Honest Dog Books

Join us for a casual afternoon in the afternoon with Deja Bleu, offering up atmospheric, ambient blues rock with world music infusions.

A genre-blurring singer songwriter raised in the Moqua barrens, Noble delivers witty originals and sharp covers inspired by everything from John Prine to Outkast.

Jan Lee's one-woman show, Small Epiphanies, has been accepted into the Minnesota Fringe Festival* in August! Consider this a unique dress rehearsal for the big show. Performer Liz Woodworth will introduce the layout of the evening (meant to mimic the Fringe Theater format). Expect an evening of mostly-true stories, sprinkled with a bit of accordion. […]

Biographer David Hakensen will tell us about one of Minnesota's most beloved nature writers, Helen Hoover, who lived off grid near the Gunflint Trail in the 1950s through the early 1970s. About Helen:Helen Hoover unlikely history of leaving a corporate career in Chicago for a small cabin without electricity or running water is the beginning […]

Making its Bayfield debut, Tom Kastle brings his one man play that looks both comically, and seriously, at the life of THE Great Lakes pirate. As with his literary contemporaries like Long John Silver, Dan Seavey is portrayed as a colorful character, a flawed character, a man who has done terrible things but, in the […]

Join us for our 5th Annual Stand with the Banned Music Festival! Music, food, and books in the courtyard behind the bookstore. Screen printing will be next door at Penny Print Studio. 12-2 pm Polka on Purpose w/ Jan Lee & Tom MitchellPolkas & good time music as well as the annual sing-along of our […]

We're kicking off our Stand with the Banned weekend with the documentary, The Librarians. As an unprecedented wave of book banning is sparked in Texas, Florida, and beyond, librarians under siege join forces as unlikely defenders fighting for intellectual freedom on the front lines of democracy. THE LIBRARIANS, which made its world premiere at Sundance, […]

Claudia Schmidt brings her exuberant music and love of humanity back to Bayfield, Wisconsin! With her multi-octave voice, 12 string guitar and mountain dulcimer, she weaves together song, story and spoken word in a one-of-a-kind presentation that will fill your heart and refresh your soul. After more than 50 years of writing and performing, she […]

"When I die, I want to come back as Andy's steel guitar." -- Sergio. Guitarist, Singer and Songwriter from Wisconsin’s Lake Superior shore, Andy Noyes has been writing music, recording, and performing for forty years. His music is fused with influences that include fertile Delta and Piedmont Blues, Celtic dance rhythms,Caribbean and African grooves. A […]

Courtney performed here in October and I immediately booked her for another night. She is a wonderful musician, storyteller, and her voice, wow! Courtney has been an artist in residence with the Listening Point Foundation for the past year, working on a new album inspired by Sigurd Olson. I can't wait to hear what she […]

Kangaroo is an original rock group residing in Bayfield. Whether it be dancing, swaying, or simply running away, their music is guaranteed to make you move. Their unique blend of extra-terrestrial 90's influenced music is sure to get stuck in your head. Doors and bar open at 6pm. Free admission.

Three actors present Jane Austen's magnificent minor characters in all their oddities: Miss Bates, Mrs. Elton, and Mrs. Norris. The show is narrated by Mary Lynch with performances by Laura Rovi, Brie Rowland, and Lydia Caswell. $5 at the door. Half of proceeds will be donated to the Bayfield Carnegie Library. 

Under Construction is a blast of an idea. Kind of a variety show (think Carol Burnett) meets open mic with invited professional writers reading works in progress. Plus live music! The evening's cast includes: Essayists Mary Mack & Liz Woodworth, Poet Tina Higgins Wussow, and Accordionista Jan Lee. Doors and bar open at 6 p.m. […]

Join us for an intimate house concert style vibe with singer, songwriter, fiddle, mandolin, guitar player Molly Otis and friends who together create a distinct sound with fresh takes on Classic Rock, Country, Bluegrass and Americana. with a twist of Celtic. Doors & Bar open at 6. Tickets $24.

Absinthe is a down-to-earth, classic Jazz & Blues cover band (with some unique originals thrown in there). The trio is comprised of Mark Rossow on vocals/jazz guitar, Adam Staupe on vocals and upright bass, and Emily Robertson on vocals. From R&B to Appalachian Bluegrass to Baroque Choral, they came together from varying genre backgrounds in […]

Join us for an intimate house concert style vibe with singer, songwriter, fiddle, mandolin, guitar player Molly Otis and friends who together create a distinct sound with fresh takes on Classic Rock, Country, Bluegrass and Americana. with a twist of Celtic.

