Your Labor Day Weekend Just Got An Upgrade – Head Up North for Duluth-Superior Pride

Labor Day weekend means one thing for the Duluth-Superior Area, Pride. While most places are decorated in rainbow colors throughout June, Duluth-Superior brings a weekend full of activities to the Twin Ports area to end the summer months.

Duluth-Superior Pride Co-Chair Becky Scheff said hosting Pride on Labor Day weekend is an opportunity for people to attend their local Pride festivals and have a second shot at Pride weekend. For many, it’s a draw for their annual Duluth-Superior area visit from many areas across the Midwest while also being able to celebrate Pride.

For their 38th year, enjoy a plethora of events ranging from Art Exhibitions to Drag events from Aug. 29 through Sept. 1. The weekend will include three Art Exhibitions highlighting local queer artists. “The Hidden Realm” and “Folks of Duluth” will hold their opening ceremonies the first two days of Pride and “The Gayest Art Show Ever” will be exclusively showcased at Pride.

In collaboration with Rubber Chicken Theater, David Saffert and Jillian Snow will return to Duluth and perform their new show Liberace & Liza: A Tribute at the Duluth Depot Theater on Aug. 30-31. The performers previously created A Liberace & Liza Christmas Show in 2017, which continues to sell out every holiday season in Portland. With songs from Cabaret, New York, New York, and more, the two light up their stage with their performances; it’s a show you wouldn’t want to miss.

Local LGBTQ+ nightclubs will host multiple drag shows and parties in both Duluth and Superior. The Flame Duluth will host Party X on Aug. 30 and a drag show on Aug. 31. Enjoy dancing, DJs, and the drag show in the nightclub, or sit back and relax in the bar area. No matter your vibe, The Flame Duluth strives to make it a comfortable place for everyone. Another Drag Show will end the weekend on the Superior side at The Main Club on Sunday, which is Superior’s longest-standing LGBTQ+ bar and club. The bars will also host a block party on Aug. 31.

There are also plenty of family-friendly events including the Bayfront Pride Festival on Aug. 31, a Youth Pride Dance on Aug. 30, and, of course, the Pride Parade on Sep. 1. The festival and parade are the two largest events of the weekend. The Bayfront Festival will have a kid’s area with a balloon artist, games, and many food trucks. Along with the food trucks, this year’s vendors will also showcase local small businesses and artists.

The weekend provides an opportunity to explore what both Duluth and Superior have to offer as the events are split between the two areas. Scheff said two bridges connect the communities and there’s plenty of public transportation that makes it easy to get back and forth. Although they are two cities, Scheff said there’s not a separation between the two even outside of Pride weekend.

“It’s one community, one big family,” Scheff said. “It’s different from Pride all over the country. It has a very small town feel here, but it’s very welcoming and enjoyable for everyone.”

The Pride festivities end with the Pride Train, aka “The Foo Foo Choo Choo”, which is a 21+ party with food, a live DJ, a cash bar, and a two-and-a-half hour scenic train ride along the shores of Lake Superior. 

If you’re looking for an excuse to take a trip up north, this is a perfect one. Even if you need a break from Pride festivities, the Duluth-Superior area is a gorgeous place for a getaway.

The Twin Ports is right on Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes, and Superior has a beautiful Municipal Forest. The Superior Municipal Forest is the third-largest forest within a city in the country and is a great example of a boreal forest, a forest that grows in northern regions with cold temperatures. The forest has activities like hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking, boating, and a 9-hole disc golf course, which is widely popular in Superior.

Duluth also sits on a hill overlooking the lake making it a beautiful landscape to see. There are plenty of outdoor activities to explore if that’s your cup of tea, but for others, there’s still plenty to do in the metro.

Scheff said there are a lot of amazing local restaurants, museums, a great live music scene, plenty of breweries, and an amazing roller rink, World of Wheels Skate Center, for family fun.

“It’s a really cool old-school roller rink that’s just super open and safe,” Scheff said.

She said they’re hoping to have one of the biggest and most successful years with over 100 vendors already signed up and hoping to break their previous attendance record of 5,000.

“Duluth-Superior just has a really unique relationship where we have two communities right next to each other and lots of places to explore,” Scheff said. “Usually Pride takes place in one city and we have the two with a beautiful landscape behind it, it’s worth the drive.”

Whether you’re looking for another Pride celebration or weekend getaway to end the summer and welcome fall, consider spending Labor Day Weekend in the Duluth-Superior area. Between the weekend of Pride events, the extensive list of attractions in the Twin Ports area, and the gorgeous landscapes, it’s a great place to spend your Labor Day Weekend and enjoy the end of the summer.

View a full list of Pride events and event details at www.duluthsuperiorpride.com.