Duluth Area Annual Events
JANUARY
Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon
This 500-mile sled dog race starts in Duluth, winds up the North Shore to Grand Marais and back to Duluth again. Roughly 60 teams with 16 dogs each take part in this race. Aside from the large marathon, smaller races and a variety of other activities formulate this annual event.
Duluth Winter Sports Festival
This festival gives the winter enthusiast 6 weeks of events. From parades to hockey to a medallion hunt, there is always something for the whole family to do. The festivities come to a close in mid-February.
Superior Ski Classic
Every third weekend, 500 cross-country skiers gather for the 42-kilometer trek, 15-kilometer freestyle and 15-kilometer classic in Superior, Wisconsin. If you enjoy cross-country skiing, participants are always welcome along with spectators.
Other Events
United Northern Sportsmen's Ice Fishing Contest (Island Lake, Duluth)
FEBRUARY
Run On Water
Where else can you run on water? Only in Bayfield, Wisconsin, which boasts an official highway over frozen Lake Superior. Starting in Bayfield, this race is about five miles long with 100-200 runners participating.
Superior Circle Sled Dog Race
While visiting Madeline Island, Wisconsin in early February, be sure to stop by the Superior Circle Sled Dog Race. This event lasts three days and is packed full of activities from mushing races, to strong dog pulls, to bonfires.
Birkbeiner
Cable, Wisconsin is the home of the largest cross-country ski race in North America. 6,500 skiers compete in this 52-kilometer race. Aside from the 52-K race, various smaller races are included to form what's know as "Birkie" weekend.
Other Events
Duluth Boat, Sports and Travel Show (DECC, Duluth)
MARCH
Spring Fling
In late March, Spirit Mountain Ski hill in Duluth has a season blow-out. Activities include water skiing (snow to water), barrel jumping on skis and snowboards, "cardboard boat" races, and mountain-bike races in the snow.
St. Patrick's Day Parade
Hit the town of Duluth on St. Patrick's Day and you will find many restaurants that serve Irish dishes along with Irish drinks. In downtown Duluth KZIO radio sponsors the St. Patrick's Day Parade which attracts a few thousand people.
APRIL
Arrowhead Builder's Expo
Early April is the time to visit the Duluth Entertainment Civic Center (DECC) when more than 150,000 people come together to see the newest in home-building, furnishing, and decorating options.
Fitger's 5K Walk/Run
Approximately 300-500 walkers and runners come together to partake in the Fitger's 5K race in Duluth. This Grandma's Marathon- sponsored race benefits the Young Athletes Foundation (YAF). The YAF assists in the promotion, development, and growth of youth athletics.
Other Events
Arrowhead Home Show (DECC, Duluth)
MAY
Ashland Folk Festival
This festival started in 1972 and continues to be loaded with events like; concerts, workshops, and an arts and crafts fair. Some of the instruments you'll hear in Ashland are dulcimers, banjos, drums, fiddles, and flutes. (Ashland, Wisconsin)
Horse Extravaganza
If you like horses, the Head of the Lakes Fairground in Superior Wisconsin hosts more than 50 teams of three horses and riders in each to compete in team penning. 40 booths and demonstrations also add to this horse-lovers annual event.
JUNE
Grandma's Marathon
If you can only make it to one event this summer...this is the one! Thousands of runners along with thousands of spectators pack the streets and hotels of Duluth to watch this historic 26.2 mile race. Aside from the race, dozens of events make up the most action packed weekend of the summer. Live bands, display, and a nightly beer garden give way to a weekend of excitement.
United Northern Sportsmen's Fishing Contest
Hundreds of anglers gather at the beautiful Island Lake in Duluth to compete for prizes. What sets this contest apart from other fishing contests is that the biggest fish-catcher isn't necessarily the winner...each contestant that catches a fish is put into a drawing and the names drawn are the winners.
Other Events
Park Point Art Fair & Rummage Sale (Park Point, Duluth)
JULY
Trans-Superior Yacht Race
This 338 nautical mile race takes place every two years starting in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, stretching down Lake Superior, and ending in Duluth. The race takes two to four days with about 20 yachts participating.
Head of the Lakes Fair
This fair takes place across the bridge in Superior, Wisconsin. Aside from the rides, displays, and games, the Head Of The Lakes Fair hosts many different big names in country and rock.
Fourthfest
Visit the Bayfront in Duluth on the Fourth of July for a day of activities including live bands, arts and crafts, and a variety of foods. After the day festivities, stick around to watch the huge fireworks display that lights up the Canal.
Other Events
Fourth of July (Ashland, WI)
Fourth of July (Bayfield andMadeline Island, WI)
AUGUST
Northland Invitational Golf Tournament
Come to the Northland Country Club in Duluth to watch more than 200 amateur golfers from Minnesota shoot it out in the Northland's version of the PGA Tour.
Bayfront Blues Festival
Gather with 40,000 other spectators in the Duluth Canal to watch 20 blues groups performing nonstop in the Bayfront. This weekend of Blues is one of the largest activities to take place in the area.
Other Events
Paddlemania (Thomson, MN)
SEPTEMBER
Hawks Ridge
Visitor's to Duluth in the Fall are treated to one of nature's most spectacular phenomenon... the migration of thousands of raptors past the bluffs overlooking the eastern tip of Lake Superior.
Northshore Inline Marathon
More than 4,000 inline skaters test their endurance on this 26.2 mile race track that stretches along the north shore of Lake Superior. If you enjoy inline skating or just watching the events, the NorthShore Inline Marathon is right for you!
Lester River Rendezvous
This festival brings you back to the 17th-century fur-trading post days. With events such as singing, dancing, trading, and food tasting, this festival gives the whole family something to do.
Other Events
Port Wing Annual Fish Boil and Fall Festival (Port Wing, Wisconsin)
OCTOBER
Bayfield Apple Festival
You definitely fell WAY off the apple tree if you don't attend this festival which attracts more than 50,000 visitors annually to Bayfield, Wisconsin. Aside from apple treats...live bands, ethnic foods, street sales booths, and a boat parade make up the first weekend in October.
Haunted Ship
Once a year the William A. Irvin is transformed from a tourist attraction to a haunted ship. The transformation is done by the Theatre Department at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Although children are welcome, the attraction is mainly intended for young adults.
Spook Ship
If you are looking for a spooky ship much like the Haunted Ship (William A. Irvin) this is the ship to be at. The retired S.S. Meteor, in Superior, Wisconsin, is transformed into a maze of haunted rooms to give you a bone-chilling scare before Halloween.
NOVEMBER
National Snocross
If snowmobiling is your thing, then you'll enjoy this snowmobile competition which is the largest in the country. Around 500 participants race for a $25,000 purse. The festivities can be experienced at the Spirit Mountain Ski Hill in Duluth.
Christmas City of the North Parade
If you get anxious for Christmas, then this parade is for you. Every year on the Friday evening before Thanksgiving, crowds of spectators fill the blocks of Superior Street in Duluth to watch the parade that kicks off the Christmas Season.
Bentleyville Tour of Lights
Check out America's largest FREE walk through lighting display at Bayfront Park. Every year, Bentleyville adds new lighting displays and fresh new looks, welcoming more than 200,000 people from November to December.
DECEMBER
Santa & His Live Reindeer
Stop by the Fitger's Brewery complex on the shore of Lake Superior to visit Santa & his live reindeer. With activities for the kids and plenty of shops for parents, the whole family will enjoy this Christmas event.
Other Events
Holiday Banquet & City Lights Tour (Duluth, Minnesota)