Perfect Duluth Day’s Best Videos of 2019
Looking back at what Duluthians documented on video in 2019, we find the usual themes. The lake made numerous appearances, whether liquid and moving or frozen solid. We saw lots of music videos, parodies, spur-of-the-moment happenings, and some weird experimentation. Below are our picks for the standout videos of 2019. (more…)
Denfeld takes Heritage title; Hermantown wins Hilltopper
Denfeld’s hockey team celebrates its victory in the Heritage Holiday Classic.
(Photo by Bruce Woodman)
The Denfeld Hunters emerged as the 2019 Heritage Hockey Classic champions on Dec. 28, while the Hermantown Hawks captured the trophy in the Hilltopper Holiday Classic. Prep hockey tournaments on the weekend after Christmas have become an annual tradition in Duluth during the past decade.
Denfeld defeated Owatonna 2-1 in overtime to claim its title, with Griffin Lehet scoring the game-winning goal.
Hermantown dominated the Hilltopper tourney, defeating Buffalo in the final game by a 7-1 margin.
New Year Greetings from Fitger’s Brewing Co.
From the Jan. 1, 1910 issue of the Duluth Evening Herald.
2019: The Year in Duluth Gig Posters
Here it is, Perfect Duluth Day’s annual collection of things that were stapled to telephone polls, taped to lavatory walls, pinned to bulletin boards and uploaded to websites. As usual, by no means is this a comprehensive collection of local rock posters, nor is it a carefully curated archive of the best. It’s just a bunch of them we noticed and didn’t lose in 2019. (more…)
Duluth Trivia Deck Sampler #34
Another trivia card from a board game purchased at Savers. (more…)
Snow-Fort City Build/Sledding Party
WDIO covered the event which happened on the solstice, Dec. 21. Thanks to all. #snowfortcity has suffered from the recent rains etc but all great cities have been destroyed at least once.
Richard Lee Armstrong – “Landlord of Duluth”
Ten years ago today — Dec. 30, 2009 — Richard Lee Armstrong released the album Pretty Dream Woman, featuring the track “Landlord of Duluth.” The song tells the story of Armstrong’s claim that he technically owns part of Downtown Duluth. (more…)
PDD Quiz: 2019 in Review
Test your memory of 2019 headlines and happenings with PDD’s year-in-review quiz!
The next PDD quiz, previewing 2020’s coming attractions, will be published on Jan. 12. Please submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by Jan. 9. (more…)
Saturday Essay: Select gems from 2019
Last week we highlighted the five most-read pieces from the fourth year of Perfect Duluth Day’s “Saturday Essay” series. This week we ignore the numbers and look back at a few select essays of similar quality that might have been missed by non-compulsive followers.
In the past four years PDD has published 185 essays showcasing the work of 29 different writers, and we’re always looking to expand that roster. Anyone who has an original piece of literary excellence that seems to fit (or appropriately defy) the established format should email paul @ perfectduluthday.com to get involved.
And now, links to a few select gems from season four … (more…)
Selective Focus: Sid Boyum
Sid Boyum was born in Duluth in 1914, and lived most of his life in Madison, WI. He was an industrial photographer, graphic artist, folk artist, and sculptor. (more…)
Fargo Duluth Montage
The first season of the comedic crime-drama television series Fargo is peppered with references to Duluth, a few of which are collected in the montage above. No part of the series was shot in Duluth, though one scene has the Aerial Lift Bridge inserted into it and has a sort of Garfield Avenue feel. (more…)
Duluth’s Christmas of 1889 was finer than ever
This Christmas card from Duluth jeweler Andrew Jackson promotes a special holiday sale 130 years ago, featuring “greatly reduced prices.” (more…)
Duluth Trivia Deck Sampler #33
Another trivia card from a board game purchased at Savers. (more…)
Video: Grace Holden dances with Lizzo on SNL
The second song by Minneapolis-based pop star Lizzo on Saturday Night Live, “Good as Hell,” featured Grace Holden of Duluth/Bemidji. Among the four dancers on the floor, she is third from the left in the opening minute, before the rotation.
Another rare find at the CSS Book Sale
I have invited Michael Fedo to talk to my classes several times. He is in some ways an old-fashioned freelancer, following the story where the market will take him. He is, in some ways, an old fashioned humorist. (more…)
Mystery Photo: Three Dudes in Fake Car
A recurring source of confusion in the Mystery Photo series is whether particular images that share the stamp of the Post Card Shop in Minneapolis and the Penny Arcade in Duluth were shot in Minneapolis or Duluth. Here is another such image. (more…)
Parking Structure, Michigan Avenue, US Bank
What did I miss? Why is the US Bank-labeled parking structure on Michigan Avenue in Duluth closed?
The Most Read Saturday Essays of 2019
It’s an annual tradition at Perfect Duluth Day to wrap up each year of the “Saturday Essay” series with lazy top-five lists instead of arduously prepared compositions. Here we go again.
This week is part one, highlighting the essays that were read the most times according to Google Analytics. Next week is less of a popularity contest; we’ll showcase five underappreciated gems. (more…)
Grace Holden will dance with Lizzo on Saturday Night Live
Grace Holden, a Bemidji native and longtime trumpeter and dancer for Duluth band Red Mountain, has also been dancing with Minneapolis-based pop star Lizzo for nearly five years. The Bemidji Pioneer reports Holden will be part of the act when Lizzo appears as musical guest on the Dec. 21 episode of Saturday Night Live.
(more…)
Climate>Duluth: Bill Mittlefehldt
Host Tone Lanzillo interviews Bill Mittlefehldt of Cross Currents, LLC. This is show #5 in the Climate>Duluth series recorded at Duluth Public Access Community Television’s studio in City Hall.
Christmas Greetings from Aunt Lois and Uncle Hermie
Aunt Lois and Uncle Hermie send Christmas greetings from Duluth to their niece in Beverly Hills.