At the inception of the Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium over 25 years ago, the organizers were set with the task of not only providing beautiful scenery and top notch instruction, but also with the challenge of feeding sometimes hundreds of participants visiting the small town of Grand Marais, Michigan. This led to a unique solution. What if the people could enjoy an Upper Peninsula dining staple as well as benefit the community? The answer was the High School Pasty Dinner!
Every year the graduating class of Grand Marais High School comes together to prepare Pasties for our paddlers, serving them in the schools cafeteria/auditorium. The funds raised are used to support the annual Senior Trip. Some years are more work than others given that as many as 14 students and as few as 2 graduate from the district. It’s always a great time to enjoy the company of our paddlers and a meal that is distinctly “U.P.”
Never had a pasty? Here’s a song by Michigan’s Kitty Donohoe about this traditional Cornish meal, The Pasty


