Duluth musician and author Gaelynn Lea is the musical guest on the premiere episode of That Show With That Midwestern Mom, a web-only variety show hosted by Amber Estenson, aka That Midwestern Mom. The full episode is embedded above; the Gaelynn Lea segment begins at the 29:09 mark.
Every July, something remarkable happens just north of Duluth.
Musicians arrive from around the world. Conservatory students rehearse alongside internationally acclaimed artists. Historic auditoriums come alive with chamber music, orchestra concerts and opera. For three weeks, communities across Minnesota’s Iron Range become one of the state’s most unexpected destinations for classical music.
The Northern Lights Music Festival returns July 1–21 with a season that celebrates both artistic excellence and community tradition.
[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 visited Bev’s Jook Joint in Superior and composed this article for the June 27, 2001 edition of the Ripsaw newspaper. Bev’s Jook Joint ceased operation in 2014.]
Here’s something weird: The Puritan city of Duluth, which is almost three times the size of Superior, doesn’t have any gay bars. Well, there’s the Tap Room, but that’s not homosexual, that’s just gay.
Meanwhile there are several gay bars in the debauched, anything-goes city of Souptown: JT’s, the Main Club and Bev’s Jook Joint. Of the three, Bev’s is the only one that seems to be in denial of its gayness. That isn’t to say the place is full of closet queers; Bev’s just seems to have more of a mixed crowd than a gay crowd. A breeder can hang out and act blatantly straight without feeling like how RuPaul might feel at Northland Country Club.
In Duluth, community hockey is neighborhood hockey. From late-night flood squads at outdoor rinks to the iconic Duluth Heritage Center, it’s all made possible by the Duluth Amateur Hockey Association and legendary hockey families like the Frybergers. While the rest of the hockey world may have changed, Duluth continues to find success with a proven recipe, serving up community hockey at the neighborhood level.
The short documentary embedded above is voiced by the notorious hockey-hair video guy John King and produced by Pulltab Sports for Minnesota Hockey, the governing body of youth and amateur hockey in the state. It is part of a web series called The Association, which delves into nonprofit community hockey organizations throughout Minnesota.
New A & Dubs owners Ryan Spears and Michael Koralia at the counter of their tiny Lincoln Park restaurant. (Photo by Paul Lundgren)
Anticipation had been building for three months when the A & Dubs drive-in restaurant quietly reopened on June 12. By the next day the news had spread and the new staff was clearly not prepared for the onslaught of hungry Duluthians.
Dive into the meditative and deeply connected world of Lake Superior agate hunting, lapidary and jewelry making with Abby Schaefer of Northern Raven Studio and her best friend, artist Amanda Penley.
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.
The filing period for Minnesota state and county offices closed on June 2. Below is a tally of candidates who filed for races pertinent to Duluth-area ballots. Names that appear in red are hyperlinked to the candidates’ websites.
This undated postcard shows a scene from Duluth’s Skyline Parkway before it was called Skyline Parkway. The visual might feel familiar, because it’s the same scene depicted in a different postcard recently published on Perfect Duluth Day.
Eric Strand has been running what he calls the “Grandma’s Marathon Double” since 2012. Along with a handful of other runners, he starts at the marathon finish line, runs to the starting line, then turns around and runs the regular marathon. He releases videos of the runs each year, usually shortly before the next year’s run.
From a high school teacher’s garage experimentation to launching the beloved Lincoln Park taproom in 2018, Ursa Minor Brewing has always been about more than just great beverages.
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.
Duluth folk musician Ashe Berton‘s new album Fill My Soul includes the track “Hello Minnesota,” which mentions Duluth at the start of the second verse.
Charlie Parr, sparkler in hand, travels far and wide this summer, hitting the Twin Ports Aug. 21 for a show at Earth Rider Brewery in Superior.
Large outdoor shows by traveling bigshots seem to be trending down while local bands in parks and courtyards are on an upswing. Nonetheless, there are still some heavy hitters passing through the region this summer. Perfect Duluth Day’s annual list spotlighting 15 outdoor shows mixes up a few of the big-ticket acts with highlights from free shows on the piers, porches and patios of Duluth and surrounding communities.
Following the recent passing of founder and artistic director Veda Zuponcic, the Northern Lights Music Festival board of directors announced that the 2026 festival season will continue as planned, honoring her vision and more than four decades of dedication to music education and performance.
This clip is from a 16-minute educational film from 1946 called This is America: Great Lakes, focusing on the segment mentioning Duluth. The full film, embedded below, explores the industrial powerhouse of the Great Lakes, detailing the crucial roles of navigation, shipping and the Coast Guard in transporting iron ore, coal and grain to fuel America’s postwar economy.
A partnership between the University of Minnesota Duluth and the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission has won recognition from the National Association of Development Organizations.