We are so so proud to present this Midwestern modern-day cult classic that critics call "a comedic gem that gives a dam." Directed by Wisconsin filmmaker Mike Cheslik, Hundreds of Beavers has enjoyed festival accolades and is still making the circuit in small theaters. In this film, nearly absent of dialogue, JEAN KAYAK finds himself […]

Come join in for an old time jam! Bring your instruments and your favorite tunes to share. All skill levels welcome. Spectators welcome. Free event. Doors and bar open at 7.

Join Liz Woodworth at her white board as she breaks down Hamlet for the rest of us.  Bar opens at 4pm. 

Let this team of funny people light your way to some laughs. Join us for the debut of the northwoods' newest improv group (yep, we now have three!). Look for the luminaries.

The 18th Annual Big Water Film Festival is excited to bring a Thursday night block of films to Honest Dog Books Outback Theater! The night’s lineup features five films including a stunning animated film; three documentaries taking us from Chippewa Falls, Wis., to the Peruvian Andes, and on a voyage to Antarctica; and a narrative […]

Join us for an upbeat end to 2025 and hopeful start to 2026 with Minneapolis-based storyteller Kevin Kling and accordionist Jan Lee, two of the Midwest's biggest, most positive theatrical talents. Expect a heart warming evening of good friends, laughter, stories, and songs designed to take off the winter chill and ring in the new year.  […]

Join us for an afternoon with Julianne Lepp for a talk about making it through the seasons of chronic illness. Living with chronic illness has many challenges, and the journey is not just a physical one. Tend to Your Spirit is a companion for this emotional and spiritual journey, offering tools to help readers practice […]

Performers Jan Lee and Tom Mitchell are bringing their uniquely entertaining and emotionally powerful two-person rendition of Charles Dickens' holiday classic to Bayfield! Nonrefundable tickets are $20. Purchase online or call (715) 779-5223

We'll be topping off Small Business Saturday with the talents of Cellist Ed Willet and vocalist Cheryl Leah, orged by the metropolis but sustained by the wilderness..  Chance coalesced in Los Angeles California, a coming together of two musicians with wildly diverse backgrounds. One of the few voice and cello duos in the world, theirs […]

Duluth-based comedian Danielle Thralow won Miami's funniest competition and was named ACME's Comedy Club's 2nd funniest person in the Twin Cities. She has performed throughout North America and is a regular guest at the Los Angeles-based Dat Phan and Friends and numerous other events, including the Seattle International Comedy Competition. She has shared the stage […]

Brookes Moody earned a PhD in English with a concentration in creative writing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where she taught literary journal production and creative writing. She is a bookseller at Charter Books in Rhode Island but has connections to Madeline Island and has frequented Honest Dog Books over the years. Her latest publication, "Astral Weeks, Etc.", is […]

From the Baraboo River to the Pacific Ocean, Lindsey Steffes and Kara Hakanson connect once again on the south shore of Lake Superior. Both Steffes and Hakanson grew up in the driftless area of Wisconsin, lived in California at the same time in their 20s, and have ties to Lake Superior.  After graduating college and deciding […]

Join Heather Mishefske, a Wisconsin Master Naturalist and Bat Ambassador who provides bat education for the state of Wisconsin, for a fascinating talk about bats and their current status. Presentation starts at 7.  Bat Walk at 8:30. We'll head outside to locate bats in real time after dark to see who lingers near Honest Dog […]

These two sisters from other misters are at it again. This time it's all about FAMILY. Don't miss what is sure to be a funny and poignant evening by regional talents Jan Lee & Liz Woodworth! Friday & Saturday nights. Doors and bar open at 6. Tickets $20

Beth Dooley in Conversation with Karen Babine In The Allure to Elsewhere, Karen Babine has written about her cross-country journey to explore the hold family history has on our lives, and the power of new stories to shape what lies ahead. In her mid-thirties and, happily single if also tied closely to a family that has […]

Grab a drink, have a seat or browse books to local guitarist Barry Riese, a seasoned singer-songwriter and guitarist whose career spans over 50 years. A founding member of the legendary Piper Road Spring Band, Barry brings a rich blend of folk, bluegrass, classic country, and folk rock to the stage—infused with heartfelt vocals and […]

Join us for another LIVE! Author Talk. This time, we have Frank Bures in The Outback. Frank's work has appeared in many publications including Harper’s, Outside, and The Atlantic to name a few. His stories have been included in The Best American Travel Writing anthologies and he is the author of The Geography of Madness, editor of Under Purple […]

