Arena-Auditorium grand opening, 1966
August 5, 1966
In August 1966, Duluth hosted an 11-day mega-celebration combining "Portorama" with the grand opening of the Arena-Auditorium (what we now know, in expanded form, as the DECC).
Local, state and national political leaders joined Hollywood stars in town for the festivities - perhaps the biggest assemblage of "big names" ever found in Duluth (if you can come up with other examples to rival this event, please post them in the comments).
Here are a few shots from the day of the Arena-Auditorium dedication ceremony:
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Comedian Buddy Hackett, master of ceremonies at the dedication program of the Arena-Auditorium, describes the fish he caught while in Minnesota's north woods last week to Manley Goldfine, president of the Arena-Auditorium board. (News-Tribune file photo)
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Lorne Greene (left), star of NBC's "Bonanza," arrived at the Arena-Auditorium with Joanie Hall, Bill Armstrong and Hi Busse - the Frontiersmen and Joanie. They were accompanied by Robert Rich (center), general manager of WDSM-TV and Radio. (News Tribune file photo)
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The "Hello World" theme of the Arena-Auditorium grand opening celebration looms above Vice President Hubert Humphrey as he speaks at the dedication program. (Charles Curtis / News-Tribune)
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To post a comment with your Arena-Auditorium and/or celebrity memories, go to the News Tribune Attic .
