Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 4th annual GWB Presents Little Beer event last weekend!

Photography provided by Dustin Grau Photography.

The City of Duluth, in partnership with Republic Services, is excited to announce a significant upgrade to its waste management system. Beginning May 1, 2024, Republic Services will implement a transition from designated trash bags to standard rolling carts for trash collection.

As of March 26, over 75% of residents have already received their new trash and recycling collection carts, with all residents expected to have their carts by April 1, 2024. It is important to note that if a resident already has a Republic Services recycling cart, they will only be receiving a new trash cart.

Republic Services’ decision to adopt cart-based trash collection within Duluth city limits was made in response to industry trends and safety considerations. The bag system is being phased out industry-wide and staffing of two-man trucks has been increasingly difficult. Add in increased traffic concerns, making helpers riding on the back of trucks more and more unsafe. The benefits of this transition include increased capacity for larger households, enhanced recycling capabilities, and improved convenience in waste disposal.

In addition to the transition to cart-based trash collection, Republic Services will be implementing a change to its collection schedule. Starting April 29, 2024, trash collection will shift from a 3-day a week schedule to a 5-day a week schedule. To assist residents with the transition, Republic Services will be sending out postcards to every resident the week of April 15, providing details on their designated pickup day. This notification will be sent to all residents, even if their pickup day remains unchanged. The color-coded map below outlines the service days for each area. Click the map to enlarge.

Residents are reminded that cart collection will begin on May 1, 2024. Until then, designated Duluth trash bags must continue to be used.

Still have questions? Mayor Greg Whitlock will be hosting a special edition of Connect Duluth on Monday, April 1 at 6:00pm. Connect Duluth is a virtual meeting hosted on Facebook and Youtube where elected officials answer community questions. A representative from Republic Services will join Mayor Whitlock and they will be discussing all things trash! Learn more at duluthga.net/connectduluth.

For more information on the transition and to review the frequently asked questions, residents are encouraged to visit the City of Duluth website at duluthga.net/trashservice. The website offers translation options, allowing residents to access the information in over 70 languages.

Residents with further inquiries or in need of assistance are encouraged to contact Republic Services by emailing cityofduluth@republicservices.com.

Mayor Greg Whitlock took office earlier this year, so let’s get to know him better! In this special edition of 6 Facts in 60 Seconds, Mayor Whitlock shares some fun details – like, did you know he’s a huge Star Wars nerd?

 

But wait, there’s more! Dive into the exclusive Q&A session below to discover Mayor Whitlock’s vision for Duluth. From community outreach to economic development, Mayor Whitlock is ready to lead our city to new heights.

Q: What specific initiatives or aspirations/goals do you have as you begin your term as Mayor?

Mayor Whitlock: I would like to start a regular outreach to the community to hear what the residents and businesses appreciate and what they feel may be missing or is needed in the community. I would also like to focus resources on economic development to bring higher wage jobs to the community and to have the jobs located within walking distance to our downtown as well as to attract businesses to the Rivergreen business corridor. Finally, I would like to evaluate walkability in our community and to make it more bike friendly as well.

 

Q: How do you plan to continue to build positive relationships with the community?

Mayor Whitlock: I plan to start a neighborhood outreach program for Mayor and Council. I would like to incorporate visibility of the elected officials at City events and functions around town. I also plan to reach out to our business community to build the relationship necessary to engage and support our businesses.

 

Q: What would you like to accomplish over the next year?

Mayor Whitlock: My plan is to start 2024 with establishing the vision of the City and to get a consensus of Council. I would like to share this vision with the citizens and businesses for affirmation or correction. Once the vision is unified among the community, start executing. My goal is to unify behind the idea that Duluth’s future is to become the number 1 city where families and businesses thrive.

 

Q: How do you feel your time on council prepared you for your new role as Mayor?

Mayor Whitlock: I couldn’t imagine stepping into the role of Mayor and not already being familiar with how a City operates. Understanding the role of the City and the restrictions that Cities have to operate within. Knowing the City’s departments, operations, funding, projects, and issues allows me to be more effective and responsive sooner. It allows me to already understand the challenges that need to be addressed and I am already aware of what the City has tried to resolve these challenges. Plus, I am lucky enough to have worked with the current Council, which makes our relationship stronger as we had trust among each other on day one.

 

Q: What current or upcoming city project/initiative are you most excited about?

Mayor Whitlock: I am excited to help Duluth enter the next phase of our development. The goal is to be economically sustainable for all people and all businesses. Our downtown was the nucleus to stabilizing our community economically. We now have thriving businesses in our downtown – making it a destination for people and organizations. The activity in our downtown makes homes more desirable with a walkable distance to our City center. The next phase for Duluth is to have this level of success all over, not just in our downtown district. Businesses have been looking to locate in Duluth, but there has been no professional offices available and there are areas of our City that are not walkable/bikeable, but could be. There is just so much that goes into this plan, which is focused on what Duluth will look like in 10 to 30 years from today.

