Beads & Fiber Painting

Thu, Sep 16th, 2021  –  Fri, Sep 17th, 2021
9am - 5pm
Instructor: Jo Wood

Ovencrafting: Building and Baking in the Wood-Fired Oven

Thu, Sep 16th, 2021  –  Sun, Sep 19th, 2021
9 am-5 pm each day Day 1 at North House, Days 2-4 at Creaking Tree Farm
Instructor: Caleb Mattison

Fine Furniture: Windsor Comb Back Rocking Chair

Mon, Sep 20th, 2021  –  Fri, Sep 24th, 2021
Day 1: 4-7 pm Days 2-5: 9 am-4 pm
Instructor: David Abeel

Sponsors