Duluth summer weekends 2022: A guide to start your planning

DULUTH — We don't need to disparage Duluth winters to frankly acknowledge that summer weekends are particularly precious in the Northland. Our community is making the most of them this year, with annual events returning at a scale not seen since 2019. This thumbnail planner will help you mark your calendar and reserve your tickets for every weekend from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Despite some wrangling over fees, a compromise with the city will keep West Duluth's annual Memorial Day parade — dating to the 1870s — in town. Watch duluthwomenoftoday.org for details on the parade, which is slated to start at 12:30 p.m. May 30. Across the bridge, the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center is "rebooting" (their word) their Memorial Day weekend community picnic and military vehicle show on May 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Also in Superior this weekend, Earth Rider Brewery will host a band that's never needed rebooting because they've never stopped reggae-rocking: 311, on May 28.

The NorShor is highlighting the history of two larger-than-life figures, on stage and on screen. On stage, the Duluth Playhouse is hosting the History Theatre production of "Glensheen," a musical about the real-life murders that happened at that historic estate in 1977. Actor Jen Maren, who created the role in 2015, returns as Congdon daughter Marjorie Caldwell, a complex and chilling character. That show runs from June 3-12 — but at 6 p.m. June 5, the onstage action will pause for a screening of "Citizen Kane," the 1941 Orson Welles classic inspired by the outsize life of publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst.

The Grand Marais Art Colony was founded in 1947 as a post-war "summer refuge for artists seeking to study in an inspiring natural setting," according to the colony's website. The program — which now occupies extensive space for studios, classes, and exhibits — is celebrating its 75th birthday with a year of activities that include an art show and historical display that debut with a reception June 10. Down in Duluth, Wussow's Concert Cafe is celebrating its own birthday with a five-day "Pete Fest," named after doorman "and scene fixture" Pete Cich, from June 8-12.

Grandma's Marathon happens on June 18, but if you're not one of the athletes taking down the 26.2 miles, there are plenty more opportunities to get in on the action. Besides the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon (also June 18) and the William A. Irvin 5K (June 17), there's a fitness expo (June 16), a spaghetti dinner (June 17, subsequent marathoning not required but perhaps recommended), and a two-day Bayfront music festival headlined by Viva Knievel (June 17-18). This weekend also marks Juneteenth: There will be a Twin Ports Juneteenth celebration at Barker's Island in Superior on June 18, followed by the NAACP's annual Juneteenth Jubilee at Duluth's Central Hillside Community Center on the holiday itself, June 19. Also, up on the North Shore, Lutsen's Hopped Up Caribou Brewfest is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

As an artist, you have to be pretty confident to bring your wares to the annual Park Point Art Fair: The ever-present lake views threaten to be a happy distraction for the patrons who promenade the Point taking in the paintings, sculptures and craftwork on display. This year's fair runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 25 and 26. Also on June 25, CHUM celebrates Minnesota's ultimate renewable resource with the Rhubarb Festival, promising "rhubarb fun for everyone!" Rhubarb pies? Absolutely. Rhubarb lemonade? Drink up! Rhubarb brats? Yep, that's a thing! Rhubarb burritos? OK, you see where this is going.

This is "the Midwest's greatest Fourth of July celebration and fireworks extravaganza," according to a completely unbiased source, Visit Duluth. The big party happens July 4 at Bayfront Festival Park, with fireworks and a free Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra concert, but that venue will be hopping all weekend: There's the Bayfront Country Jam on July 1, a Disney tribute band July 2 and Hairball on July 3. Meanwhile, there will be animatronic dinosaurs at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. (Yes, really.) If a parade is your jam, Superior has you covered July 4. After all that, you'll be ready to relax with a beach read, which you can conveniently pick up July 1 at Zenith Bookstore's fifth birthday party.

The people have spoken: In a social media vote, they picked films including season opener "Sing 2 " to play on the big screen at Duluth's Leif Erikson Park. Watch for films every Friday (with one exception, on Sunday, July 17) from July 8 through Aug. 26. This weekend also sees hometown heroes Trampled by Turtles playing Bayfront Festival Park in their first local show since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Their openers will be stunning singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis and a Twin Ports artist to be determined: the winner of Trampled by Turtles' $5,000 "Palomino Grant."

