who we are
Where else can you spend your afternoon hiking waterfalls off Lake Superior, enjoy a concert in the evening with world-renowned musicians, and catch the Aurora Borealis around a campfire before bed? Only at Emberlight.
Emberlight fuses small town charm with dynamic artistic experiences. The variety of our programming means we can bring you surprises and unforgettable events every summer. No two seasons are alike! At the heart of every festival are the high-caliber, professional, and charismatic artists who bring their work to our stages and screens.
Since 2021, we’ve welcomed audiences from 42 states across the country, in addition to visitors from Finland, Canada, Spain, and Mexico. The Film Festival has received over 2,600 films from 83 countries across the globe. Our performers come directly from Broadway, the Royal Opera House, and Carnegie Hall.
The National Endowment for the Arts figures Emberlight makes a $400,000-700,000 impact on the local economy every July and August. That means by the end of our fifth festival we will have generated over $3 Million dollars for our local businesses, hotels, restaurants, and attractions.
Simply put: We are bringing the world’s stages to Ironwood, Michigan and Hurley, Wisconsin while establishing Emberlight as a destination for tourists from across the country.
“The people of the western Upper Peninsula have been with me since day one — from my very first performances at Theatre North and the Historic Ironwood Theatre, to Carnegie Hall and The Metropolitan Opera. I carry them in my heart every time I step on stage. The Emberlight Festival is my love letter to the people who call this region home, and to the art lovers who’ve always wanted to visit.”
– Miles Mykkanen, Emberlight Artistic Director
2024 SPONSORS
IMPRESARIO
$10,000+
MAESTRO
$5,000 – $9,999
FOUNDER
$5,000 – $9,999
PRODUCER
$1,000 – $2,499
DIRECTOR
Emberlight Arts is grateful for generous support from the Michigan Arts & Culture Council and the National Endowment for the Arts
