Events Posts

Duluth Preservation Alliance Centennial Homes Recognition

At its annual awards ceremony in May the Duluth Preservation Alliance is recognizing Duluth homes that are turning 100 years old. The DPA is looking for applicants whose homes are turning 100 years old this year and that have retained their historic character.

If you would like to apply, or know someone who might qualify, you can download an application at duluthpreservation.org under the “Centennial Homes Recognition” tab. Applications are due April 18.

If you have any questions, please contact Bob Berg at 218-341-6143 or robert.berg @ duluth.k12.mn.ust.

Homegrown 2013 Schedule

Just released on duluthhomegrown.com.

* Roughly 186 bands.
* Big Wave Dave at Mr. D’s on Tuesday
* Stellar lineup at Grandma’s Sports Garden on Wednesday
* Too much everything after that

MBOTMA Bluegrass Cabin Fever — site change due to Radisson flooding

Important news if you are considering attending the Cabin Fever Festival in Duluth this weekend. Unfortunately the Radisson Hotel has experienced an unforeseeable incident that has forced us to move the event.

A water main broke in downtown Duluth a couple days ago and flooded the basement and electrical service to the Radisson Hotel where the festival was to take place. The hotel will not be able to restore electrical power for several weeks and has completely shut down.

The good news is an alternate space at the Inn on Lake Superior in Canal Park has been secured.

This week: zombies, ballet, bluegrass and custom cars

  

Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.

Storyteller Kevin Kling returns to Duluth tomorrow with Dan Chouinard to perform at Mitchell Auditorium.

La Leche League meets for discussion every third Wednesday of the month at the Coppertop.

Zombie madness meets Elizabethan England in Renegade Theater Company‘s William Shakespeare’s Land of the Dead at the Teatro Zuccone starting Thursday and running for three weekends.

The Minnesota Ballet presents its production of Firebird on Friday and Saturday at the DECC Auditorium.

The Cabin Fever Bluegrass Festival melts the winter blues away at the Inn on Lake Superior in Canal Park this weekend, Friday through Sunday.

And if that weren’t enough, this weekend World of Wheels: Motorhead Madness comes to the DECC with custom cars, bikes, four-by-fours and other wheeled wonders.

So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know.

Magic Smelt Workshops

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! The smelt are coming!

The Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe is pleased to announce the opening of our 2013 Smelt Run Puppet Parade workshop, at 134 W. 1st St, between Pineapple Arts and Bella Flora!

This week: fonts, cats and ides

  

Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.

Today Sarah Brokke opens a new exhibit at Zeitgeist Arts or you could go to a gallery discussion at the Duluth Arts Institute.

On Tuesday you can get all sans serif at the Zinema 2 with a screening of Helvetica, the last movie in their Gary Hustwit design trilogy.

What should we do with Rockridge Elementary? You can chime in with your ideas on Wednesday in an open meeting at Portman Community Center.

Cats opens at the Duluth Playhouse on Thursday and runs for two weekends. Also opening that night is How I Learned to Drive at UMD and it runs through the end of the month.

Friday is the Ides of March and in Duluth that means a series of concerts where bands pay tribute to their musical influences. The series starts on Friday at Lake Avenue Café and heads to R. T.’s on Saturday and concludes next Friday at Pizza Lucé.

Sunday is St. Patrick’s Day and there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate, including:

So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know.

This week: umlauts, empathy and robots

  

Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.

Mayor Ness will deliver the State of the City via video tonight. People are gathering to view the virtual mayor at Clyde Iron. Rumors of the mayor doing the Harlem Shake during the State of the City are unconfirmed.

Osmo Vänskä has little else to do being shut out of his orchestra, so he’s bringing his clarinet and umlauts to Mitchell Auditorium on Tuesday.

You can cultivate a little empathy at UMD on Wednesday and learn about diversity from two white women. Clearly I need to take this workshop.

I, for one, plan to welcome our new robotic overlords at the FIRST Robotics Regional Competition, running Thursday through Saturday at the DECC.

Text, a text based art exhibition, opens at the Prøve on Friday.

So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know.

Behind the scenes at Sheila’s belly dance class

Students warm up their hips and arms, and stretch out their bodies to get ready for belly dancing.

This past Tuesday night women gathered in the Lotus Center to practice one of their passions, belly dancing. The Lotus Center is on the second floor of Global Village on West Superior Street.

