Congrats ARAC Grant Recipients
The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council has announced its grant recipients from June to August. The full list of project descriptions is at aracouncil.org. (more…)
Duluth mentioned in Washington Post article on biking
A data analysis article on the Washington Post website touts Key West, Fla., as a city with a high percentage of bike commuters, and a resident draws a comparison to Duluth.
“It’s not Duluth,” said Dane Iseman, longtime Key West resident and co-owner of Island Bicycles. “Unless there’s a hurricane whipping through here, unless there’s coconuts flying sideways around the island, you can ride pretty much anytime.”
Just three months ago, however, a Washington Post article referred to Duluth as a “mountain biking paradise.”
Selective Focus: The Chief Buffalo Memorial Mural
The Chief Buffalo Mural Project is a collaboration between project manager and artist Moira Villiard alongside lead artists Michelle Defoe, Awanagiizhik Bruce, and Sylvia Houle, the Duluth Indigenous Commission, Zeitgeist Center for Arts, American Indian Movement Twin Ports Support Group, and descendants of Chief Buffalo.
An unveiling of the project is scheduled in Gichi-ode’ Akiing (formerly Lake Place Park) along the Duluth Lakewalk from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 14, complete with food and an opportunity to meet the artists.
We’ve asked Villiard to share more about the project: (more…)
Council approves demolition of Astoria Hotel
Another contributing building to the Duluth Commercial Historic District could soon be gone. The Duluth City Council voted to reverse a decision by the Heritage Preservation Commission to block the demolition of the former Astoria Hotel at 102 E. Superior St. The two-story white brick building housed the Chinese Dragon restaurant, Hucklebeary store and Old Towne Antiques until the end of 2021, when the building’s new owner, ZMC Hotels, terminated the leases.
The building was constructed in 1905 and was recently listed on the Duluth Preservation Alliance’s list of the city’s most endangered places.
History of the Minnesota Vikings, Prologue: Duluth, 1926
The history of the Minnesota Vikings begins with the Duluth Eskimos. Director and producer Fernando Camargo kicks off his seven-part docuseries with this “unofficial 0th installment,” which details Duluth’s 1926 campaign “that saved pro football as we know it.”
PDD Quiz: School Daze
Go to the head of the class with this week’s quiz, which looks at Duluth school buildings of yore. As with all topics related to local history, the Zenith City Press website and Minnesota Digital Library were indispensible resources.
The next PDD quiz will review September 2022 headlines; it will be published on Sept. 25. Submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by Sept. 21. (more…)
Lean into Your Fear: Whitewater Rafting on the St. Louis River
This story is from my personal blog, “Marie’s Meanderings.” When I write a travel post, because my blog’s name has the word “meander” in it, I usually open by saying I “meandered” here and there.
Well, I can’t use that term this time. It’s more accurate to say I reluctantly agreed to go on a whitewater rafting trip down the St. Louis River and promised to scream all the way!
It all started when my friend Russ, who is an experienced kayaker, won a silent auction item at a fundraiser for the St. Louis River Alliance in 2018. He won two tickets for whitewater rafting through Minnesota Whitewater Rafting, a local company that operates out of Scanlon.
Upon my insistence, we agreed to wait for the trip until the water was warm, to make it a more comfortable experience. Now it was August, month of warm weather and water, and I was out of excuses not to go. We gathered everything the company’s information sheet instructed rafters to bring: a dry change of clothes, snug-fitting footwear, windbreaker, towel, etc. And off we went. (more…)
Sydney Hansen – “Getting Somewhere Slow”
Duluth’s Sydney Hansen has a new single — “Getting Somewhere Slow” — with a video directed by Bo Allen of Bopro Video.
