Gales of November Concert at the Museum Church

Each year the blustery November winds remind us of the toils and dangers facing our Great Lakes sailors and freighters.

Residents of the Thumb live so close to the lakes that this maritime heritage is a part of us. Many have relatives who worked the ships, or pulled in the fishing nets of a once-thriving commercial fishery. Off the coast of Sanilac County the wreck of the freighter Regina and other Great Lakes victims are preserved in the Sanilac Shores Underwater Preserve. We love the lakes, and more than any other time of year, November reminds us to respect the power and fury of these great bodies of water around us.

The Sanilac County Historic Museum & Village recognizes this season with a special Gales of November concert Sunday November 13, from 3 to 5 pm. Blue Water Ramblers, a veteran Michigan touring band, featuring Bear Berends, the multi-talented Banjo Jim Foerch and Grand Rapids Dutch fiddler extraordinaire Marten Van Eyk, roll out a rollicking set of their favorite watery songs and ballads. Local band Ourselves opens with a set of songs from the Great Storm of 1913 and other work, wreck and comic songs of the lakes.

All attending the concert will have the opportunity to enter a free drawing for an autographed print of the Port Sanilac light house, sketched by noted marine artist Robert McGreevy.

The event takes place in the Museum Church at the Historic Village and Museum in Port Sanilac. Admission is only $10.00 for Adults and $5.00 for students. There will be refreshments available. If you haven’t visited before, or in a while, take time before or after the concert to walk the grounds and look at the buildings that have been assembled here. Each one came from somewhere in Sanilac County, and a sign in front of each building explains that building’s history. Bringing each building here required a major investment. The larger buildings, the School, the Church and the Depot, required tens of thousands of dollars to move here. You can help support the preservation of your history by attending our events. Hope to see you at the concert.