Power Up the Plaza debuts today; Cloquet 4th celebration a must-attend

By HOWIE HANSON
Editor & Publisher

UPDATE: Due to the potential for additional rain this morning, the kick-off of the Power up the Plaza season will be moving indoors to the Tech Village Lobby.

Downtown Duluth is dialing up its community spirit today with the kickoff of Power Up the Plaza, a free Wednesday morning series featuring live music, fresh coffee and casual networking at Lake Superior Plaza. The summer coffee breaks, which run from 10 to 11 a.m. every Wednesday through August, aim to spark new connections and celebrate shared public spaces right in the heart of the city.

This year’s season launches in fitting fashion during Duluth Navy Week, spotlighting the “Liberty Call” Brass Band from Navy Band Great Lakes as the inaugural musical guest. The event, held at the corner of Lake Avenue and Superior Street, has grown from a modest post-pandemic gathering into a signature midweek tradition that keeps folks returning to downtown.

After COVID, people craved reasons to come back together outside, and this has turned into one of those feel-good anchors that draw both workers and visitors downtown. You can grab a cup of coffee, hear some live music, and catch up with your neighbors or colleagues.

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. It’s the latest in a growing slate of initiatives designed to inject fresh energy and foot traffic into the city’s business district, which, like many across the country, continues to evolve.

Duluth’s downtown, once heavily tilted toward office towers and traditional retail, is increasingly shifting toward housing and flexible commercial uses. A select number of historic buildings are being converted into apartments or mixed-use spaces, reflecting a trend seen from Omaha to Grand Rapids, where legacy downtowns are reinventing themselves with more residents and diverse storefronts.

Events like Power Up the Plaza play a pivotal role in that transition. They give people a reason to come downtown during off-peak hours and rediscover what makes the area vibrant. The free concerts also build momentum for other seasonal programs led by Downtown Duluth, including Downtown Duluth Days, Get Downtown Week and the popular Movies in the Park series, all of which help turn casual visits into regular habits.

Similar strategies are playing out nationwide. In Chattanooga, Tennessee, weekly food truck nights have become a linchpin of downtown revival efforts. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, recurring art crawls are breathing new life into historic streets. And in Providence, Rhode Island, the celebrated WaterFire installations along the rivers draw tens of thousands, blending culture, commerce and community in the heart of the city.

Closer to home, Duluth’s weekly coffee breaks are also a simple way to champion local musicians and give downtown workers a break from their desks.

Downtowns everywhere are rethinking what they need to be, and here in Duluth, we’re seeing that creating lively public spaces is a huge part of the answer. It’s about fostering community, supporting small businesses and making sure people have multiple reasons to keep coming back.

With free coffee, toe-tapping music and no barriers to entry, Power Up the Plaza stands as a small but meaningful example of how cities can write the next chapter for their downtowns — one gathering, one song, and one shared moment at a time.

Cloquet gears up for a jam-packed Fourth of July celebration

CLOQUET, Minn. — Cloquet is once again preparing to roll out the red, white and blue carpet for its biggest celebration of the year. The city’s annual Fourth of July festivities will stretch from sunrise to well past sunset on Friday, promising a full day of small-town tradition mixed with big-time fun.

The day begins bright and early with the Sawdust 5K and Jimmer 10K races at Pinehurst Park, where last-minute bib pickups and registrations start at 6:30 a.m. Runners will hit the course at 8 a.m., with organizers expecting strong local turnout.

By 9:32 a.m., spectators should keep eyes skyward for a scheduled military flyover, timed slightly earlier to accommodate the Duluth Airshow.

Classic cars take center stage at 10 a.m. with a show outside the Northeastern Hotel, Saloon and Grille. Attendees can browse vehicles, grab burgers or brats and enjoy an open outdoor bar. The car show continues until 3 p.m.

Parade anchors the day

Downtown Cloquet’s signature Fourth of July parade kicks off at 11 a.m., following lineup and staging on Cloquet Avenue starting at 10 a.m. This year’s grand marshal is the Cloquet Eagles Club. The LaVonna one-mile fun run will precede the parade at 10:45 a.m., leading runners from Avenue B down Cloquet Avenue.

Family fun at Veterans Park

Festivities shift to Veterans Park at noon, where visitors will find a wide mix of activities through 4:30 p.m. Free attractions include inflatables, a wiffleball area, train rides and face painting, while paid offerings feature helicopter rides and a bungee trampoline. A lineup of food trucks and craft vendors will circle the park, ensuring plenty of options for hungry guests.

Other highlights include two performances by the Amazing Charles magic show at 1 and 3 p.m., balloon art, and the popular Dash for Cash at 2 p.m., where kids dig through sand and sawdust for coins. A pie-eating contest caps the park events at 3:30 p.m. Meanwhile, Carlton County Animal Rescue will host bingo and a sizable 50/50 raffle as part of a fundraiser.

Events across town

Also at noon, Pinehurst Park will host a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, welcoming players of all ages and skill levels. The Carlton County Historical Society will open its doors for free admission and feature a special concert by the U.S. Navy’s “Fair Winds” Woodwind Quintet from noon to 3 p.m.

Evening entertainment includes a live performance by the Last Call band from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Pinehurst bandshell, treating listeners to hits from the 1980s and ’90s.

Fireworks cap the celebration

The outdoor movie “Flow” will light up the big screen at Veterans Park starting around 8:45 p.m. The grand finale arrives at approximately 10:20 p.m. with a $15,000 fireworks show over the St. Louis River, expected to draw large crowds if weather permits. A rain date of July 5 is in place for both the movie and fireworks.

For a full schedule, additional details or updates on weather-related changes, residents can visit cloquetfourthofjuly.com or follow @cloquet4thofJulyFestival on Facebook.