Selective Focus: Labor Day Weekend Aurora
This past weekend was aurora galora as the northern lights danced across Minnesota skies. Collected here are select images from Instagram. (more…)
Monthly Grovel: Final Edition
With the state of independent publishing being what it is, Perfect Duluth Day will no doubt continue groveling for donations for years to come. We’re going to start doing it in different ways, however, so this is the final “Monthly Grovel” post. Basically we’re just going to stop calling our grovel a grovel, but we’re also going to start providing a little more behind-the-curtain information. (more…)
The Slice: Gateway to Madeline
The town of La Pointe created a Public Arts Committee that has spent the past few years working on a new sculpture for Madeline Island. Hear from artist Lisa Kosmo on how she was selected to design this piece and why it’s important to her.
In its series The Slice, WDSE-TV presents short “slices of life” that capture the events and experiences that bring people together and speak to what it means to live up north.
Postcards from the College of St. Scholastica
Featured here is a pair of old College of St. Scholastica postcards. (more…)
Five Movies that Almost Reference Duluth
Among the many silly obsessions on Perfect Duluth Day is the practice of noting whenever Duluth is mentioned in a mainstream film — which by our count has happened more than 40 times. But what about when the script calls for a Duluth namedrop and the director or editor nixes it? Well, there are at least five examples of that.
Here’s PDD’s look at movies that were supposed to reference Duluth but ultimately didn’t. (more…)
Exploring Santa Fe U.S. Mail Railway Post Car 57
Duluth Urbex takes a peek inside an abandoned railway post-office car in West Duluth.
Lincoln Park trades print shop for restaurant, tea and spices
JS Print Group moved into the Lincoln Park neighborhood about five years ago. The business then outgrew the location at 1927 W. Superior St. and moved this summer to a larger facility in the Central Hillside.
(Photos by Mark Nicklawske)
A fast-growing print shop has moved out of Lincoln Park for a bigger building and plans are in the works for two new businesses — including an Indonesian restaurant — to take over the prime Superior Street location. (more…)
Video: Black bear rolling around in sawdust
This black bear in Voyageurs National Park, about 100 miles north of Duluth, is pretty happy to roll around in sawdust and also have a little back scratch on a nearby tree. The footage is from a Voyageurs Wolf Project trail camera.
Sexy 1938 Denfeld Beanie
Beanies are not likely to make any back-to-school fashion lists in 2022, but at some point in time Denfeld High School had a line of round, brimless, snug-fitting, maroon-and-gold skullcaps. (more…)
Charlie Parr on Writing Songs
Charlie Parr shares insights with Kyle Orla about how he wrote “1922 Blues,” “Remember Me if I Forget,” and his songwriting process in general.
Riding a Train to Duluth on YouTube
I love trains. So when this showed up in my YouTube feed, I was excited. (more…)
St. Louis River frogs devouring mayflies
Shot with a simple iPhone — little leopard frogs gobbling up mayflies on the edge of the St. Louis River in Duluth’s Riverside neighborhood.
Model Trains of the Duluth Depot
Recently inspired to look into trains in Duluth, I found this video. It’s a bit older than some of the videos I’m posting, but it’s still more or less contemporary.
I love the practice of model trains. My grandpa helped me set one up in my basement, and it was wonderful, but being in my basement made the tracks tarnish, hindering the current that made the train run. So I eventually just used the track board as a table.
A New Duluth Podcast
There’s a new podcast floating about that might be an enjoyable listen: Getting Bridged. What happens on the podcast? Gar and Kelli, lifelong Duluth residents, chat over the places in the city with stories that need to be told. It’s light on history and heavy on nostalgia, and when you’re waiting in line for the Aerial Lift Bridge to come back down as a Laker is heading through, this might be just what you need.
There are nine episodes available, with topics like the old Bryant Elementary School, shopping downtown back in the day, and, most recently, serving in the 148th Fighter Wing. Check it out on rss.com.
Model Trains of an Imaginary Duluth
Model railroaders have incredible imaginations. This person has established an imaginary rail company carrying materials from the range to Duluth and from Duluth to Minneapolis. (more…)