 

Q: And finally, where do you see Duluth in 10 years?

Mayor Whitlock: Simple. I see Duluth being the #1 community to live, work, please, eat, and shop.

The City of Duluth is excited to announce the 2024 event schedule. As always, this year’s lineup has a little bit of something for everyone, including food trucks, concerts, movies and more!

The event season will kick off in April with the Duluth Farmers & Artisan Market. In addition to shopping with local vendors on the 2^nd & 4^th Sunday of every month through November, each market features live music.

Fridays-N-Duluth (FND) kicks off May 3 from 6-9pm in Downtown Duluth and runs through the end of July. FND will feature live music, food trucks and vendors. Themed nights will return on Fridays the 2^nd Friday of each month and Flicks on the Bricks will be the 4^th Friday of each month. This year’s themes include Dog Days of Summer on May 10, Pride on June 14, and Eureka! Science Night on July 12.

Signature events returning this year include S.T.E.A.M. (March 14), the Duluth Spring Arts Festival (April 27 & 28), Good Word Brewing Presents Little Beer (April 13), Duluth Derby Day (May 4), Duluth Rotary Car Show (June 15), Viva Las Duluth (July 27), and Good Word Brewing Presents Les Bon (Sept 14).

Pop2000, hosted by NSYNC’s Chris Kirkpatrick and featuring O-Town, Ryan Cabrera and LFO will headline the Summer Stage Concert on June 1. Night at the Red Clay will continue in 2024 with free comedy shows, movies, and concerts at the Red Clay Music Foundry.

Duluth’s 2024 Art Month will take place in August again. Art-centered activities will include Creativity Workshops at the Festival Center, the DFAL Art Walk (Aug 9), a Community Art Project, and a two-day Chalk Art Festival (Aug 9&10). Multicultural Night (Aug 24), formerly International Night, has found a new home in Art Month and will include the Lantern Parade. New this year: a Toon Fest Pop-Up (Aug 31) featuring caricature artists.

We are excited to announce that the S’mores ‘N Snores overnight camping event will return to Rogers Bridge Park on September 21. Camper registration will open on September 2. Other fall/winter favorites returning this year are Duluth on Tap (Oct 12), Howl on the Green (Oct 25) , Frosty Fun, Deck the Hall (Dec 7), and Cookies & Cocoa with Santa (Dec 14). Haunted Tours (Oct 19 &26) are new to the fall lineup. In partnership with the Duluth Historical Society, guests can join us for a free haunted tour of Downtown Duluth.

Pop-up events remain a popular addition to the lineup. Currently on the calendar, we have a Storytelling Pop-Up on March 20, a Dueling Piano Pop-Up on March 29, and a Cinco de Mayo Pop-Up on May 5. Be sure to follow our social media and be the first to know when a new pop-up is announced!

Facebook: @CityofDuluth

Instagram: @City_of_Duluth

TikTok: @CityofDuluthGA

X: @CityofDuluthGA

For more information on all upcoming events, visit www.duluthga.net/events.

Businesses, food trucks and farmers interested in vending at events this season are invited to apply for open events by visiting duluthga.net/eventvendor.

 

Download the 2024 Calendar Here

 

The Southeastern Festivals and Events Association (SFEA) recognized the City of Duluth as one of the best in the region for its events and creative efforts over the last year.

On February 13, at the SFEA Kaleidoscope Awards dinner in Jekyll Island, the City of Duluth was awarded:

• Gold for Best Event Under $75K – Howl on the Green
• Gold for Best Children’s Event – Fridays-N-Duluth: Eureka!
• Gold for Best Vendor – Jessica It’s All Good
• Gold for Best Event Series – Frosty Fun
• Silver for Best Event Under $20K – Barbie’s Dream Pop-Up
• Silver for Best Event under $75K – Viva Las Duluth
• Silver for Best Green Initiative – Community Clean-Up Day
• Silver for Best Marketing Campaign – Howl on the Green
• Silver for Best Art Activation – Chalk Art Festival
• Bronze for Best Event Within an Event – Frosty Fun: Inflatable Wonderland Story Walk
• Bronze for Best Promotional Poster – Howl on the Green
• Bronze for Best Merchandise – Rogers Bridge Memorabilia

The SFEA Kaleidoscope Awards, which recognizes the marketing, programming and overall event, acknowledges the highest level of achievement in the festival and event industry throughout the southeast United States.

The mission of SFEA is to strengthen, educate and unify the festivals and events industry throughout the Southeast.  Comprised of festival and event planners, venues, and industry service providers, SFEA was founded to strengthen the festival and event industry throughout the southeast United States by hosting educational sessions, networking opportunities, award recognition, and additional events throughout the year; thus allowing for continued professional growth within the festivals and events industry.