Michael “Laughing Fox" Charette is a gifted Native American storyteller, poet, and member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. As a self-taught Native American flute player he enhances his stories with hauntingly beautiful flute music. His incredible song Butterfly  Moon was nominated for Best Instrumental Recording at the Native American Music Awards in 2024. […]

Join us for our Summer Sunday event: Liz's Circus Story An autobiographical, one-actor play, Liz’s Circus Story by Liz Bussey Fentress spans twenty-three years. At 21, just out of college, Liz takes a job as ring mistress, organist, and puppet show performer with the brand-new, one-ring, Franzen Bros. Circus. While portraying herself and an array […]

Join us for the premier of Kara's one-woman show: Dirty, Flirty, Thirty and Out of Work. From not getting a starring role in her kindergarten performance of The Three Little Pigs, to realizing she's been aged out of the industry at the ripe age of 30, Kara takes the audience through 20+ years of her life […]

May 19 @ 7pm. Claudia Schmidt brings her exuberant music and love of humanity back to Bayfield, Wisconsin! With her multi-octave voice, 12 string guitar and mountain dulcimer, she weaves together song, story and spoken word in a one-of-a-kind presentation that will fill your heart and refresh your soul. After more than 50 years of […]

Get ready to laugh out loud with Wisconsin's (probably) northernmost comedy improv group, Lost in the Woods! Founded in 2021 with a vision of bringing comedy to the Apostle Islands region.  Book Bar Opens at 6:00pm serving wine, hard cider, and NA beverages. Tickets $7

When Travis Bartnick is not out enjoying the public lands of the Bayfield Peninsula, you'll find him tying flies, mountain biking, or playing music on his vast collection of guitars, open-back banjos, or his home-made gourd banjos. Travis mainly plays instrumental finger style guitar, Delta blues slide guitar, and an old-time claw-hammer banjo. some of […]

An original night of sketch comedy, poetry, music and stories for a Good Friday weekend by the queens of theater, Liz Woodworth and Jan Lee.   The doors and The Book Bar open an hour before the show.  Tickets must be paid for in advance to hold your spot.

An original night of sketch comedy, poetry, music and stories for a Good Friday weekend by the queens of theater, Liz Woodworth and Jan Lee. The doors and The Book Bar, serving beer, wine, cider, and shrubs, open an hour before the show.  Tickets $20. Tickets must be paid for in advance to hold your spot. 

April 10 @7pm. An autobiographical, one-actor play, Liz’s Circus Story by Liz Bussey Fentress spans twenty-three years. At 21, just out of college, Liz takes a job as ring mistress, organist, and puppet show performer with the brand-new, one-ring, Franzen Bros. Circus. While portraying herself and an array of other circus characters and animals, Liz shares the […]

Back by popular demand!! Join us for Dani O'Brien's second solo performance at The Outback. Dani O’Brien is a professor of education at Northland College with a passion for all things comedy. She has been doing stand up for over ten years and is a member of the Lost in the Woods improv comedy troop. Doors […]

A Dani O'Brien Comedy Special! Join us for Dani O'Brien's debut solo performance at The Outback. Dani O’Brien is a professor of education at Northland College with a passion for all things comedy. She has been doing stand up for over ten years and is a member of the Lost in the Woods improv comedy troop. […]

March 2. Join us in The Outback for a cold reading of Oscar Wilde’s last play, The Importance of Being Earnest, in preparation for the June 2025 CTA production of the show. The director, Lawrence Lee, will be facilitating the reading, and all are welcome to read. There will be a discussion after each reading […]

Feb 23. Join us in The Outback for a cold reading of Oscar Wilde’s last play, The Importance of Being Earnest, in preparation for the June 2025 CTA production of the show. The director, Lawrence Lee, will be facilitating the reading, and all are welcome to read. There will be a discussion after each reading […]

Feb 16. Join us in The Outback for a cold reading of Oscar Wilde’s last play, The Importance of Being Earnest, in preparation for the June 2025 CTA production of the show. The director, Lawrence Lee, will be facilitating the reading, and all are welcome to read. There will be a discussion after each reading […]

This feel-good Icelandic sports documentary is about one man's dogged attempt to finally stage a home game on the football pitch his father created 25 years earlier. By registering the non-existent team of their small town to the Icelandic FA Cup, he gives himself a 50/50 chance to fulfill his father's dream. Language: Icelandic with […]

Bring your warm hearts and cold hands and join yarn spinner Kevin Kling and accordianista Jan Lee for an evening of stories and songs specially designed to take off the winter chill. The holidays are in the rear view mirror and the windshield is scraped for 2025. That time of year we decide which memories […]