From “Coming Soon” to “Open for Adventure” — Kona Hills at the Fresh Coast Film Festival

Oct 22

A Full-Circle Moment for Kona Hills

This October marked a milestone for us at Kona Hills Campground. For the past five years, we’ve proudly supported the Fresh Coast Film Festival — a celebration of adventure, creativity, and storytelling rooted in the Upper Peninsula. But this year was different. For the first time, we didn’t have to say “coming soon.” Kona Hills was open — and we got to be part of the festival in three exciting ways.

1. Sponsoring an Event We Love

The Fresh Coast Film Festival has always been close to our hearts. It’s an event that brings people together — locals, travelers, artists, and outdoor enthusiasts — to share and celebrate stories of wild places and the people who care for them.

As a general sponsor, we provide free lodging for visiting filmmakers, giving them a peaceful place to recharge after long days of screenings, panels, and exploration. Supporting this festival is one of the ways we can invest back into the community that’s been cheering us on since day one.

2. Sharing Our Story at “Fresh Coast Free”

This year, we were invited by Innovate Marquette to take part in Fresh Coast Free — the festival’s opening night celebration at Lower Harbor Park on the shores of Lake Superior in downtown Marquette, where over 800 people gathered under the big tent to kick off the weekend.

We were honored to be included and share our story with the Marquette community — including familiar faces, first-time visitors, and folks who’d been following along since our early “coming soon” days. After our participation in the Pine & Pitch Business Competition, Innovate Marquette extended the invite, giving us a powerful opportunity to connect directly with festival-goers and spread the word about what’s happening at Kona Hills and our vision to create the UP’s first ice park.

It was one of those moments that reminded us why we’re doing this: to create something real, rooted in this place, and built for the people who make Marquette what it is.

3. Hosting an Official Outdoor Tour of Kona Hills

The Fresh Coast Film Festival isn’t just about films — it’s about getting outside and experiencing the landscapes that inspire them. That’s why we were thrilled to host an official outdoor tour of Kona Hills for festival attendees.

Nearly twenty guests from across the country joined us to walk the land, take in the views from the Lake Superior overlook, explore the back rock outcropping, visit the Eagle’s Nest, and wander the trails that weave through our 80-acre property.

It was the perfect way to show people what makes this place special — not just as a campground, but as a space that connects people to nature and to each other.

The Spirit We Share

With over 200 volunteers and hundreds of stories told each year, the Fresh Coast Film Festival is a shining example of what makes Marquette unique: people working together to bring creative, community-driven ideas to life.

That same spirit drives us at Kona Hills. Like the festival’s organizers — Aaron Peterson Studios, Down Wind Sports, and UP Supply Co. — we believe in collaboration, creativity, and the simple joy of being part of something bigger than yourself.

Plan Your Stay for Fresh Coast 2026

If you’ve never been to the Fresh Coast Film Festival, make this the year. It’s one of Marquette’s best weekends — full of art, adventure, and inspiration.