Building community by providing learning experiences that celebrate the wilderness heritage, art, history, culture, and craft of the people of northern Minnesota.
The Ely Folk School held it's very first classes on June 7, 2015 - Songwriting with Joey Kenig and Flatwater Canoeing with Bert and Johnnie Hyde. From a community meeting with an outline of a dream in late November 2014, many dedicated and passionate Elyites spent December 2014 through May 2015 doggedly creating the bones of the Ely Folk School. Today, we hold over 400 programs annually and boast 10 unique program areas. We believe in intergenerational, non-competitive, learn
The Ely Folk School strives to be a gathering space where all Ely area residents and visitors forge new connections, build a stronger community, and develop as individuals through experiential learning that honors the crafts and cultures of our region. Primarily, we fulfill this mission by offering small, personalized learning experiences rooted in the seasons of the Northwoods and wisdom of our neighbors. We believe that learning happens best through story and that story i
Our blog posts from our previous website were not fully transferred when we made the move to this one. However, there were stories told there that we don't want to lose! Josephine Shepel Luthanen was an impactful musical figure here in Ely. Her piano was donated to the Ely Folk School after her passing. In 2023, we helped move Josephine's piano to it's current home at the Ely High School where students still learn and practice on it today. The Ely Folk School is honored to be
