Last October, Ely's first soup contest planned for 50 to 100 people, drew more than 200 and ran out of soup. On Tuesday, Oct. 27, the second Golden Ladle Soup Contest returns to the Ely Community Center with a schedule built to keep that from happening again.
The soups are the reason to go. The shape of the night has changed, though, and that changes how you plan your Tuesday evening.
The Night the Pots Went Dry
The first Golden Ladle was held Oct. 23, 2025. The Ely Echo reported that "well over 200 people" came to the Community Center to taste and vote. The vote count gave organizers a floor for attendance, and it was well past their estimate.
"We were hoping for 50 to 100 people and the community really showed up. There were 218 votes, so at least 218 people were there."
That was event coordinator Tara Boerst, who runs the Ely Community Center, speaking to the Echo after the event. In the same article she said the event "had to turn people away at the door before 6 p.m. because we had run out of soup," and described the crowd as "a great cross-section of our community."
So the first year more than doubled its high-end estimate and still ended early. Boerst told the Echo the plan was to come back and "take what we learned from this year to make it even better." The 2026 schedule shows what that meant.
Two Seatings Where There Used to Be One Door
According to the Ely Echo's Oct. 3 announcement, the Ely Community Center and Ely Folk School split this year's event into two seatings "to make the evening more comfortable for guests and participating restaurants." The restaurants are named in that reason too. Last year the kitchens were trying to feed one long surge. This year the crowd comes in two groups.
| 5 p.m. seating | 6:30 p.m. seating | |
|---|---|---|
| How to get in | Reserved through the Ely Folk School | Open, no reservation required |
| Where to sign up | Folk School reservation page | Walk in at the Community Center |
| Time before voting closes at 7:30 | About two and a half hours | About one hour |
Reservations opened Oct. 2 on the Folk School's website. The Ely Community Center's site links straight to the sign-up, and that live page is the best way to check whether 5 p.m. spots are still available before you count on one.
The open seating starts after last year's crowd had already emptied the pots. If you want to be sure of trying every entry, the reserved seating is the one designed for that. If you'd rather drop in after work, 6:30 still gives you an hour to taste and vote before the ballot closes.
What Ten Dollars Covers
The $10 adult price and the $20 family cap match last year. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6 to 12, and free for children under five, with a $20 maximum per family. Your ticket includes:
- One sample from each participating restaurant
- Bread from Brainstorm Bakery, at 402 E. Sheridan St.
- Brownies made by Ely Community Resource
- Beverages
- One voting token
Each person gets one token, and the restaurant with the most votes takes home the Golden Ladle Trophy and the title of Best Soup in Ely 2026. With a single sample of each soup, you'll be judging from one cup.
The Bowl That Doubles as a Ticket
Local potters will be back selling handmade bowls, and anyone who buys a bowl at the event gets in free.
That perk is how the whole event started. Boerst told the Ely Echo that her first idea was to let students from an Ely Folk School bowl class bring the bowl they made and get in free, and that "the entire event and partnership blossomed from there." The Folk School has been a partner from the start, and the reserved seating going through the Folk School's sign-up follows from that partnership.
If a handmade bowl is something you'd buy anyway, buying it at the door takes care of your admission too.
Last Year's Field, and This Year's Unannounced Lineup
Five restaurants competed in 2025. Boundary Waters Kitchen and Market won the first Golden Ladle over Grand Ely Lodge, Gator's Grilled Cheese Emporium, Insula and Sheridan Street Delicatessen. Those five kitchens served more than 200 people and were out of soup before 6 p.m.
The 2026 competitors hadn't been named in the Oct. 3 announcement. Organizers said they would announce them in October, with updates on the Ely Community Center and Ely Folk School Facebook pages or at [email protected]. Check those pages before you go.
How Tuesday Evening Runs
Here is the evening in order, all at the Ely Community Center, 27 First Ave. E.:
- 5 p.m. Reserved seating begins for guests who booked through the Folk School.
- 6:30 p.m. Open seating begins, no reservation needed.
- 7:30 p.m. Voting closes.
- By 8 p.m. The 2026 Golden Ladle winner is announced.
Last year the soup ran out before 6. This year's open seating doesn't start until 6:30, and voting runs an hour past that. Staying until 8 gets you the announcement.
When You Want a Full Bowl Afterward
A sample-sized cup is meant to be compared, not to fill you up. If one of last year's competitors is the soup you keep thinking about, here's where they serve soup regularly:
- Evergreen Restaurant at Grand Ely Lodge, 400 North Pioneer Road, is a year-round restaurant open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Its menu lists a soup du jour and a homemade chicken wild rice soup with chicken and ham.
- Insula, 145 East Sheridan Street, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and closed Sunday and Monday. Its 2026 menu has a Daily Market Soup and Sandwich, and entrees come with soup or a house salad.
- Sheridan Street Delicatessen, 343 E. Sheridan St., is listed by the Ely Chamber as serving the area year-round.
Insula is open on Tuesdays, so if a market soup at the contest wins you over, you could go back for a full bowl later in the week.
A Weekend Lead-In
If you want a downtown outing before Tuesday, the Minnesota Humanities Center is screening the Emmy Award-winning documentary Iron Range: Minnesota Building America at Ely's Historic State Theater on Sunday, Oct. 25, from 4 to 6 p.m. Pam Brunfelt, who appears in the film, will take part in a conversation afterward, according to the Ely Echo community calendar.
On Tuesday, book a 5 p.m. seat if one is still open, or plan to arrive at 6:30 and vote before 7:30.
If the Golden Ladle has you wondering what your own place near Sheridan Street is worth, Chessica Olson can help. Get Your Instant Home Valuation, and if you see me at the Community Center on Tuesday, say hello.
