Duluth Superior Magazine / December 2011 / Magical Holiday Happenings

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Magical Holiday Happenings

We all know the holidays can be stressful. Maybe you’re still fighting with your mom about something that happened during Easter, and you just know it’s going to come up while you’re trying your best to enjoy some ham. Maybe you have to put those Christmas gifts on the credit card. Again. Whatever the reason, there are times the holiday season can be a little too much for the ol’ brain.

Have no fear. We’re here to alert you to a number of things that could turn your seasonal anxieties into holiday happiness, events and shows and happening hoe-downs that will tickle your fancy like all get-out. Read on for a list of good times that are easily had and will soothe any mind roiling with yuletide troubles.

At the top of any list has to be Bentleyville. The big light show that used to take up Nathan Bentley’s yard is now a destination for families regionwide. It’s positively huge, and even on an unseasonably warm day in October, you could see the framework going up in Bayfront Park in preparation for what the Bentleyville website calls “the largest holiday light show in the Midwest.” Last year, crews erected a gigantic 120-foot iron Christmas tree with 50,000 LED lights, and that will be back again for 2011. It’s a spectacle, to be sure. Best part? It’s free. As in, “no charge.” It doesn’t get much better than that for the cash-strapped reveler. Bentleyville is open every day from November 20th to December 26th, from 5 to 9 (10 on Fridays and Saturdays). Learn more at bentleyvilleusa.org.

As ever, there are plenty of holiday-centric arts to be enjoyed during December in the Northland. The first is “The Nutcracker” from the Minnesota Ballet, whose recently-revamped production is a new version of the old chestnut they are depended upon by the community to present, every year. It’s only running on December 9, 10, and 11, so see it while it’s up. Visit www.minnesotaballet.org for info.

A bit earlier in the month, over at The College of St. Scholastica’s Mitchell Auditorium, the 16th annual CHUM Holiday Concert is taking place on December 3, and that’s free with a donation. At the Play Ground downtown, why not try mixing up the menu of specifically seasonal fare with a performance of The Sound of Music? The von Trapps vs. Nazis tale may not be a story that says “Christmas” to many, but it has a certain breezy feeling that may make it a fine alternative to other entertainment this month. This show’s running from December 1 to the 18th.

Finally, at Duluth’s brand-new Amsoil Arena, the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra is continuing their new tradition of making the place theirs on New Year’s Eve. Like last year, they’re working in tandem with a collective of physical performers – this time, it’s the Peking Acrobats. Get there at 7:30 on the last day of 2011 to see the show.

Over at the Fitger’s complex, the Polar Express will be decked out and ready to go on December 2 and 3 (and for the two following weekends). As the Fitger’s website (fitgers.com) puts it: “The ‘Polar Express’ departs from Fitger’s and journeys along the Lakewalk, arriving at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. You will then be enchanted with a reading of ‘The Polar Express’ and have a chance to visit with Santa. After your visit at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, you will board the train back to Fitger’s, to enjoy the campfire and hot chocolate.’” Also take time while you’re at Fitger’s to see their Holiday Forest, where trees decorated by Northlanders are auctioned off for charity. Go and buy one, or just see how creative others decided to get. The Holiday Forest is up from December 2 to 4.

Finally, visit the beautifully festooned historic Bed and Breakfast inns of Duluth. From their website (duluthbandb.com): “The 2011 Holiday Tour of all seven Historic Inns will take place on Sunday, December 11 from 1 - 5 PM. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door with net proceeds benefiting Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank. Tickets available from any inn.

So – there you have it. Certainly, not a complete list of things to take in over the month, but a large and wide-ranging one, at least. Take some time to let the hustle and bustle of the season fall away for a moment or two and enjoy.