2 days Ago By Jay Gabler
DULUTH — Over in Munich, the heart of Oktoberfest country, the annual megaparty kicks off Saturday, Sept. 21, and runs through Oct. 6.
The city's big Oktoberfestival took place last weekend at Bayfront Festival Park, but Duluth's craft breweries aren't about to let the oom-pah-pah end early. This weekend will also see the return of the Depot's Bienvenue Coffee Festival; check out the News Tribune's separate story on that Saturday event. Read on for more ideas about how to make the most of this weekend.
Ursa Minor Oktoberfest Ursa Minor Brewing is spreading its fest across four days, each with a theme. Thursday, Sept. 19, is Pride Day, with a free drag show by Zenith City Horror.
Friday, Sept. 20, will see a "Beer Olympics" (how's your floor routine?), while Saturday, Sept. 21, is reserved for a classic Oktoberfest (think stein holding).
Finally, Sunday, Sept. 22, is for the whole family, with tie-dying and a visit from local balloon pro Laural Schultze (ursaminorbrewing.com).
ADVERTISEMENT Blacklist Oktoberfest Blacklist Brewing built its reputation on Belgian brews, and Belgium shares a border with Germany, so there you go. No further justification needed! The downtown Duluth brewery is celebrating with some live music Sunday, Sept. 22, hosting a double bill headlined by a proudly "chaotic" folk-punk band called the Dreadnoughts.
First up is Winzige Hosen, whose biography asks, "Have you ever wondered what would happen if Gogol Bordello had a date with Frankie Yankovic in a beer?" If the accordionist's face looks familiar, it's because that's Blacklist head brewer Brian Schanzenbach (facebook.com/blacklistbeer). Bent Paddle Flannel Fest Bent Paddle Brewing's Flannel Fest is an opportunity to leave the lederhosen at the cleaners and don your comfiest shacket.
The Saturday, Sept, 21, event celebrates "everything from grunge to country to Americana and all the meaningful moments in-between." Live bands are to represent each of those three genres, and although tubas will be in short supply (unless Hattie Peach surprises us), the shindig will have the feel of a classic fall festival. The brewery promises beer poking, "fireside shenanigans" and brews including Bent Paddle's "party lager," Münchin' Pretzels (bentpaddlebrewing.
com). Rhapsody in Blue No, the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra's season opener doesn't include any polkas. It's a celebration of the centennial of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," one of the most famous attempts to fuse jazz and classical music.
In addition to that piece, the DSSO will perform the Minnesota premiere of Peter Boyer’s "Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue." Works by Samuel Barber and Antonin Dvorak are also on the bill for the Saturday, Sept. 21, concert at the DECC, though you'll have to excuse the fact that the latter composer was more a Hawkeye than a Gopher (dsso.
com). ADVERTISEMENT Juliana Brandt Twin Cities author Juliana Brandt won some new Northland fans in 2022 when she published "Monsters in the Mist," a novel inspired by the "phantom island" once believed to exist in the center of Lake Superior. Brandt's newest book is "Exit Nowhere," described as "Haunted Mansion meets the ultimate escape room .
.. (a) tense and twisty middle grade horror following four kids who must beat a series of games to make it out of a haunted house.
" Brandt will be at Zenith Bookstore on Saturday, Sept. 21, to sign copies of the book for young readers ready to get the spooky season started (zenithbookstore.com).
Grand Views at Split Rock It's impossible to avoid the grand views at Split Rock Lighthouse, but now it's official. The Minnesota Historical Society site is launching a new tour Saturday, Sept. 21, tailored for photographers hoping to capture exceptional views of the 1910 landmark.
If you're heading up from Duluth, better set that coffeemaker to start brewing early; the tour begins at 8:30 a.m. It will be offered four more times throughout the fall, so you can choose your shade of changing leaves (mnhs.
org/splitrock)..
