Cabin Fever Days help beat the winter blues

Even though spring is still a few weeks away, it’s still very much winter here in the Upper Peninsula.

Northern Michigan University’s Beaumier Heritage Center is helping bridge the gap as they play host to Cabin Fever Days.

Cabin Fever Days are held in February and March with events related to the culture and lifestyle of the U.P.  Folk music, dance, and other various workshops highlight this year’s slate.

“I think it’s been a real great contribution to the community, just getting things for people to do, get them out of their homes at a time when in the wintertime things start to slow down, and we’re all itching for better weather,” Beaumier Upper Peninsula Heritage Center Director Dan Truckey said.  “But at the same time, just because I think it’s a good time for people who are going to be inside to take part in inside activities such as music, dance, and folk crafts, so it kind of fit the time period.”

Upcoming events include a curling workshop, potluck dinner, and a folk art invitational.

Truckey said cultural events like these are important for members of the U.P. community.

“My hope that they take away from it is that they learn something and that they can apply to their own lives,” he said.  “It’s an opportunity for people to try something out to see if it’s something they’d like to do.”
“And for us, the bigger issue is that we want to keep some of these traditional arts alive in the Upper Peninsula, which is why we do them.  Some of them are still active, but you know more and more it’s hard to get people interested in doing them and keeping them going for future generations.  So that’s part of our mission, just to keep them alive and vital in the community.”

Some Cabin Fever Days events are free, while others charge a small fee.  For a list of events, visit the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center’s website.