Northern Lights Music Festival returns to the Range
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. (more…)
Ripped at Bev’s Jook Joint in 2001
[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. (more…)
Duluth Hockey: There Goes the Neighborhood
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.
Reopened A & Dubs overwhelmed in first days
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. (more…)
Making it Up North: Northern Raven Studio
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.
Duluth 2026 Primary Election Primer
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. (more…)
Postcard from the Boulevard in Duluth
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.
Grandma’s Marathon 2025 Double: Thunderbolts and Lightning
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. (more…)
Making it Up North: Ursa Minor Brewing
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.
Ashe Berton – “Hello Minnesota”
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. (more…)
Perfect Duluth Day Outdoor Summer Concert Primer 2026
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. (more…)
New NLMF season honors founder Veda Zuponcic
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. (more…)
This is America: Duluth in 1946
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. (more…)
ARDC receives Excellence in Regional Transportation Award
A partnership between the University of Minnesota Duluth and the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission has won recognition from the National Association of Development Organizations. (more…)
Making it Up North: Grizz Works Wood Sculpture
Grizz Works is a full-time chainsaw carving business that ships custom art all over the world.
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.
Hagstrom & Forsgren Furniture opened in 1926
Hagstrom & Forsgren Furniture Company in Duluth’s friendly West End held its grand opening event 100 years ago today — June 12, 1926. The building at 1910-1912 W. Superior St. is presently the location of Frost River, a manufacturer of canvas bags, canoe packs and other outdoor gear. (more…)
Making it Up North: Highbridge Hills
Highbridge Hills is a 225-acre disc golf paradise tucked away in the woods of northwestern Wisconsin. It features six unique disc golf courses designed by Chuck Kennedy, ranging from tight, technical woods to wide-open bomber lines.
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.
Sparking a Larger Story: Return of Fire to Minnesota Point
For the first time in more than 150 years, fire (“Ishkode” in Ojibwe) is returning to Minnesota Point. A prescribed cultural burn this fall will clear accumulated underbrush and tree debris to restore the ecosystem, allowing native species like red pine and blueberries to regenerate while also mitigating wildfire hazards. (more…)
Postcard from Somewhere on Skyline Parkway
This postcard depicts a scene at one of the many creeks that intersect Skyline Parkway, aka “The Bouvelard,” in Duluth. The postmark is not completely legible, but it shows the card was mailed on June 8 of some year prior to 1917, when the postal rate for postcards was increased from one cent to two cents. (more…)
Superior Street, Sept. 11, 1907, Part 3: Spalding Hotel and Surrounding Businesses
This series takes a detailed look at life on Superior Street on the afternoon of Wednesday, Sept. 11, 1907. The first part of the series provided background details on a photograph shot that day where the street intersects Fifth Avenue West. Part three focuses on the businesses around the Spalding Hotel, including a fight with the city over on-street parking policies by a watchmaker whose pocket watches are still prized by collectors today. (more…)
Ripped on the Art Gallery Stroll in 2006
[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 years ago the Sultan of Sot took a tour of Downtown Duluth art galleries and composed this article for the June 5, 2001 edition of the Ripsaw newspaper.]
Let’s get one thing straight: I love art. I mean, there’s no greater art than getting drunk. So, with that in mind, I’m on my way to the Art Gallery Stroll — the first of five monthly, multi-gallery art receptions this summer in Duluth. Pop those corks, artsy-fartsies; I’m out to get completely, utterly and entirely fucking Brandenburged.
Art receptions, as any seasoned alcoholic knows, are the most abundant source of complimentary wine in the world. But this adventure is about more than saving money; it’s about improving my health. Instead of sitting on a stool in a smoky room and staring dumbly at myself in a Budweiser mirror behind a bar, tonight I’m going to air out my hemorrhoids by walking around and staring dumbly at, for example, a clay sculpture of a bear with a cup and saucer on his head. (more…)
International Falls: Icebox of the Nation
The Dispatch is a new travel documentary series visiting 50 cities in 50 states, “searching for the best stories, food, people, and experiences off the beaten path in the USA.” Host Sam Neumann is from Chisago City in central Minnesota, and he chose International Falls and neighboring city Ranier to represent his home state. Some of the stops include the Cantilever Hotel, Hallett Brewing and Border Country Outdoor Adventures.
Puzzling Through the Museum of Ojibwa Culture: Saint Ignace (and Indigenous History in our Region)
On a recent trip through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I stopped to visit the Museum of Ojibwa Culture in St. Ignace. The Museum is operated by the city of St. Ignace, and so “the city-operated museum and park portray a vivid picture of life in the Straits of Mackinac over 300 years ago when Ojibwa, Huron, Odawa and French lifestyles met.” (more…)
Making it Up North: Warrior Printress
Janelle Miller and Stacie Renné are the creative duo behind Warrior Printress. From their beloved 1910 printing press, “Gertie,” they create custom, hand-carved, limited-edition posters for iconic regional landmarks like Glensheen Mansion and Bob’s Cabins.
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.
Engraved 1871 Duluth Prints from The Graphic
British weekly newspaper The Graphic ran a story on Duluth in its June 3, 1871 edition — 155 years ago today — featuring three wood-engraved prints of Duluth scenes. (more…)