Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival is the largest boat festival in the Upper Midwest. The festival starts Friday August 26^th 2011, with the Awaken the Dragon Ceremony. A parade with competing teams ends with a party staring the Lamont Cranston Band. The boat races begin Saturday. Each team competes in at least two races. 80-100 teams are expected to enter this year’s competition, with many teams coming back year after year.

The Dragon Boat Festival attracts between 8,000 to 10,000 people. Along with watching the races, spectators enjoy the local performers, craft fair, food and displays. Saturday ends with an award ceremony and fireworks to end a fun annual summer celebration.

The event now in its 10^th year takes place at Bakers Island in Superior. Visitors are encouraged to park at Superior’s Mariner Mall and take a free shuttle bus to Bakers Island.

Your easiest solution is o take a hike on the Duluth’s Lakewalk. There are 2.5 miles of paved trail right on the shoreline. This makes it one of the easiest trails to reach and guaranteed smooth hiking. Be sure to allow time to explore off trail the boulders or streams as they open up to Lake Superior.

There are so many options for where to start your Lakewalk hike. Park in Canal Park and take in the Lift Bridge sights, this is a very popular option.

Another quieter option is the newly added Lakewalk section called the The Ledges. This gravel walkway was added summer of 2010 near Lakeside. The easiest way to access, this section of the trail is to park in the lot below Perkins, on London Road. Cross I-35 on the pedestrian bridge. The new trail starts right at the base of the pedestrian bridge. To get to The Ledges, watch for informal trails breaking off toward the lake.

DULUTH MUSIC AND MARITIME FESTIVAL

The Duluth Music and Maritime Festival will take place on the waterfront behind Grandma’s Sports Garden, Bellisio’s and the Paulucci Building, July 15-18, 2011.

Highlights of the festival include performances by some of Minnesota’s and the nation’s finest entertainers, including: The Suburbs, Gear Daddies, Cracker, Retribution Gospel Choir, Tom Kastle, Ninety to the Dozen, AM Rubin, Bounding Man and family programming by the Duluth Playhouse.

Visitors will be treated to food and refreshments, musical performances, Sail Aways/educational daysails and dockside viewing of three Tall Ships®, family activities, the opportunity to mingle with Captain Jack Sparrow and educational programming. Award winning author Jenifer LeClair will be signing copies of her new book, “Danger Sector,” the second book in the Windjammer Mystery series.

Sail Aways aboard the Tall Ships® Lynx and Pride of Baltimore II will be available daily July 15-18 and educational daysails aboard the US Brig Niagara are available daily, July 15-18. Sail Aways/educational daysails provide not only an educational glimpse into daily life aboard a Tall Ship®, but also the grandeur of experiencing Lake Superior under sail. Cost for Sail Aways/educational daysail tickets range from $95-$125 per person, based on the ship, and range in length from two to three hours. Sail Away and daysail tickets are available in advance via online and phone only and are expected to sellout quickly due to their limited quantity.

Lynx

US Brig Niagara

Pride of Baltimore II

A Multi-Day Festival Pass is available for $40, including all evening concerts; $20 for daily passes including evening concerts; family weekend passes for $25, includes festival access, daytime entertainment and ship viewing (evening concerts not included); daily family passes for $15 (evening concerts not included); individual daily passes for $10 (evening concerts not included).

A schedule of Sail Aways, educational daysails and entertainment is available at www.visitduluth.com

Duluth Music and Maritime Festival is also pleased to support the Sixth Annual Bayfront Reggae and World Music festival, the largest festival of it’s kind in Minnesota, to be held the same weekend at Bayfront Festival Park, July 16 – 17. Hosting these two events simultaneously on Duluth’s waterfront provides a wide range of activities for visitors to enjoy. More information is available at www.bayfrontreggae.com