LELAND — The North Manitou Light Keepers will host its annual Lightkeeper Rally and Crib Cruise on Aug. 7, aligning the celebration with National Lighthouse Day.
The event will highlight efforts to restore the North Manitou Shoal Light, also known as the Crib, an offshore lighthouse located in the Manitou Passage of Lake Michigan.
“We like to host these fun events each year to rally people around restoring and experiencing the Crib,” said North Manitou Light Keepers President Daniel Oginsky. “We planned this year’s event on National Lighthouse Day, a day that honors the history and importance of lighthouses as aids to navigation, as well as symbols of hope, guidance, and safe harbor.”
The Lightkeeper Rally will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Old Art Building, 111 S. Main St., in Leland. The event is free and open to the public, with RSVPs encouraged.
During the rally, restoration team members will provide updates on the lighthouse project, which is now in its final phase.
“We are excited to tell everyone about the great progress we are making, especially since we are working on the interior now,” said Dave McWilliam, chief of restoration and operations for the organization.
Following the rally, guests can board the Mishe-Mokwa ferry, operated by Manitou Island Transit, for the Crib Cruise departing at 7:30 p.m. from Historic Fishtown. The cruise will circle the lighthouse, with narration from Light Keepers staff sharing stories of the Crib’s past and future.
“Last year’s cruise was so amazing,” said board member Jake Kaberle. “We had a full boat cruising around the Crib with a moonrise on one side and a sunset on the other.”
Tickets for the Crib Cruise are $50 per person, with proceeds supporting the lighthouse restoration.
North Manitou Light Keepers is a nonprofit founded in 2016 with the mission of restoring the Crib and promoting public appreciation for its maritime history. For more information or to RSVP, visit www.northmanitoulightkeepers.org/cribcruise.