Festival Of Sail In Duluth: Traffic Warning, New Bridge Schedules

A busy summer in Duluth, which has already featured Grandma's Marathon weekend and 4th of July festivities, continues this week with the return of the Festival of Sail, running from July 10 through July 13.

Festival of Sail Duluth 2025 promises the chance to 'catch a glimpse, step aboard, and even set sail on some of the grandest ships of yore.' It's a weekend featuring ship tours, day sails, educational programming, food and beverage, and entertainment.

Of course, Mama Duck, the largest rubber duck in the world, will also be in Duluth for the weekend festivities.

With all that happening in Duluth's Canal Park area, the City of Duluth says to prepare for significant traffic delays during the event. People should also be aware of modifications to the operation schedules for the Aerial Lift Bridge and the Minnesota Slip Bridge.

Modified Bridge Operating Schedules During Festival of Sail

According to the City of Duluth, the Aerial Lift Bridge and the Minnesota Slip Bridge will operate on a modified lift schedule during Festival of Sail Duluth 20205. The hours of modified operations will be in effect from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm on Thursday, July 10, through Sunday, July 13.

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The Minnesota Slip Bridge will lift on the quarter-hour and the three-quarter-hour of every hour (e.g., 10:15 and 10:45).

On Thursday, June 10, the Parade of Sail will travel under the Aerial Lift Bridge. The parade is scheduled to begin at 11:00 am and end around 1:00 pm. During the Parade of Sail, the public should expect longer than normal lift times to allow the tall ships to enter the harbor, typically three crafts at a time. The bridge will then lower to allow automotive and pedestrian traffic to cross.

Nick Cooper - TSM Duluth

The Aerial Lift Bridge will return to its regular summer lifting schedule (on the hour and half-hour mark) following the parade of sail.

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Again, officials stress that traffic in and around the Downtown and Canal Park neighborhoods during the Festival of Sail events will be impacted by the increased visitor population in the area. Travelers should expect significant traffic delays in the area throughout the week and plan their trips accordingly.

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Gallery Credit: Nick Cooper - TSM Duluth

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