PROGRAMS AT THE STATE

ELY FILM FESTIVAL

The Ely Film Festival is an annual celebration of independent cinema. Launched in 2023, the festival has become a vibrant cultural event, drawing filmmakers and audiences from across the region and beyond. The festival showcases a diverse array of films, including documentaries, narratives, and shorts, with a particular emphasis on Indigenous and Minnesotan stories.

The 2025 festival, held from March 12–16, featured over 190 films, along with Q&A sessions, filmmaker meet-and-greets, and community gatherings. Notably, the festival included a day dedicated to Indigenous filmmakers and highlighted local productions such as Boundary Waters, a coming-of-age drama filmed in Ely.

Under the leadership of director Jacob White, the Ely Film Festival has grown in scope and reputation, fostering connections between the film community and the local community.

The Ely Film Festival is set to return from March 11–15, 2026, promising another week of cinematic exploration and community engagement.

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GREAT NORDIC BEARDFEST

The Great Nordic Beardfest is a lively and whimsical celebration of facial hair, held annually as part of the Ely Winter Festival. Founded over a decade ago by local artist Shaun Chosa, the event is a highlight of the winter season, attracting people from all over.

The 2025 Beardfest took place on February 7–8 at Ely’s Historic State Theater, featuring two nights of competitions, live music, and community engagement. The Friday Night Throwdown awarded belts based on audience applause, while Saturday’s main event featured judged categories such as Mustache, Partial Beard, Freestyle, Bearded Lady, and Full Beard Natural. Winners included Daniel Lindquist (Mustache), Jason Schaffer (Freestyle), and Kenzie Cannon (Bearded Lady).

Beyond the “hairy” competitions, Beardfest fosters a sense of community and supports local causes, including support for other hairy friends: The 2025 event raised $600 for Contented Critters, a local animal rescue organization.

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CINEMAKIDZ

In Fall 2024, Ely’s Historic State Theater piloted CinemaKidz, a small-scale after-school program for 4th- and 5th-grade students in Ely and Tower elementary schools. Programming included a variety of topics such as film critique, screenwriting workshops, film history, behind-the-scenes tours, cinema-themed arts & crafts, film & food pairings, and collaborating to produce short videos.

Funding from United Way of Northeast Minnesota, Lake Country Power Operation Round Up, and Minnesota Power Foundation supported our efforts to provide seven after-school sessions with students from Ely and Tower during the Fall (2024) and Spring (2025) semesters.

EHST collaborated closely with Ely Community Resource (ECR), a partnering nonprofit organization, to plan and deliver the program.

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LIVE MUSIC & OPEN MICS

We love live music! Whether in the State Theater or our pop-up summer music lounge, we know you love live music too! Stay tuned for more upcoming music events

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LIVE MUSIC & OPEN MIC NIGHTS

With support from Minnesota State Arts Board, the State Theater provided to the local community and visitors 16 weekly concerts June-October 2024, 10 weeks of Open Mic Nights June 25- August 27, 2024, and the Portageland Music Festival September 6-7, 2024.

The 2024 Series offered live music events every Friday night throughout the summer in our “3rd Space.”

Pat and Donna Surface

In addition, we offered Open Mic Nights on Tuesdays throughout the summer to coincide with Ely’s “Tuesday Night Live,” a popular summer event sponsored by the Ely Chamber of Commerce, featuring live music and activities downtown that attract locals and tourists. The Open Mic Nights gave local artists and musicians, as well as visitors/tourists, an opportunity to develop skills in creating art and performing art forms.

The Portageland Music Festival, a collaboration between Ely’s Historic State Theater and Northern Lakes Art Association (NLAA), took place during Ely’s Harvest Moon Festival and included live music in Whiteside Park during Festival hours that carried over to live music in the State Theater in the evenings. The two evenings of music allowed us to host four bands to an audience of 140+ people.

Look for more live music and fun this summer!