Perfect Duluth Day Outdoor Summer Concert Primer 2023
Musicians gather around the fire pit at Girl Scout Point in Billings Park for the first concert of the 2023 Superior Porchfest season.
Outdoor music saw a boom during the pandemic out of necessity, but on warm summer days the preferred concert venues have always been those with free-flowing air. With the Duluth-area music scene continuing to flourish and touring artists on the move, the season has music to soothe all souls with genres spanning the realms of rock, pop, hip hop, folk and more.
From porches, patios and piers to amphitheaters, big tents and city parks, the outdoor summer concert options are numerous. Below is Perfect Duluth’s Day’s annual guide to al fresco music in 2023. (more…)
Postcard from Bloomer’s Drive-in
Bloomer’s Drive-in was a roadside restaurant in Duluth, located near the ore docks and Wade Stadium. It opened in 1955, operated by Walter Bloomer and his younger brother Robert. It was sold in 1960. (more…)
Grandma’s Marathon 2022 Double: I Wanna Be Sedated
One year ago Eric Strand completed his ninth Grandma’s Marathon Double — starting at the finish line, running to the starting line, then running the official marathon. The 2022 video was finally released just before the 2023 marathon. Strand uses the 52.4-mile Grandma’s Marathon Double as a training run for the Leadville 100 Trail Run.
Strand has been running the Grandma’s Marathon since 2000 and has done the “double” since 2012, except for the pandemic year of 2020.
PDD Transmission launches June 29
The first edition of Perfect Duluth Day’s weekly email newsletter, the PDD Transmission, will be sent out June 29. It’s free, but to receive it you must spend roughly 20 seconds entering your name and email address into a form. We hope you are up to the task.
Whether you need additional inspiration or not, a prize is dangling in front of you. (more…)
Nostalgia for My Great-Grandparents’ Time: Cyclone Fence
A recent sale at the Duluth Public Library means that I picked up stacks of vintage magazines for cheap, and I’ve loved looking at some artful old advertisements. I especially love the ones that are in old, illustration style. (more…)
Rachael Kilgour – “Dad Worked Hard”
Duluth native Rachael Kilgour has a new album, My Father Loved Me, scheduled for release in September. The video for the first single, “Dad Worked Hard,” is a live performance shot by Brian Lazarus in a damp basement workshop in New York City.
Selective Focus: Pre-summer PDDs
Select photos from Instagram spanning mid-May to mid-June 2023, all hashtagged with the name of a certain website. #perfectduluthday (more…)
Hyper Glaze
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LSl2g5N4PU
John Holden and Matt Norby warn that their latest video contains hyper-glazed data poisoning. “Do not upload it to sites that train modules on user submissions,” the YouTube video description notes. “It will degrade the overall system and cause generated output to be less stable and less accurate. You don’t want to be the one to ruin AI content for everybody.”
Round-up Bar and Grill plans new patio space
Round-up Bar and Grill owner Mike Ronning stands outside the site of a new side patio. Landscaping, furniture, games and a small stage will be built on the site of the former Fine Frog Emporium. (Photo by Mark Nicklawske)
A longstanding Duluth bar known for its family-owned roots and connection to country music will add a new outdoor patio after an adjacent antique store was condemned and torn down earlier this year.
The Round-up Bar and Grill, 415 E. Fourth St., will construct space for outdoor dining and bar service along with a small stage on the east side of its building this summer. Fencing and signage have already been assembled and final landscaping work, lighting and furniture installation is expected to take place in the next few weeks. (more…)
The Remnants of Daniel Greysolon’s 17th Century Childhood
In two previous posts, I described how to get to the hometown of our city’s namesake, Daniel Greysolon Sieur Du Luth, and wrote about visiting his childhood home. This final post in the series shows some of the places Daniel Greysolon would have almost certainly been familiar with during his youth in the French town of St.-Germain-Laval. It concludes with a few of the more modern sites of the town. (more…)
Historical Research by Accident: Nostalgic Newsstand Sale Adverts and Fisk Tire
Here is another advert from my collection of now-recycled magazines from the Duluth Public Library’s Nostalgic Newsstand Sale. (more…)
Beyondbliss with Lyla Abukhodair – “Dance Without Somebody”
Born Deaf, the new album from Beyondbliss, is scheduled for release June 30. The second single, “Dance Without Somebody,” features Lyla Abukhodair. The video was created by an artificial intelligence art program.
