News & Articles

Run Smelt Run! Parade & Party: The wonderfully weird annual celebration returns for its 13th year, starting at 3:30 pm Sunday. The non-motorized parade kicks off at the Aerial Lift Bridge with a stilt-walking Royal Guard, a school of silver smelt puppet and mask dancers, a giant Smelt Queen and two brass bands. Be sure to wear silver.

Mud Puppies
Friday, May 15, 9 pm
Sir Benedict’s
Duluth’s Mud Puppies call their sound “folk grunge” and the tag fits like a worn flannel. They blend the grit of Townes Van Zandt with the electric charge of Nirvana and the rawness of Jeff Buckley.

Sk8 the Lake
Saturday, May 16, 9:30 am
Brighton Beach
Duluth’s unofficial kickoff to summer for all ages, all skill levels, just people skateboarding together along the lake. This year it comes with a new route and a top-secret stop along the way. Show up and find out where the mystery stop leads.

May Faire Community Festival
Saturday, May 16, 10 am to 2 pm
Spirit of the Lake Community Arts
Shake off the last of winter at one of Duluth’s most joyful neighborhood celebrations with maypole dancing, live music, a homemade cake contest and cake walk, face painting, flower crown and fairy wand crafts, a petting zoo, giant bubbles, jump rope making and a community song circle.

Run Smelt Run! Parade & Party
Sunday, May 17, 3:30 pm
Duluth Lift Bridge
Wonderfully weird annual celebration returns for its 13th year. The non-motorized parade kicks off at the Aerial Lift Bridge with a stilt-walking Royal Guard, a school of silver smelt puppet and mask dancers, a giant Smelt Queen and two brass bands. Be sure to wear silver. Following the parade, the party moves to Zeitgeist Arts Cafe for a smelt fry and dance.

The Gemstones
Monday, May 18, 6-9 pm
Bent Paddle
Duluth’s most determined purveyors of soul, R&B, funk and jazz was born out of a one-time Pride show in 2021. Every member comes from a completely different musical background. Expect powerhouse soundscapes, groove-heavy funk and the kind of energy that makes a Monday feel like a Friday.

Music For All, Voices Together
Thursday, May 21, 5:30 pm
Sacred Heart Music Center
Annual fundraising concert for the Duluth-based Kako Foundation, which is dedicated to bringing music education to underserved youth in Haiti and the United States. Music by Solomon Witherspoon, Jon Edwards, Born Too Late, Jason Schooler Band and Casino Cuz’o.

Pints and the Past
Tuesday, May 19, 6:30-7:30 pm
Streetcar Kitchen & Pub, Carlton
The Carlton County Historical Society’s popular series tonight provides a free evening lecture on how water shaped Thomson Township. Learn about early Native Americans to the logging industry, creameries and beyond. Grab a drink, pull up a chair and let local history wash over you.