Rupert's Orchestra Draws a Big Crowd for Concert

Last year, when the Rupert’s Orchestra started playing for the Duluth Fall Festival Concert, a fierce September thunderstorm forced the band off the Stage after about three songs. The rain poured down, and it didn’t let up. Everyone had to go home.

This year, the weather on the evening of Saturday, Sept 10, was comfortably cool and dry for a return play date by the orchestra. And “sunshine” radiated from the stage as the festival Executive Committee led by Chairman Wayne Herman marched on stage wearing this year’s bright gold T-shirts.

Each year the festival organizers and volunteers wear a different color T-shirt. This is the festival’s 29th year, and the number of volunteers has grown to nearly 400. Held the last weekend in September, the Duluth Fall Festival dates for 2011 are Sept. 24 and 25. 

Festivities at the annual fall event include a parade, 400 arts, crafts, sponsor and food booths; live entertainment on the Festival Center Stage and the Gazebo; a 5K road race, and a children’s activity area. The festival attracts an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 visitors to the and adjacent city streets.

The free community concert, which used to be held on the Friday eve of the festival, now occurs a couple of Saturdays beforehand so volunteers aren’t too tired from setting up the tented booths and other duties to attend and have fun.

State Rep. Brooks Coleman,” the Voice of the Festival,” welcomed concert-goers and made announcements. A carnival introduced last year will return Sept. 21-25, and two-for-one ride-free-all-day tickets are available for $10, Coleman said. Half of the proceeds for carnival ticket sales will go to the festival.

“ALL the proceeds from the festival go to helping make this town beautiful,” he reminded everyone.

Duluth Fall Festival Co-chairman Kathryn Willis tried to estimate the size of the concert crowd, which appeared to surpass 1,000, then 1,500. “I had 1,000 here (on the Town Green) for my (80th) birthday party,” she said, “and I think it’s more than that.” Well, people kept coming, and it got too dark to see into the crowd and try to count folks.

Duluth’s own Betti Seni warmed up the crowd starting at 6:30 p.m. with her guitar and vocals. The 12–piece Rupert’s Orchestra, which became famous playing at the former Rupert’s nightclub in Buckhead in the late 1980s and early 1990s, took over the stage and played classic rock and popular dance tunes until 10:30 p.m. without taking a break. Dancers of all ages packed the area in front of the stage throughout the night.