While walking downtown today I noticed this painted billboard. It’s on First Street, east of First Avenue East.
I don’t remember seeing it before; maybe that’s because it’s facing opposite of the one-way traffic on First Street. In any case, has it always been there? Is it authentic? Restored? A reproduction?
We are looking to put up a chicken coop in our yard and would like to do so as cheaply as possible. Is there a reuse center in Duluth or other place to get cheap wood?
Nokomis, the restaurant on the North Shore between the French and Knife rivers, gets play in the Wall Street Journal:
Dinner Deep in Walleye Territory
The premise of the piece? “There’s good eats in places other than New York and L.A.” What do we learn from it? “Walleye is a very big deal hereabouts.” In any case, congrats to Nokomis for the (IMO, deserved) recognition.
Weather doesn’t look great, but it’s sure to be better than last year’s miserable conditions — and that was a blast.
Why not take a tour of some of the weirdest and most fascinating places out there? A recently started website, Atlas Obscura, is collecting and mapping the weird and wonderful places in the world. MN only has a few so far. I’m a fan of Weird WI but I really like that this is a ongoing wiki to collect the odd and unusual places of the world. I’m guessing that PDD folks know of all the best places here in MN and WI so add some stuff. Then when the kids ask “Are we going to Valley Fair?” you can tell them “No, even better. We’re headed to Dutch Corners Phillips, WI to see Fred Smith’s Wisconsin Concrete Park.”
So which state has the weirdest stuff? MN or WI? I’m leaning toward WI.
Perfect Duluth Day is six years old today! The photos above are from the first year.
Stop by the Wine Bar at Chester Creek Cafe tonight and raise a toast to PDD. We’ll be there from 9ish to 10ish. Door prize: Two tickets to Suzanne Vega at Big Top Chautauqua on Aug. 29.
ALSO: This Friday, July 3 – Retribution Gospel Choir, Burly Burlesque + Kevin Craig – $5 – 11PM – All ages.
Monday, June 29th
6:30 Duluth Art Institute Gallery Tour
7:30 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn
FREE
For three Mondays this summer the Duluth Art Institute is screening space related movies in honor of the visiting Smithsonian Show: “Beyond: Visions of Planetary Landscapes”. The first is THIS Monday. Enjoy a free tour of the galleries before taking in the OTHER best Star Trek Film ever made – Star Trek II: Wrath of Kahn. Don’t believe us? See for yourself and chow on free snacks courtesy of Ken Buehler and the Lake Superior Scenic Railroad. The screenings will take place in the ‘Zelda’ theater in the Train Museum.
I got a kick out of a Jeopardy! contestant’s response when describing where White Bear Lake was located. She said that it’s north of the Twin Cities and that, after Duluth, “… there’s Canada.”
The Chicken Hat Plays July 10 & 11 at Proctor Area Community Center – 7PM Both Shows
Rubber Chicken Theater presents 16 world premiere plays, all created in one weekend….It’s The Chicken Hat Plays, sponsored in part by Pizza Luce.
I suggested the Chum’s Rhubarb Festival to Bob Collins for his News Cut Blog as something fantastically Minnesotan happening to cover this weekend for his blog. He said send him some pictures. No idea how to do that exactly as I don’t have his email, and not sure if he was even serious, but I had lots of fun taking pictures with a Speedy Wienie-eye view today. I also tweeted a bit between customers mostly about weather and music, you can read them by following @jprennquist.
The effects of the state budget deficit will be felt by many, but one example I’ve been talking about is the potential loss of Hibbing Community College Theater. (Disclosure: I work for HCC as a communication instructor).
HCC has developed a top notch two-year theater program and community theater series. For years it has demonstrated to the blue collar Iron Range the importance and possibility represented by the fine arts. Unfortunately, the program is now on the chopping block. But the community isn’t taking this lying down. A deal was struck that if some money could be raised externally the program could continue in some form.
For one night only, a big show will be held that could save a precious community treasure from budget cuts. Yes, that is exactly like the plot of the 1980 musical “The Blues Brothers.” Which is why the cast of HCC’s 2004 production of the Blues Brothers is reuniting for the show. The HCC Blues Brothers and Blues Brothers band is top notch, as good or better than any of the other revivals you might see touring the country and is predominantly stocked with Minnesotans.
We need to fill this massive, historic hall to save theater at HCC. Consider a road trip to Hibbing to send a message in support of the arts.
HCC Theater Support Gala
7:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 2
Hibbing High School Auditorium
(easily the most impressive high school auditorium in the country, and Dylan played there before he was Dylan)
First, enjoy the hilarious promotional video featuring Elwood Blues (Hibbing’s Jaime Tintor, an actor in L.A.). This is well worth the click.
HCC Theater Support Gala featuring the Blues Brothers: July 2 in Hibbing
Send this out. Tell your friends. Tweet and Retweet. Blog and Share. Every town has something to fight for in this unfortunately political battle, but this one is awfully important to the towns of the Iron Range, knocked down by the economy and in need of the healing power of the arts. Tell the people: “We’re getting the band back together.”
Follow some hilarious updates all next week at my blog MinnesotaBrown.com
I’m looking for someone willing and able to do some alterations to a formal (read: hideous taffeta) bridesmaid dress. You’d have about a month. Anyone interested? Email shana(at)shrugrecords.net
