Last year, Forbes Media “secret shopped” the event and named it one of the Seven World’s Scariest Haunted Houses. For longtime organizers, the recognition confirmed what locals already knew: the Irvin is no ordinary Halloween gimmick.
On Superior Street, the contrast remains: laughter spilling from one door, papered windows a few steps away. The Imagine Downtown plan will not erase that reality overnight. But it offers a vision, backed by community and guided by outside expertise, that says decline is not destiny.
The outcome will depend on whether Duluth can move from vision to action. “Only in working together will we make this happen. No one is going to do it for us,” said Shaun Floerke, president and CEO of Boreal Waters Community Foundation.
Bird, a Twin Cities–based studio artist, uses basketry techniques as the foundation for contemporary sculptural forms that push past utilitarian design. Her work is in the Minnesota Historical Society collection and private collections in New York, Michigan, Indiana and Pennsylvania.
The cast features Trevor Lindley Craft as Elvis Presley, Wyatt Andrew Brownell as Jerry Lee Lewis, Davis Wood as Johnny Cash and Drew Black as Carl Perkins. Tyler Railey plays Dyanne, the sharp-witted singer, while Dan Prevette takes on Sun Records founder Sam Phillips.
This December, Bill Oswald's seat at the table will be empty, but his fingerprints will be on every shift, every goal, every frazzled parent clutching a cup of bad coffee. The Spirit of Duluth is back. It never really left. And he wouldn’t want it any other way.
In Milwaukee, people struggling with addiction or mental illness weren’t being cycled through ERs or dumped onto downtown sidewalks. Instead, they had real places to go, real people to meet them, real pathways to stability. That shift gave residents confidence to come back.
For now, give Reinert his due. The Auto Shoppers Ramp is finally going away, brick by stubborn brick, because he made it a priority. And if you squint past the dust, you can almost see a downtown Duluth that isn’t held together by plywood, nostalgia, and wishful thinking. Almost.
The weekly series is presented by Minnesota Power and Downtown Duluth, with a roster of community sponsors helping bring different local acts to the plaza stage throughout the summer.
"If someone has a heart attack, they don’t care who shows up – whether they’re a doctor, a paramedic, or a firefighter – if they know what they’re doing. With us strategically spread out with eight stations across the city, we can get to your house quickly." -- Eric Thompson
A Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert Facebook post today: "This entire week we are focusing on city streets and infrastructure projects. One critical and high-priority infrastructure is the replacement of lead pipe service lines. Work this summer is taking place at various sites in our Fairmount, Lincoln Park, Chester Park,
“We’re proud to be a downtown gathering spot that champions local makers. Local Hour gives us a chance to highlight Minnesota’s incredible breweries and distilleries, while partnerships with Old World Meats and Burgess Family Sugarhouse help us celebrate local flavor throughout our entire menu.”
The Duluth Police Department is attempting to locate 41-year-old David Storbakken, who was last seen on Monday, May 5 in Downtown Duluth. He is described as a Native American male, 6 foot, 160 pounds, with a faded eagle tattoo on the back of his left hand. If anyone has any
“Unsafe staffing levels are hurting our patients. Nurses know it. Patients know it. And hospital executives know it. But those same executives continue to prioritize profits over safe patient care.” -- Megan Finnegan, RN at Aspirus-St. Luke’s in Duluth
“We’re building a space that feels both familiar and unexpected. Snively’s invites you to step back from the noise, enjoy something handcrafted, and connect with Duluth’s spirit in a whole new way.” -- Dan Grew, Marketing Director for the Brewhouse Family