The 2024 calendar of events has been released and includes many returning favorites and a few new additions. For more information about these and other events, visit www.duluthga.net/events, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofduluth or follow us on Instagram at @city_of_duluth.

Google Translate For Documents

Did you know that you can easily translate any document or PDF into 133 different languages using the free Google Translate website? Translating City Council meeting agendas is just a few clicks away!

Opening & Saving Meeting Agendas to Your Computer

1. Visit duluthga.net and navigate to the Agendas & Minutes page under the Government tab.
2. Open the Agenda document your wish to translate.
3. Save the PDF to your computer by clicking the Download/Save button in the top right corner of your screen. Please note, this button will vary depending on the browser you are using. 

Translate Documents

You can translate documents up to 10 MB in any of these formats: .docx, .pdf, .pptx, .xlsx. PDF files must be 300 pages or less. To translate more documents or larger documents, learn about the Cloud Translation API.

Website Translations

Translating the City of Duluth website is even easier! Simply click Translate in the top right corner of the screen on any of our webpage and all the text will be converted to the language of your choosing.

From the groundbreaking to the grand reveal, the journey of our Gigglebark Tree has been nothing short of magical. Who could forget when our Mayor, Council, and some staff members turned into kids? As the Gigglebark stands tall in Downtown Duluth, we can’t help but wonder if its magic will return them to their grown-up forms. Join us on a whimsical journey as we revisit the magic of the Gigglebark Tree through the eyes of our kid Mayor.

In 2022, the City of Duluth invited Gwinnett County residents of all ages to submit drawings of their dream pieces of playable art for the Playground Design Contest. Among the 175+ entries, designs ranged from sea creatures to tree houses, pirate ships to crash-landed satellites, and musical instruments to giant animals. with the youngest artist to participate being just three years old! The Duluth Public Art Commission faced a fun yet challenging task of analyzing these submissions and selecting the top nine. The Mayor and Council, used these top nine designs to determine their top three winning selections in July of 2022. Ultimately, the winning design, submitted by Lyn-Nell Huffman, was inspired by a willow tree, and it became the foundation for the creation of the Gigglebark Tree.

The Gigglebark Tree playground is a visually stunning combination of several trees. It boasts the colorful bark of a Eucalyptus, the twisting roots of an Overcup Oak, and the swaying branches of a Willow Tree. What sets this playable art apart is the inclusion of a slide winding around the trunk and a root system with steps and tunnels. To add a touch of enchantment, the willow-like branches will illuminate the playground, creating a magical ambiance for all who visit.

The Gigglebark Tree Playground is an extension of the existing Taylor Park playground in Downtown Duluth. While it’s always bittersweet to say goodbye to old trees, some of them had to be removed due to disease, and their tendency to drop branches and pecans, making them unsuitable for a children’s play area. However, the City is committed to maintaining the natural beauty of the area. Now that the playable art is complete, the City will work with an arborist to plant new, safe trees once the playground is complete.

During the interim period as the new trees grow and provide natural shade, the City has install shade sails around the playable art, ensuring that visitors can enjoy the playground even on the sunniest days. Permanent mounted lighting is also in the works to replace the temporary ground lighting.

Thank you to Bliss Products & ID Sculpture, companies known for their innovative playground designs, for bringing the winning submission to life!

We are excited to announce the successful completion and grand opening of Phase 1 of the Main Street Enhanced Sidewalk Project! This project marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to enhance connectivity and promote alternative modes of transportation within our community.

The newly opened pathway stretches from Rogers Bridge Road to just shy of Peachtree Industrial Blvd, providing residents and visitors with a safe and spacious 10-foot walking path. Designed to accommodate pedestrians, joggers, and cyclists alike, this addition to our city’s infrastructure is a testament to our commitment to creating a more walkable and bike-friendly environment.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony, which was attended by Mayor Whitlock, Council Member Manfred Graeder, Council Member Shenèe Johnson Holloway, Council Member Marline Thomas, City Staff, and project managers, was hosted on the new pathway on February 1, 2024. As giant scissors sliced through the ribbon, symbolizing the official opening of the pathway, we celebrated not just the completion of Phase 1, but also the promise of enhanced connectivity and community engagement.

Phase II of the Main Street Enhanced Sidewalk Project is already underway, with plans to connect Brock Road to Rogers Bridge Road. Over the next 12-18 months, we will continue to work diligently to bring this vision to fruition, ensuring that every corner of our city is accessible and connected.

We invite you to join us in celebrating this exciting milestone and to explore the newly opened pathway for yourself. Together, let’s walk, jog, and cycle towards a healthier, more vibrant Duluth.