Family Fun and Youth-oriented
Movies in the Park: Wicked: For Good
The Downtown Duluth organization presents Movies in the Park at Leif Erikson Park every Friday at sunset from mid-July to August. Start times differ slightly each week due to adjust for the sunset. All of the selected movies are family-friendly and rated PG or PG-13.
Movies in the Park: Superman
The Downtown Duluth organization presents Movies in the Park at Leif Erikson Park every Friday at sunset from mid-July to August. Start times differ slightly each week due to adjust for the sunset. All of the selected movies are family-friendly and rated PG or PG-13.
Ready Set Grow
The Every Child Ready Duluth Coalition is bringing early childhood learning to a different community location every month. Parents are invited to play and learn with their little ones, meet other families and connect with community resources.
Light snacks are provided. Activities are geared to children ages 5 and younger but the whole family is welcome to participate.
Movies in the Park: Mighty Ducks
The Downtown Duluth organization presents Movies in the Park at Leif Erikson Park every Friday at sunset from mid-July to August. Start times differ slightly each week due to adjust for the sunset. All of the selected movies are family-friendly and rated PG or PG-13.
Movies in the Park: How to Train Your Dragon
The Downtown Duluth organization presents Movies in the Park at Leif Erikson Park every Friday at sunset from mid-July to August. Start times differ slightly each week due to adjust for the sunset. All of the selected movies are family-friendly and rated PG or PG-13.
Ecstatic Dance Duluth
Ecstatic dance is free-form movement inspired by music. The Ecstatic Dance Duluth group holds dances on the second Friday and last Sunday of each month from September through May. The focus is on exercise without a nightclub vibe.
Ecstatic Dance Duluth dances offer a sober, non-guided, non-judgmental space to explore moving to music, in whatever way feels right, in the company of other humans doing the same. The group gathers to move on a wood dance floor to an 80-minute eclectic playlist, different for each dance, that starts slow, revs up to high energy, then cools back down.
Send an email to ecstaticdanceduluth @ gmail.com to receive invitations to Ecstatic Dance Duluth events. Check the Ecstatic Dance Duluth Facebook page for up-to-date information about last-minute cancelations due to weather, etc.
Chester Bowl Fall Fest 2026
The 42nd annual Chester Bowl Fall Fest features vendors displaying arts, crafts, produce and information about local programs, along with food venders, live music and activities for children.
Suggested donations of $5 per person or $10 per family are accepted at the entrance to support Chester Bowl’s scholarship program, supporting low-income children and families who want to ski, snowboard or attend summer camp but aren’t able to afford the registration fees.
The public is encouraged to use the three free shuttle buses that run continuously from the University of Minnesota Duluth parking lot B, located at the intersection of College Street and University Drive. Parking is very limited near the event, so walking, biking or using the shuttles is highly recommended. There are a limited number of handicapped accessible parking spots near the entrance to the park.
The rain date is Sunday, Sept. 20, with the same hours.
Fix-it Clinic
Whether it’s cracked, torn, stained, missing a piece or just not working properly, broken things can be made good as new with the right skills and tools. WLSSD has partnered with Duluth Folk School and Duluth Makerspace to host regular events where people can learn how to fix their stuff. Volunteers specialize in a variety of repair skills, including electronics and small appliances, woodworking and furniture, watches and jewelry, clothing and upholstery, sports and outdoor gear, ceramics, artwork and more.
People can sign up in advance to be paired with a skilled volunteer or volunteer their skills to help fix other folks’ stuff. For more information or to register visit wlssd.com/fix-it or call 218-722-3336. Walk-ins are welcome but not guaranteed a time slot.
Fix-it clinics are held on the second Saturday of alternating months.
Ecstatic Dance Duluth
Ecstatic dance is free-form movement inspired by music. The Ecstatic Dance Duluth group holds dances on the second Friday and last Sunday of each month from September through May. The focus is on exercise without a nightclub vibe.
Ecstatic Dance Duluth dances offer a sober, non-guided, non-judgmental space to explore moving to music, in whatever way feels right, in the company of other humans doing the same. The group gathers to move on a wood dance floor to an 80-minute eclectic playlist, different for each dance, that starts slow, revs up to high energy, then cools back down.
Send an email to ecstaticdanceduluth @ gmail.com to receive invitations to Ecstatic Dance Duluth events. Check the Ecstatic Dance Duluth Facebook page for up-to-date information about last-minute cancelations due to weather, etc.
Ready Set Grow
The Every Child Ready Duluth Coalition is bringing early childhood learning to a different community location every month. Parents are invited to play and learn with their little ones, meet other families and connect with community resources.
Light snacks are provided. Activities are geared to children ages 5 and younger but the whole family is welcome to participate.
Fix-it Clinic
Whether it’s cracked, torn, stained, missing a piece or just not working properly, broken things can be made good as new with the right skills and tools. WLSSD has partnered with Duluth Folk School and Duluth Makerspace to host regular events where people can learn how to fix their stuff. Volunteers specialize in a variety of repair skills, including electronics and small appliances, woodworking and furniture, watches and jewelry, clothing and upholstery, sports and outdoor gear, ceramics, artwork and more.
People can sign up in advance to be paired with a skilled volunteer or volunteer their skills to help fix other folks’ stuff. For more information or to register visit wlssd.com/fix-it or call 218-722-3336. Walk-ins are welcome but not guaranteed a time slot.
Fix-it clinics are held on the second Saturday of alternating months.
Christmas City of the North Parade 2026
The Christmas City of the North Parade has been an annual holiday tradition in Duluth since 1961. It features marching bands, dance performances, colorful floats and an appearance by Santa Claus.
The parade starts at 6:30 p.m. in front of the Fitger’s complex at Sixth Avenue East and Superior Street and continues along Superior Street to Fourth Avenue West.
The parade is broadcast live on KBJR-TV channel 6.1 and online at northernnewsnow.com.
Parade units begin lining up at 4 p.m. on London Road between 10th and 14th avenues east, and buses stage on the upper side of London Road from 14th to 17th avenues east.
Marching bands and dance groups exit the parade route at Fourth Avenue West to buses waiting on Michigan Street. Floats dismantle on the 400 block of West Superior Street and exit the area at Fifth Avenue West.
Bentleyville Tour of Lights Opening Night 2026
Duluth’s Bentleyville Tour of Lights is the largest walk-through display of Christmas lights in America. Guests are invited to stroll under the glow of more than 5 million lights in a 20-acre park on the shores of Lake Superior. Mr. and Mrs. Claus, along with Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, are on hand for photos and handing out candy canes.
The event opens each night at 5 p.m., closing at 9 p.m. on Sundays through Thursdays and 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. For additional information visit bentleyvilleusa.org.
Bentleyville Tour of Lights is a nonprofit charitable organization with a mission to raise non-perishable food items and new unwrapped toys for families in need. The event is also an official drop-off site for the Salvation Army.
Free Park Day
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources offers free admission to all 75 Minnesota state parks and recreation areas on four days each year. On Free Park Days the DNR waives the requirement for a vehicle permit to enter state parks and recreation areas. The entrance fee waiver does not cover activities like camping, rentals or tours.
The goal of Free Park Days is to get all Minnesotans outdoors.
For more information, contact the DNR Information Center by emailing info.dnr @ state.mn.us or by calling 888-646-6367 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, or 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday.