7th Annual CHUM Rhubarb Festival

Is this going to be fun?

Rhubarb Logo

7th Annual CHUM Rhubarb Festival

June 25, 9 AM to 4:30 PM
11th Ave East and London Road, Duluth
Admission is free!

The best breakfast downtown …

… I might have had this morning. At least, best per-dollar, with the awesomest staff: the Coney Island.

On April 10, 1921 Gus Saites, a Greek immigrant, had a few hundred dollars and an idea. He would head to Duluth from St. Paul and open a restaurant on East Superior Street in the bustling town of Duluth Minnesota. Nearly 90 years later this idea continues uninterrupted in the same location and under the same tin ceiling as on that spring day in ’21.

A Summer Night of Sondheim

Join Renegade’s friends Adam Sippola & Carolyn LePine with Evan Kelly, Susanne Wilfahrt and Patrick Colvin on June 24 and/or June 25 for an evening of music from composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim.

Tickets are $10, and all ages are welcome. Reserve your seat online at teatrozuccone.com, or get them the day of the event at Teatro Zuccone. The box office opens at 6pm. Doors open at 7:30pm, and the show starts at 8 pm.

Join Renegade Improv afterward both nights for 10:30 Main Event Shows. For more information and weekly schedules, check out 3dayweekendmn.com.

M’haha Window on “History Detectives”

Duluth’s “Minnehaha” Tiffany window (sometimes referred to as the “Hiawatha” window) designed by Duluth’s Ann Weston-and a watercolor associated with it-will be featured on next week’s “History Detectives” on PBS North. Look for Wade Lawrence, former director of Glensheen, for his expert analysis of the window.

Here are the air times/dates/PBS description:

Tuesday, June 28 – 7pm on PBS North
Tuesday, June 28 – midnight on PBS North
Saturday, July 2 – 6pm on PBS 2ndChance
Sunday, July 3 – 5pm on PBS North

Seen on a run along Grand Portage Trail, Jay Cooke State Park

False Soloman’s Seal

Yellow Lady Slippers

Also seen in bloom, but not photographed: strawberries, mertensia, wild roses, the last of the large flowered trillium, thimbleberry, and buttercups.

The sun is shining and the trails should be drying out if the weather holds. Perfect time to get outside and discover what wildflowers the trails in and around Duluth hold!

Cold Water Surfest with Crew Jones

Saturday, June 25, at 10 p.m., Lake Avenue Restaurant and Bar presents Cold Water Surfest with Crew Jones for free!

Art Fair

Isn’t there some kind of Art Fair this weekend?

I’ve never been; advice?

First Street Renaissance

Vietnamese Iced Coffee

Vietnamese Iced Coffee

My heart broke when the European Bakery closed (though I admit only shopping there once a month wasn’t much help in keeping it open). It relit today.

I had an awesome lunch at Saigon Cafe (114 W First St., Duluth, MN 55802). At $6.99 for all you can eat, the $2.99 for the Vietnamese coffee was an easy treat.

(Vietnamese Coffee is the reason I keep condensed milk at home: also known as ca phe sua da or cà phê sữa dá), it is made with dark roast coffee individually brewed with a small metal French drip filter into a cup containing sweetened condensed milk, stirred and poured over ice.)

Duluth’s Retro Antique Mall

You may have noticed a new antique store has opened at 118 E. First St. in Downtown Duluth. It’s a pretty crazy collection. In one corner is some of the remaining used book inventory from R. O. Carlson’s famous store, next to it is stuff from the old Molly’s Bar in Superior … and on and on. There are about 10 different people selling stuff in there, one of which is Doug Moen, who is best known for his massive collection of retro clothing.

Fun and flowers this weekend at Jay Cooke State Park

It’s Duluth’s own backyard state park. In half the time it takes to drive to Gooseberry, you can get reach this big park straddling the rugged St. Louis River valley. You could even ride your bike out the Munger Trail.

Head out to Jay Cooke State Park this weekend and check out the lady’s slippers that are blooming. Or get up early for a birdsong walk with Larry Weber. The St. Louis River should be raging under the Swinging Bridge. These ideas and more are on my blog.

Note, none of the reservable campsites are available. If you zoom up to the park tonight or early Friday, you could still snag one of the first-come, first-served campsites.

PDD Gravatar Poll, Fourth Bracket

Which PDD user has the best Gravatar?

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This poll is now closed. The results were:

Hot Shot — 54.1 percent

Tamara — 15.3 percent

Ethan — 11.8 percent

Mary — 9.4 percent

Edgeways — 9.4 percent

(About Gravatars)

Why Do We Run?

Video by Timothy Johnson

Total Freedom Rock @ Lake Ave

Thursday, June 23 at 10pm
Lake Avenue Restaurant and Bar presents:
Total Freedom Rock for free!

When in Duluth? Downtown Waterfront Interim Report

I was trying to find an old photograph last week and I did not find what I was looking for but I did find something that only a history nerd, Duluth loving, public space adoring, Lake Superior worshiping kid like me would appreciate. So naturally I am posting images here as best I can.

Several images after the jump, so you might not want to try this over dial up or on your smartphone, and if anyone knows how to ge the full image in a downloadable PDF or another handier document type, knock yourself out. I’d love that.

Public input needed to prioritize parks and trail needs. Meetings scheduled.

The public is invited to attend public meetings which will solicit citizens’ opinions on city park and trail priorities.  The meetings will be held 6-7:30 PM on the following dates;

Wednesday, June 22 at the Central Hillside Community Center located at 12 E. 4Fourth St.

Thursday, June 23 at the Duluth Heights Community Center located at 33 W. Mulberry St.

Tuesday, June 28 at the Portman Community Center located at 4601 McCulloch St.

Wednesday, June 29 at the Morgan Park Community Center located at 1242 88th Ave. W.

Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!