Perfect Duluth Day - Duluth, MN Events, News, Blog

UMD’s Dancing Tales: Vasalisa

PDDTV Feb 14, 2026 No Comments

This weekend UMD Theatre is presenting an anthology of dance pieces exploring myths, folklore and legends from Eastern European and Southeast Asian traditions, including the retelling of the Slavic folktale Vasalisa. It is a collaborative multimedia dance performance co-directed by Professor Rebecca Katz Harwood and Emerita Professor Joellyn Rock. The college’s Motion and Media Across Disciplines Lab student staff had the opportunity to operate cameras for green screen shoots, provide video documentation and design and animate a 3D motion capture Vasalisa robot doll.

Performances run through Feb. 15.


Random, Videos ,

Duluth in the Olympics

Jim Richardson (aka Lake Superior Aquaman) Feb 14, 2026 No Comments

Big news from a few days back, posted now because it must be acknowledged here.

MPR News: “Duluth curling team claims silver medal at Winter Olympics“

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News and Current Affairs, Sports

Ripped at the Red Lion in 2001

Slim Goodbuzz Feb 14, 2026 No Comments

[Editor’s note: For this week’s essay we’ve once again pulled out a relic from the drunken compendium of Slim Goodbuzz, who served as Duluth’s “booze connoisseur” from 1999 to 2009. Twenty-five years ago the Sultan of Sot paid a Valentine’s Day visit to the legendary Red Lion Bar in Duluth, and composed this article for the Feb. 21, 2001 edition of the Ripsaw newspaper. The ol’ “Roar by the Shore” closed in 2007 and is now the location of Zeitgeist Arts Café.]

So, it’s Valentine’s Day and here I am at one of my favorite watering holes, the Red Lion — the fucken Roar by the Shore. By all standards, this is not supposed to be the day to get ripped out of my godforsaken gourd. This is supposed to be the day to wear pink and purple, eat a whole helluva lot of candy and watch Richard Gere movies. I ask you this: Could there be a better day to puke your guts out?

The Red Lion is always awesome; it doesn’t matter if it’s full of pathetic drunks or young hip-ocrites slumming with Black Labels (the beer or the band). Either way, it’s full of my favorite folks on earth. Tonight it seems to be a good mixture of wasted middle-aged sots and good-looking lesbians: Yes, these are my people.

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History ,

Postcard from Lincoln Park in 1916

Paul Lundgren Feb 13, 2026 No Comments

This postcard showing a scene from Lincoln Park in Duluth has a handwritten message on the back dated Feb. 13, 1916 — 110 years ago today. It is postmarked on Valentine’s Day.

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History, Random ,

Making it Up North: Sol Café

PDDTV Feb 12, 2026 No Comments

From the vibrant immigrant neighborhoods of Houston to the tech offices of a software engineer, Chef Antony Gor has always been guided by one thing: the power of nourishment. Now, he’s brought that vision to Duluth with Sol Café.

Making it Up North is a PBS North series that explores stories of creative artists, artisans and entrepreneurs engaged in honing their skills, following their passion and realizing their dreams.


Restaurants, Videos , ,

Bathing girls frolic in Chester Park snowdrift

Paul Lundgren Feb 12, 2026 No Comments

As an addendum to the “High spots from West Duluth Day at the 1926 Winter Frolic” post we present this digitally enhanced photo from the cover of the Feb. 11, 1926 Duluth Herald. It appeared in the paper with the headline “Bathing girls frolic in Chester Park snowdrift.”

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History , ,

High spots from West Duluth Day at the 1926 Winter Frolic

Paul Lundgren Feb 11, 2026 No Comments

Oh, those frolicsome West Duluthians. The Feb. 11, 1926 Duluth Herald offers a slew of photos from West Duluth Day of the annual Duluth Winter Frolic. The neighborhood programming ran from 1 to 10 p.m. on Feb. 10, but Winter Frolic events were not exclusive to West Duluth that day. Other happenings included “stunts” in the downtown streets, hockey games at the Amphitheater and Curling Club, an ice carnival at the Curling club, and the Frolic Ball of the College Women’s Club at the Duluth Armory.

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History , ,

Duluth Book Releases in 2026

Paul Lundgren Feb 10, 2026 1 Comment

Presenting Perfect Duluth Day’s annual rundown of books by Duluth-area writers and/or about Duluth-area topics that are new to bookstores and e-commerce sites. It’s early in the year, so this list will grow as 2026 continues.

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Random ,

Great Lakes Shipping 2025 Highlight Reel

PDDTV Feb 09, 2026 No Comments

The drama. The action. The suspense. Yes, it’s a Great Lakes shipping highlight reel, featuring 2025 scenes from Duluth, Superior, Two Harbors, Silver Bay and Marquette.


Videos ,

Ektachrome Postcard from the Aerial Lift Bridge

Paul Lundgren Feb 08, 2026 No Comments

This undated postcard, perhaps circa the 1960s, offers a view of the Aerial Lift Bridge from across the Duluth Harbor. The card was published by the H.C. Wick Company and features an Ektachrome photo by Rod Peterson.

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History , , ,

Ian Alexy – “Don’t Hesitate”

PDDTV Feb 06, 2026 No Comments

Duluth’s Ian Alexy nabs footage from the century-old film Don Juan for his latest music video. The track “Don’t Hesitate” is on Alexy’s new album The Tao of Ian.


Music, Videos

Mining and Smelting Iron of Minnesota’s Mesabi Range in 1926

PDDTV Feb 05, 2026 No Comments

If this footage looks familiar, it might be because Perfect Duluth Day previously featured a condensed version of this film. The 16mm Time Machine YouTube channel offers the version above, which has an additional four minutes of content.

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History , ,

Making it Up North: Misisipi Mike Wolf

PDDTV Feb 04, 2026 No Comments

Musician and poster artist Misisipi Mike Wolf shares the story of the journey that took him from the music-filled porches of the Gulf Coast to the creative community of Duluth.

Making it Up North is a PBS North series that explores stories of creative artists, artisans and entrepreneurs engaged in honing their skills, following their passion and realizing their dreams.


Music, Videos ,

Rich Mattson and the Northstars – “Rendezvous With a Star”

PDDTV Feb 03, 2026 No Comments

The latest from Rich Mattson and the Northstars, “Rendezvous With a Star,” is from the band’s album Wake Up Songs, due out later this month.


Music, Videos

Austin Castle – “Something Real” (The Lagom Session)

PDDTV Feb 02, 2026 No Comments

Austin Castle and friends perform “Something Real” at Lagom Builders Supply in Duluth. Castle released a new album, Timeless, in January.


Music, Videos