The event began with instructor Sheila Matthews leading the women in a warm up to get their hips moving and muscles stretched. Mathews then practiced the basic moves with them, both with and without music. She then had the girls run through a couple of routines that she had choreographed to music. The event ended with a cool down in which every one could practice whatever they wanted to a Shakira song.

This week: expos, lies and love poems

  

Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.

If summer is the season for fests, winter must be the season for expos. The Duluth Energy Design Conference & Expo is at the DECC today through Wednesday and the Duluth Women’s Expo is at the DECC on Saturday.

The Children’s Hour opens at the Play Ground on Thursday and this will be the last show in that space. The Playhouse is opening a new second stage in the Depot called the Underground. The Children’s Hour runs two weekends.

Bigtree Bonsai, American Revival and Black River Revue play R. T. Quinlan’s on Friday.

On Saturday Al Hunter reads from his new book, “Beautiful Razor: Love Poems and Other Lies,” at Trepanier Hall with music provided by Kathy McTavish, Michael “Waabi” Furo, Jake Vainio, and Larissa Desrosier.

So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know.

Doug Moen, R.I.P.

Doug Moen, RIP. Photo courtesy of Todd Eckart

Doug Moen portrait by Kip Praslowicz

Doug Moen passed away yesterday following a tragic fall.

This week: bouncing, brewing and wedding

  

Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.

It’s Presidents Day today! So celebrate with the traditional inflatable bouncy house at the Depot, because nothing says Presidents Day like an inflatable bouncy house.

This week is Winter Break for Duluth Public Schools and the Duluth Heritage Sports Center is opening its doors for free open ice skating Monday through Friday.

Every Wednesday night is bluegrass night at Sir Ben’s with the Stitch & Bitch club, presumably stitching and bitching.

Folk legend Bill Staines plays Amazing Grace on Thursday and funky eclectic Red Baraat plays Mitchell Auditorium on Friday.

The Twin Ports Brewfest is at Black Bear Casino this Saturday featuring over 150 beers and wines and the Dropkick Murphys providing live music. Free shuttles from downtown Duluth.

The annual Zenith City Indie Wedding Show is at Clyde Iron this Sunday with vendors and live music.

So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know

Behind the scenes at Salsa Night

Instructor Katie Kero demonstrates to the group the basic step of salsa.

When many people think of Valentine’s Day they think of a box of chocolates, flowers, dinner and maybe a movie. However, some people choose to do other things around the community such as learn to salsa.

Avalon Educational Institute located on W. Superior Street hosted Valentine’s Day salsa night.

“It might make one person’s Valentine’s Day and that is worth it,” said Executive Director and founder of the institute, Justin Markus.

An official Magic Smelt transmission

Last week, Neptune was spotted by a PDD contributor making various proclomations. If you were wondering what was up, it’s this video. The Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to put on free workshops for people to build puppets, masks and costumes for the Smelt Parade on April 21st.

Here’s the Kickstarter link.

This week: zumba, salsa and taking a plunge

  

Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.

There’s a new Zumba class meeting at Pilgrim on Mondays.

Been day dreaming about that summer outing? Do some window shopping for that day dream at the Duluth Boat, Sports, Travel and RV Show at the DECC. It runs Wednesday through Sunday.

Valentines Day has lots of events for your romantic outing. Here’s a sampling:

Also on Thursday, Almost, Maine opens at the Playhouse and Tales from the Bad Years opens at UMD. Both run for two weekends.

A couple Black History Month events to note this week. Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. (Ret.) Hiram Mann will talk about his experiences during UMD’s Profiles in Courage event on Friday at Weber Hall. Sue Sojourner and Cheryl Reitan launch their book Thunder of Freedom: Black Leadership and the Transformation of 1960s Mississippi Sunday at At Sara’s Table.

Watch people jump into Lake Superior on purpose at the annual Polar Bear Plunge on Saturday. Sign up is at Grandma’s Sports Garden.

Or if you’d rather stay inside and watch movies, there’s a Short Films Festival at the Play Ground on Saturday.

So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know!

Sea creature proclaims smelt cometh

I saw a commercial being made for the upcoming Smelt Festival while walking in Canal Park today. The sea creature character was booming out a pretty funny pronouncement from the Smelt Queen promising puppetry, puppet making and smelt-y fun in exchange for funding.

It’s stuff like this that makes me love this town.