The best North Shore Fourth of July

Fourth of July in small-town America means parades and fireworks. If you're on the North Shore for the Fourth, head for Tofte for the best small-town celebration of all.

Sure, Two Harbors has fireworks and an ice cream social And Grand Marais will have fireworks and a parade. Even little Silver Bay and Grand Portage will have fireworks. But no one puts it all together like Tofte. 

Here's your schedule for a great North Shore Fourth of July at Tofte:

7:45 AM Tofte Trek registration 
Opens at Birch Grove for Tofte Trek 10K Wilderness Run (and hike)

9:30 AM Tofte Trek start
Run through the woods, get muddy, then jump in Lake Superior at the end. 


11:00-5:00 Festival of fish, fun
At the Tofte Town Hall: challenge the climbing wall, enjoy live local music, eat some fish burgers, and take on your family in a water balloon battle.

1:00 PM Petite parade 
This is a classic small-town parade. The route is short enough, sometimes they do it twice. Old cars, the classic fire truck, and lots of red, white and blue. Who knows what the Superior National Forest service will do this year? 



Dusk: Fireworks and fear
Head for Tofte Town Park for the best viewing. There's a lot of excitement every year, especially after the big explosion in 2009 when everything went off at once.