Record numbers expected at Edmund Fitzgerald concert

Organizers of the annual Edmund Fitzgerald memorial concert at Split Rock Lighthouse on Minnesota’s North Shore say all tickets have now sold out for next month’s ceremony, with record attendance expected for the 50th anniversary of the wreck.

The Minnesota Historical Society said Monday it has sold 2,000 in-person tickets to the lighthouse lighting ceremony and remembrance on Nov. 10.

A memorial service is held at the historic lighthouse on November 10 each year, on the anniversary of the 1975 sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in a Lake Superior storm, with the loss of all 29 men aboard.

The event, held in the late afternoon, includes the reading of the names of the missing crew and the ringing of a bell 29 times. Afterwards, the bell is rung again in memory of all the missing sailors. As daylight fades, the lighthouse’s beacon is lit, sparkling above the dark, cold waters of the lake.

There is increased interest in the story of the Fitzgerald and her crew – as well as the Split Rock Lighthouse event – on this important anniversary.

“With large crowds expected, those with tickets are strongly encouraged to arrive early. Off-site parking with shuttle service to and from the lighthouse will be available to visitors,” the Minnesota Historical Society reported Monday.

For those who did not obtain tickets, there will once again be a live stream of the ceremony on the Historical Society’s website.

The Split Rock Lighthouse Party has been an annual tradition since 1985, the 10th anniversary of the wreck.