• Saturday-What'sUP July 29 - 01:00 pm

When it comes to the Aura Jamboree, I think the MichiganBackroads.com website said it best, and I quote: "This may be the best music festival you don't know anything about, in a town you have never heard of." Since 1976, this music festival has been held in Aura, on the third weekend of July, with a variety of music, a picnic and dancing, too. Musicians come from all over the Midwest to join in with guitars, accordions, fiddles and various other instruments, playing bluegrass, country, folk, classical and more. It is held on the grounds around the Aura Community Hall, with the proceeds going to help preserve the historic hall, expand the jamboree grounds and fund student music and art programs.

There are food and refreshments available, too, one of which is a HUGE pot of bean soup made right there on the grounds by Marsha Galbraith and her husband, Gary, who starts it early in the morning and then Marsha does her part with stirring and serving it. That's Gary on the left, in the fourth photo and Marsha in the bottom shot. Be sure you mark your calendar for next year's event. If you like music and good food, it's the place to be here UP North.

That looks like fun! And the bean soup, I'm hungry already! Marking the calendar for next year!

I sure do wish I had a never ending supply of vacation days!! Looks like fun! Thanks for sharing!

Nice pics! I definitely need music and sniff chips installed in my computer.

Looks like a fun festival, love bean soup!! And Marsha, nice to meet you in your picture!

That must have been beautiful music...would love to hear it played outdoors! My favorite instrument is the banjo....a distant relative, Joel Walker Sweeney, is credited with putting the 5th string on the banjo.

These pictures remind me of the many Blue Grass Music festivals that take place during the summer in southern Ohio towns such as Waverly, Piketon, Bainbridge, Hillsboro, etc. Johnny Paycheck, a former resident of Leesburg, Ohio often entertained at a popular venue in Hillsboro where I often shopped for groceries, etc. when I stayed at my campsite in the Appalachian foothills in Pike County.

I do believe the second pic was just in the Lanse Sentinel! (Probably the others, too, that that one popped out...)...Looks like a GREAT time was had by all!

Looks like a great time. There's nothing like being outdoors in good weather! I'll bet the music was great too! Wonder how many pounds of beans went into that pot of soup?

As I tuned in to check out these pics today, I thought, "Good, Mary didn't use the one of me!" Ha! We've been making the bean soup at the Jamboree for over 15 years now. Gary soaks the beans in the kettle the night before and starts the soup at 6 a.m. It's soup around 11! Has to be Michigan navy beans! There's nothing like the Jamboree: music under every tree and on the stage for two days and dances for two nights. I'd tell you the names of the Finnish dances we watch being danced to, but I have no idea how to spell them. For more pics of Jamborees over the years, you can go to my pastycam gallery at Marsha Galbraith. Also friend my Aura Jamboree Facebook page, over 1,000 friends and YOU are missing! There are videos from the Jamboree there (also check out youtube). I put one on yesterday and hope to do another today. This sounds like an advertisement, but go once and you'll be advertising, too! See you all there next July!

How are the berries looking this year? I always loved to be out in the woods and alongside the roads looking for those little tasty morsels. And also, I must add, the music always seems to sound better in an outdoor setting!

By the way, in the new "Lake Superior Magazine " I received today there is a facinating feature of a home in Copper Harbor. It seams to be the woman who is Sharon Smith's massage therapist. The home is made of cordwood an old traditional technique. It looks beautiful! Very intresting.