ELY- After a two-year hiatus, the Great Nordic Beardfest returns to Ely for two evenings of fuzzy fun on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 7-8 at Ely’s Historic State Theater. Each evening will feature beard and other competitions plus live music and fundraising for this year’s featured charity, the Contented Critters Animal Rescue. On both nights, doors will open at 6 p.m. and the competitions will start at 7 p.m.
“I retired the event after 2022,” said Shawn Chosa, founder and organizer of the event. “I was having health issues at the time. Since then, people kept telling me how much they liked it and how much they missed it – so I brought it back.”
The event was originally at the Boathouse Brewpub, but every year the event grew until it outgrew the Boathouse.
“We moved the second night to the theater in 2022, and even then, it was packed,” Chosa said.
This year, because of the anticipated demand, both nights of the Beardfest will be at the theater. On Friday and Saturday, the Beardfest will also run a corn board contest, with proceeds going to Contented Critters. The winner of the contest will receive a stay at Melgeorge’s Elephant Lake Lodge in Orr valued at $550.
Friday
The Beardfest will open with belt competitions on Friday night with beards, moustaches, and bearded ladies. Registration is not required. Contestants should show up ready to compete in single-elimination throw-down-style rounds until a winner is decided. The winner of each round will be determined by the audience.
“On Friday, the contestants compete for belts, like you see in boxing and professional wrestling matches,” Chosa said. “It’s a lot of fun and the audience gets to participate.”
The Berserk Blawndz band and the Green Treat will provide live music on Friday. Tickets are $20, and the registration fee to compete for a belt is $10 at the door.
Saturday
“The main event is on Saturday,” Chosa told the Timberjay. “We have people coming from multiple states to compete. We have 25 trophies to give to contestants.”
A panel of judges will decide the winners in six different categories: full beard longer than six inches, full beard less than six inches, freestyle beard, partial beard, mustache, and bearded lady. Those wishing to compete in Saturday’s contests must preregister through the Beardfest’s website at greatnordicbeardfest.com and pay the $35 registration fee.
Ian Alexy and Black River Revue will provide the live music on Saturday. Admission is again $20. The evening will also include a four-song dance contest with over 25 prize bags of Ely merchandise to give out to winners.
Good for business
“This is the first year that I had businesses approaching me to sponsor the Great Nordic Beardfest,” Chosa remarked “It’s a first. That’s never happened before. We’re not doing this to make money. The Beardfest is to have fun, help a local charity, and promote Ely area businesses. In addition to making money for this year’s charity, the Beardfest also funds a $500 scholarship. If there’s any money left over, we put it toward the scholarship and we’ll do something nice for the volunteers who make this event possible.”
The promotion of Ely’s businesses through Beardfest has been hard to avoid around town this year, due to the catchy and amusing Sasquatch-themed ad campaign, which Chosa designed. When Chosa isn’t running the Beardfest, he works as a full-time graphic designer and artist.
Chosa created over 60 customized ads for the local businesses that sponsored this year’s event. They’ve been showing up all over town in shop windows and on the “What’s Up, Ely” Facebook page. “I did use AI to help with the graphics,” Chosa said. “Orienting the Sasquatch character to fit each business was a lot of fun.”