Sunday April 27 to Sunday May 4, 2025
Duluth Homegrown Music Festival has teamed up with the Greater Downtown Council to present Music in the HART (Historic Arts & Theater District). Starting August 2nd stop by the Lake Place Park located above the lakewalk and enjoy this great family friendly event. Please see the schedule of events below.
Sleep in, weary music fans, but don’t rest long on your seven-days-of-revelry laurels. The grand finale remains.
Slackers have one last chance to see the Homegrown Music Video Festival at the Red Herring. Proprietor Bob Monahan promises a bloody mary bar and bottomless mimosas with freshly squeezed juices from the Juice Pharm and some sort of brunch offering, possibly an eggs Benedict buffet.
The last music happens at Canal Park Brewing. For those needing hair of the dog, the popular bloody mary bar is open until 3 p.m. Music begins at 1:30 with Battersea, a band that incorporates instruments such as the jouhikko and bouzouki. Next comes the acoustic Americana of The Lowland Lakers.
The Teague Alexy Band is the final act of the fest. The Americana singer-songwriter will have an array of talented musicians in tow for what’s sure to be a rockin’ set. Alexy looks forward to
closing out the fest but vows not to do it quietly.
“We’re excited to take all that energy and the spirit from the whole week to celebrate what a great festival we have in Duluth — and the great thing that Homegrown has evolved into,” Alexy says. “It will be a celebration not just of the city and the festival but of the people who put all the work into it to make Homegrown what it is.”
Since Saturday’s schedule boasts 52 acts spread across 15 venues, it’s best approached like a marathon, not a sprint. Jumpstart the day with the Rock ’n’ Run, led by Alan Sparhawk. If you don’t want to be left behind, Sparhawk suggests being at Chester Bowl’s ball field at 10:30 a.m. sharp.
The Homegrown Kickball Classic is scheduled for noon. It’s always an interesting mix of team spirit, athletic ineptitude, and general shenanigans. This year is sure to be a competitive spectacle, with the Rawkers and Rollers tied in the all-time series.
After the game, there’s time for a power nap before the big show at the newly restored NorShor Theatre. Scott “Starfire” Lunt, the person whose birthday bash spawned Duluth’s finest rawk fest two decades ago, curates it.
“It’s 20 years of Homegrown. The NorShor is back. Music needed to happen there,” Starfire says. “So I willed it into being.”
The variety show harkens back to early days of the fest, with short performances by Ballyhoo, Mark Lindquist, and Father Hennepin, as well as plenty of surprises.
Later in the evening, Tribal Alchemie belly dancers and the Spin Collective fire dancers will heat up the Minnesota Power Plaza.
The Owls Club Big Band will dominate the stage at R.T. Quinlan’s, with its 18 members and improvised big-band jazz numbers.
“As far as we know we’re the only jazz big band to appear this year, and we’re not sure when the last time was, if ever,” says trombonist and band manager Alex Nordehn.
