DULUTH — Music and dance dominate holiday entertainment this week, but the circus (of a sort) is also in town.
‘The Nutcracker: A Duluth Tale’
People who only consider Duluth a Christmas destination because of
and
are missing out: There’s superb dancing and a spirit of magic onstage for Minnesota Ballet’s “The Nutcracker: A Duluth Tale.”
Expect to hear Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s classic music, but hold any expectations of rowdy Russians: instead, this “Duluth Tale” features a snowball fight, boisterous lumberjacks and a boxcar with magical powers. The ballet is set at the Depot (where else?), but staged at Symphony Hall. The show runs Friday, Dec. 12, through Sunday, Dec. 14.
Adding to the significance of the occasion: Minnesota Ballet, then known as Duluth Civic Ballet, was
60 years ago this month
Contributed / Anthony Shore
Elvis Presley was alternately pious and mischievous — of course, he loved Christmas. Anthony Shore, perhaps Minnesota’s best-known performer channeling the King, will perform his show “Christmas with Elvis” at The West Theatre on Wednesday, Dec. 10.
Although Presley’s best-known holiday recordings date to 1957, fairly early in his career, the presence of a horn section suggests Shore won’t shy away from delving into the Vegas years. ¡Viva la Ciudad Navideña!
Jed Carlson / Duluth Media Group file photo
The Duluth Art Institute hosted a watch party for the Christmas City of the North Parade at its downtown gallery space. Now, the organization’s Lincoln Park Building is getting into the spirit — or not, whichever you prefer.
On Saturday, Dec. 13, the historic building’s doors will open for a Free ArtDAI featuring “simple, fun crafts that can be customized for artists of all ages.” If you’re feeling the holiday spirit, the crafts can become decorations or gifts. If not, do December however you see fit
Clint Austin / Duluth News Tribune file photo
On Saturday, Dec. 13, beloved singer-songwriter Rachael Kilgour will come home for the holidays after spending much of 2025 touring in support of her 2023 album,
Kilgour will be performing at Duluth Folk School, presenting a Christmas concert that doubles as a fundraiser for Chum.
Donations of cash, as well as clothing and food items, will be accepted. Once the music starts, Kilgour wrote in an email announcing the show, singing is encouraged. “I’ll be John Denver, you be the Muppets”
(instagram.com/rachaelkilgour).
Clint Austin / File / Duluth Media Group
Duluth has missed Mara Lovejoy, and it seems the feeling is mutual. Currently living in Bellingham, Washington, the singer-songwriter broke onto our music scene while studying composition at the University of Minnesota Duluth before graduating in May. On Saturday, Dec. 13, Lovejoy will be back in Duluth to perform a piano set at Studio Cafe.
But wait, there’s more! Also on the bill is Sophie Hiroko, a Duluth-raised singer-songwriter who moved to Minneapolis just months ago and quickly accrued all the indications of a breakout success on the Twin Cities scene: a slot in First Avenue’s Best New Bands, a Picked to Click poll placing and
As if that wasn’t enough, the show will also feature Cigarette Picnic: one of the Duluth bands to watch in 2026. It’s a homegrown holiday!
(instagram.com/maralovejoymusic)
‘A Magical Cirque Christmas’
Contributed / MagicSpace Entertainment
As Drosselmeyer knew, nothing perks up the holidays like a little magic. “A Magical Cirque Christmas,” a touring show coming to Symphony Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 16, puts a seasonal spin on the traditional circus arts: acrobatics, contortion, juggling, unicycling and the like.
“This was such a fun show,” wrote an
commenter who saw a recent performance in Florida. “You’re all so insanely amazing at what you do!”
Arts and entertainment reporter Jay Gabler joined the Duluth News Tribune in 2022. His previous experience includes eight years as a digital producer at The Current (Minnesota Public Radio), four years as theater critic at Minneapolis alt-weekly City Pages, and six years as arts editor at the Twin Cities Daily Planet. He’s a co-founder of pop culture and creative writing blog The Tangential; he’s also a member of the National Book Critics Circle and the Minnesota Film Critics Association. You can reach him at [email protected] or 218-409-7529.
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