For much of Duluth’s history, the residents lived with their back to the lake. The Duluth Harbor and Canal Park were originally hotbeds of both industry and industrial waste. As recently as the mid 1970s what is now Duluth’s most popular tourist destination was an eyesore of abandoned buildings, empty factories, and rusty junkyards. 

 

But by the 1980s the transformation had already begun to turn the waterfront from a public blight into a public boon. Thanks to investments and efforts from local government and philanthropists, the area known as Bayfront Landing was reintroduced to the community as Bayfront Festival Park on July 4th, 1985. Since that day the popular site has hosted thousands of events, including concerts by local, regional, and international acts like Wilco, Paul Simon, Willie Nelson, Steve Martin, Bob Dylan, and many more.