Advertisements from the Nostalgic Newsstand Sale: Buying a Franklin
Here is another advert from my collection of now-recycled magazines from the Duluth Public Library’s Nostalgic Newsstand Sale. (more…)
Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards 2023 Nominees
Lake Superior Writers has announced the titles of the 24 books nominated for 2023 Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards. For the past three decades, the awards have recognized books that substantially represent the history, culture, heritage and lifestyle of northeastern Minnesota. (more…)
The Social House in Canal Park is open
The Social House, a casual restaurant in Duluth’s Canal Park district, held a soft opening over the weekend and officially opened this morning. The location is the former Famous Dave’s at 355 S. Lake Ave. (more…)
Advertisements from the Nostalgic Newsstand Sale: Almond Truffles
Here is another advert from my collection of now-recycled magazines from the Duluth Public Library’s Nostalgic Newsstand Sale. This one is too much of stretch, maybe. Norris Candies was housed in Atlanta, Ga. I love the flapper art, the art deco (or is it art nouveau) style of the ad and the fashion.
If I wanted an almond truffle today, I would visit Hepzibah’s in Canal Park, Rocky Mountain, or Duluth Candy. In Superior, I would visit Sweeden Sweets. Did I miss any source?
PDD Quiz: Hartley Park
Test your knowledge of Hartley Park with this edition of the PDD quiz. Sources include Zenith City Online, the Minnesota Digital Library, and the Hartley Nature Center website.
The next PDD quiz, reviewing June 2023 headlines and happenings, comes your way on June 25. Submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at aklawite@d.umn.edu by June 20. (more…)
Marty Marflow and the Melody Makers (featuring the Calhoun Sisters) – “Duluth St. Paul & Winona”
There are a few songs on Perfect Duluth Day’s list of songs with “Duluth” in the lyrics or title that are not available online. The one we highlight here is “Duluth St. Paul & Winona” by Marty Marflow and the Melody Makers (featuring the Calhoun Sisters), which was released 20 years ago. (more…)
Mystery Photos: Handsome Men at Ely Studio
The identities of the four gentlemen in this photo are not known, but the postcard is marked as having been shot at the Ely Studio. Photographer Cook Ely operated in Duluth from roughly 1895 to 1914, with a stint in St. Paul somewhere in the middle. Ely Studio was located at 2030 W. Superior St. — the corner where the Anderson Furniture building stands today.
This photo sold recently on eBay, where it was titled “RPPC Handsome Men w Hats Ely Studio of Duluth Studio Real Photo Postcard.”
Minnesota Historia: The Ope Files
The story of a UFO that ran into a deputy sheriff’s car in Marshall County may have inspired The X-Files. But since this is Minnesota, it’s being calling the “Ope, I’m Just Gonna Scooch Right Past Ya Here” Files.
Minnesota Historia is a PBS North web series dedicated to Minnesota’s quirky past. It is hosted by Hailey Eidenschink and produced/edited/written by Mike Scholtz.
Advertisements from the Duluth Public Library Nostalgic Newsstand Sale: Strathmore Paper
Here is another advert from my collection of now-recycled magazines from the Duluth Public Library’s Nostalgic Newsstand Sale. The sale is in the rearview mirror, but the Library Sale will be here faster than you think. (more…)
Selective Focus: Photos on Film
Photography exhibit in the windows of 313 West Superior St.
There’s a temporary photo show hanging in the windows of the old Bagley Building downtown, 313 West Superior St. The photos are all shot on film – a variety of formats from an equal variety of cameras.
(more…)
Saturday at the Urban Farm was a blast
Northern Expressions Arts Collective leader paints cool rocks in the hot sun.
I attended the event held Saturday at the Urban Farm at Lake Superior College. It was a blast, bringing together vistas from Eco3 and volunteers from Northern Expressions Arts Collective. NEAC is an amazing organization that blends creativity, community, nutrition, and health for families.
Previous coverage of this weekly event is wdio.com. The Eco3 Urban Farm was also very alive during Earth Week. Maybe I’ll see you there on a coming Saturday?
Advertisements from the Duluth Public Library Nostalgic Newsstand Sale: Sealex Linoleum Floors
The Duluth Public Library’s Nostalgic Newsstand Sale was a source of many things to write about. Here is another advert from my collection of now-recycled magazines. (more…)
Iron Range Outlaw Brigade – “The Ballad of Jimmy the Outlaw”
Iron Range Outlaw Brigade is working on a new EP, but singer/guitarist Kirk Kjenaas has compiled the nostalgic video embedded above, which features a smattering of band photos from the past 15 years.
The song is from the band’s 2011 debut album Shootin’ Shells & Raisin’ Hell, but this version was recorded live in 2014 by Andrew Lambert at Yo’r Mudders Place, which is now the Ore House, in Gilbert.