The Blue Water Folk Society is proud to once again sponsor the Rising Stars Music Competition.

Goals of the Rising Stars Music Competition:
* Identify and promote the talent and abilities of young musicians
* Develop the stage and performing abilities of young musicians

AGE GROUPS:
This year we will have competitions for two different age groups:
17 and under
18 - 25 years

CATEGORIES:
Best Performance
Best Original Song

AUDITION INFO:
Be prepared to perform two songs of your choice.
All music must be live.
All music must be performed acoustically.

All performers wishing to compete MUST first audition on one of the following dates:

April 7
at Port Huron Music Center
2700 Pine Grove Ave, Port Huron, Michigan 48060

April 14
at Croswell-Lexington Middle School
5485 Peck Rd, Croswell, MI 48422
Park behind the school and enter from the NW rear doors of the building.

Registration on both dates begins at 1:00pm. Registration closes promptly at 1:30pm. Auditions begin after registration.

Top performers will be invited to compete on Saturday, May 19, at the Sanilac County Historic Village & Museum.

A total of 12 cash prizes will be awarded to the top three in each category, in each age group:
First place: $150
Second place: $75
Third place: $50

Competition winners will also be invited to perform on stage at Thumbfest in Lexington, MI, on September 1, 2018.

For more information, please contact info@bluewaterfolk.org.

Rick Mixter's Mystery of November Storms, Lecture at The Museum Church

November gales are notorious for their toll on Great Lakes shipping. Hundreds of ships now line the bottom of the lakes due to storms that brew up in a moment’s notice. Join author/producer 


Ric Mixter as he dives into the mystery of late-season storms, not only sharing rare eyewitness interviews but also award-winning video that he has recorded underwater.
• Lake Superior’s 1905 Gale, which beached several freighters including the Mataafa and Lafayette.
• The 1913 Storms: 12 ships completely disappeared and over 240 sailors were lost in a storm that sank ships on every Great Lake except Ontario.
• The 1940 Storm: Three ships destroyed and an amazing rescue of 17 Canadian sailors by Michigan fishermen near Pentwater. Includes rare film footage of the rescue!
• The Daniel J Morrell: Ripped in two off Michigan’s thumb in 1966 with only one survivor.
• The Carl D. Bradley: Two men survived the freighter breaking up in Lake Michigan
• The Edmund Fitzgerald: Rare underwater footage from Ric’s visit to the Fitz in 1994.

Free for members, $10 for non-members.
Memberships can be purchased online at http://sanilaccountymuseum.org/members.php
Memberships will also be sold 30 minutes before the lecture, with prices beginning at just $35 for an individual yearly membership or $50 for a family.

The County Poor Farm, Lecture at The Museum Church

At 3PM on Sunday, October 14th David Blaine will be delivering an interesting presentation on the Sanilac County Poor Farm.

Perhaps you have noticed "County Farm Road" as you drove south from Port Sanilac to Lexington? Perhaps you have wondered what the "County Farm" was, or where it was"

Well wait no longer, your questions will be answered.  Why did the county have a poor farm?  What was it like?  Who went there, and why?

The history of many American institutions springs from poor laws dating back to the 1500's and coming to this country with the first English Colonists.  And it is a history that is very much alive.  Much of what you will hear at this lecture will help you better understand things that are still going on in the current news.

Lecture admission is free to Society Members, $10 to the general public, $5 for students.  Those who wish may obtain or renew a membership at the door.

The Great Fires, Lecture at The Museum Church

It is unimaginable to picture whole counties burning, but that was the case in 1871, and then remarkably, ten years later again in 1881. The whole Michigan Thumb suffered two disastrous fires. The Thumb Fire of 1881 brought the American Red Cross to the first major disaster where they offered relief.

Join lecturer/author, Alan Naldrett, as he discusses this topic from his recent book "Michigan's Great Thumb Fires of 1871 and 1881".

Free for members, $10 for non-members.

Memberships will be sold 30 minutes before the concert, with prices beginning at just $35 for an individual yearly membership or $50 for a family

Traveling Medicine Show at Civil War Days

Showtime is at 1:00 PM. .
This family-friendly interactive show is a mix of historical fun, magic, music, clean comedy, audience participation, puppetry, ventriloquism, and more!
Watch for more details to be added soon.

Orphan Train lecture at The Museum Church

Al and David Eicher, while doing research on the History of Oxford, Michigan, found evidence of the Orphan Train coming to Michigan. From a period starting in 1854 to 1927 approximately 12,500 orphans were placed in Michigan, many coming from the New York Children’s Aid Society. The lecture and 100 or more old photos present the early formation of the Orphan Train, the collecting of children from various orphanages, the story of the orphan train agents and nurses, plus “The Placement” process. The first placement of Orphan Train Riders in the United States occurred at Dowagiac, Michigan on a Sunday morning in September of 1854. Come ride with us on the “Baby Train”, across the state, traveling the route of the Michigan Central Railroad.

Free for members, $10 for non-members.
Memberships can be purchased online at our website.

Memberships will also be sold 30 minutes before the lecture, with prices beginning at just $35 for an individual yearly membership or $50 for a family.

Don't miss out on this great lecture by some of the most respected lecturers in the area.

Ladies Tea June 3rd

All ladies are invited to join us for tea in the beautiful Loop-Harrison Mansion. Your afternoon will be filled with fine tea, finger sandwiches, scones, savories, and sweets, plus some lovely live music. Hats suggested, but not mandatory.

Mark your calendar. For ticket information and more details call the office at 810-622-9946 during business hours.

Immediately following the tea, at 3pm in the Village Church, we will be presenting a lecture on The Orphan Train in Michigan. Why not join us? Visit our blog for more details

Quilt Exhibit new for 2018

More information about the Quilt Exhibit will be forthcoming.

Blood Harmony in concert at The Museum Church

Blood Harmony in Concert on Sunday, April 15 at 3pm.

Join us for a great afternoon of live music with Blood Harmony
(Eden, Evangeline, Hosanna, & Jed Willis)


The Willis sisters capture what is sometimes called 'blood harmony,' where siblings can make their voices interlock in ways that sound incredibly natural. This family-based band plays Americana, gospel, country, and some originals as well; by using a variety of acoustic instruments and beautiful vocal harmonies.


Free for members, $10 for non-members.
Memberships will be sold 30 minutes before the concert, with prices beginning at just $35 for an individual yearly membership or $50 for a family.

Special thanks to Sanilac Consortium for the Arts for their financial support of our concert series.

“Indian History of Southeastern Michigan” by Al and David Eicher

This lecture and multi-media presentation provides “proof positive” information about Michigan’s Thumb region being rich in Native American History dating back to ancient times. Al and David Eicher worked with the Ziibiwing Cultural Center in Mt. Pleasant and several Michigan Museums, over a period of two years, to develop the story of the early Indians of the Paleo era, to the coming of the Anishanabe. Al and David went to many Indian Village sites, Pow Wows, Indian Mission locations, burial mounds and the Petroglyphs in Sanilac County. They traveled to the “Great White Rock” in Lake Huron and walked the river banks where Indian Treaties were signed.

Free for members, $10 for non-members. Memberships can be purchased online at our website.

Memberships will also be sold 30 minutes before the lecture, with prices beginning at just $35 for an individual yearly membership or $50 for a family.

Don't miss out on this great lecture by some of the most respected lecturers in the area.

Volunteer Appreciation Event June 24th

more info forthcoming

Donor Reception May 20th

More Information forthcoming.

Paczki Day, Celebrate Fat Tuesday at the Museum

On Tuesday, February 13th, from 9AM until 11AM or until the food is gone we will be serving coffee and paczkis to say thank you.

Members! Friends! Volunteers! Neighbors!
Everyone is welcome.

It’s that time of year again! Fat Tuesday, or as it is lovingly called in many areas in Michigan, Paczki Day. This day is celebrated by indulging in the traditional Polish jelly-filled pastry known as pączki (POONCH-kee). 

Lexington Coffee Company will also be in the house providing fresh-brewed coffee for us all that day!

Come be our guest; sit, visit, enjoy good conversation, a great cup of coffee, and a paczki on us, for as long as they last!