Community Corner

It Takes a Community to Put On Duluth Fall Festival

Duluth Fall Festival put on for 29th year entirely by volunteers and supported by local sponsors.

The Duluth Fall Festival Committee welcomed residents and visitors to the 29th annual festival with a special ceremony Saturday following the parade.  

The dramatic opening for the Sept. 24-25 festival in downtown Duluth featured the Duluth High School Navy Junior ROTC Color Guard and 100 soldiers from Fort Benning lining up in front of the Duluth Festival Center on the Duluth Town Green. The soldiers, who have been adopted by the city, also marched in the parade.

State Rep. Brooks Coleman, R-Duluth, the “Voice of the Festival,” introduced PGA golfer Stewart Cink, the parade grand marshal, and Dr. Miles Mason III, the honorary grand marshal.

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“I’m proud to be a resident of this great city,” said Cink, who has lived in Duluth for 12 years. “I hope you have a great time today.”

“It says a lot for the City of Duluth that the community comes together like this,” said Mason.

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The Georgia Gardner Walter Reeves, a speaker at the festival, said he had just returned from a similar but smaller event in his hometown. “It’s so inspiring to see people get together as a group – as a community – to brag about themselves.”

“I’m from Dacula,” said Gwinnett County Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash, “but I was born at Joan Glancy Hospital in Duluth,” Nash said that Commissioner Shirley Lasseter, who represents Duluth, was unable to attend because she was feeling under the weather.

Also introduced on stage were U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Lawrenceville, and State Sen. David Shafter, R-Duluth. Coleman and Shafer are major sponsors of the festival.

“This [the fall festival] is one of our favorite traditions,” said Mayor Nancy Harris, a native of Duluth. “I want to thank all the festival volunteers for the work they put into it all year long.” The festival is put on by nearly 50 committees and 400 volunteers. Harris then introduced members of the Duluth City Council, who all served as festival volunteers.

Duluth Fall Festival Co-chairman Kathryn Willis recognized sponsors. “We appreciate our sponsors,” Willis said. The festival committee started recruiting sponsors in 1996. “We had over 140 sponsors this year totaling $220,000 including in-kind services,” she said.

Festival proceeds are used for downtown improvements. Gwinnett Community Bank again was the lead sponsor for the festival. Willis introduced Tom and John Martin, chairman/CEO and president of the bank, respectively.

Willis also thanked Barbara Howard of Suzanna’s Kitchen for hosting the community luncheon during festival set-up Friday (Sept. 23). American Family Insurance was the parade sponsor. Hugs for Our Soldiers served as military sponsor.

Coleman announced that Willis would be next year’s festival chairman. The festival is always held the last weekend in September. Willis’ daughter Kay Montgomery chaired the opening ceremony.

“It’s going to be a beautiful day,” said Wayne Herman, the 2011 Duluth Fall Festival chairman, whose remarks concluded the ceremony. “I want to personally thank our 400 volunteers. Without them, we couldn’t get it done.”

The weather held throughout the weekend with festival-goers, estimated between 80,000 to 100,000, enjoying the fall event, which featured nearly 400 arts and crafts, food and vendor booths, live entertainment, a silent auction, a children’s activity area, and a carnival. Downtown merchants were also open during the festival.

 Sunday’s activities included an early morning 5K Road Race that attracted 471 runners.


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