On July 16 and 17, Thunderbirds, barnstormers and a bomber will take the skies above the Duluth International Airport for the Air & Aviation Expo, also known as the Duluth Airshow. The event will also include planes to pet on the ground, as well as a Kids Zone with an "extreme air power jump ride" and an "inflatable turbo shuttle slide." Cue the Kenny Loggins! If you'd prefer to look down instead of up, Downtown Duluth Sidewalk Days (July 13-15) will be wrapping up — and Moose Lake is celebrating Agate Days, on July 16. Plus, Bayfront Festival Park hosts a July 16 Reggae & World Music Festival.

"Festival By the Lake" is the new (as of last year) name for the event formerly known as Taste of Duluth, taking place this year July 23 at Bayfront Festival Park. With eateries busy serving customers at their own spots during the packed summer season, the new branding shifts the focus to a broader mix of food, drink, music and shopping. Ultimately, according to the event's website, "Festival by the Lake is exactly what the name says, a festival by the lake … our very own Lake Superior." Hard to argue with that.

Minnesota's most bucolic beer festival, All Pints North is a Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild event featuring live music, food vendors and product samples from about half of the state's breweries. The suspense this year will be the same as ever: Can any brewery from outside of Duluth possibly take beat the locals' home field advantage and scoop the crowd-voted award for Best Beer, or the even more prestigious Best Booth? Find out July 30.

With Duluth's harborfront under construction, the tallships that have previously anchored there are sailing north to Two Harbors for this year's Festival of Sail. It hasn't been a particularly smooth sail to date, with the festival getting caught up in a controversy when the initial contract for coordinating the event went to a new organization incorporated by Mayor Chris Swanson's daughter, Ashleigh. That organization is now out of the picture and the event is handling its own affairs. Several majestic sailing ships will be available to view and visit from Aug. 4-7. Will there be sea shanties? Need you ask? Also happening this weekend: West Duluth's Spirit Valley Days and the City on the Hill Christian music festival.

"Clue" started as a board game in 1949, becoming a cult classic movie in 1985. The movie was adapted into a play in 2020, and that play was slated to hit the NorShor stage in January before being postponed to August due to COVID-19. If you've followed all that so far, you'll be in good stead to suss out the culprit when Mr. Boddy hosts a bawdy party with a body count. Produced by the Duluth Playhouse, "Clue" runs from Aug. 12-21. Meanwhile, the lineup for the Aug. 12-14 Bayfront Blues Festival is no mystery: It includes Dwayne Dopsie, Ruthie Foster and Canned "On the Road Again" Heat.

If you were too nervous to buy art in June and carry it back across the Aerial Lift Bridge, you can play it safe and hit a mainland art fair this weekend at Bayfront Festival Park. The aptly named Art in Bayfront Park event brings over 150 artists — including "culinary artists," note — to the harbor's edge Aug. 20 and 21.

Free for spectators, the Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival is a Superior Bay race among dragon boats: paddled longboats that go back two millennia in Chinese culture, relaunched in Hong Kong in the 1970s as the modern sport being showcased in Superior. Each boat is rowed by a 22-member team, with the Rotary Club helming the charitable event Aug. 26-27. The dragon boats are returning this year for the first time since 2019, and festival chairman Ben Damberg told the Superior Telegram, "We’re trying to go back to what summer is in Superior."

Duluth Superior Pride hits the Twin Ports from Sept. 1-4, kicking off with a joint mayoral reception. On Sept. 3 at Bayfront Festival Park, the local Pride festival celebrates its 36th anniversary with entertainment, activities and information. Then, on Sept. 4, the Pride Parade lines Superior's Tower Avenue with loud and proud crowds cheering the colorful floats. Not a bad way to say goodbye to summer and pivot to fall color season.

This story was updated at 4:15 p.m. May 23 to correct the number of years Duluth Superior Pride has existed as an event. It was originally posted at 8:01 a.m. May 23. The News Tribune regrets the error.