Perfect Duluth Day logo.
Perfect Duluth Day (PDD) is likely the most popular cultural and event website in the region. Using social media, and staff and contributors’ magazine-style journalism, PDD is best known for its detailed calendar of events and its blog. The stories and photos on the PDD website include a wide variety of subjects including Duluth-centric news and current affairs, history, art, music, outdoors, restaurants and more.
Founded in 2003, PDD’s current partners are Cory Fechner, Brian Barber, and Lawrence Lee. About their history, President Lundgren said, “We had Duluth’s version of Facebook before Facebook even existed. We started really small, without advertisers, and just selling t-shirts and bumper stickers to cover expenses.”
Paul Lundgren, President and Partner of Perfect Duluth Day at a Glensheen event. Photo by Lissa Maki.
Nearly two decades later, the site has grown incrementally in size and scope. Their revenue today is comprised of 80 percent advertising and the rest in donations.
A collage of early photos from the Perfect Duluth Day website. Photo submitted.
According to Google Analytics, about 1,700 people (or "users") visit Perfect Duluth Day 1.25 times on an average day for a total of 2,175 daily visits (or "sessions").
The average visit consists of 1.75 page views for a total of 3,800 daily page views. In a full year, that amounts to nearly 1.4 million page views.
Check the Date!
With everything from lutefisk dinners in church basements to elegant ballets and concerts at the DECC, Perfect Duluth Day’s Calendar is a go-to place to keep people in the know about all kinds of events happening locally.
PDD’s primary territory is the area that extends 15 miles from Duluth’s Aerial Lift Bridge. They list events throughout the North Shore, Iron Range, Carlton County and parts of its neighboring counties, and the South Shore region of northwest Wisconsin.
Events farther away, if they are related to the Duluth region, are also sometimes included, such as bus trips from Duluth to Valley Fair, and festivals in places like Minneapolis or Madison that feature Duluth bands.
According to their site, the best way to submit event info is to fill out the “Submit an Event” form found at the site. They also accept news releases sent to calendar@perfectduluthday.com. Because they receive so many news releases, they don’t always get to them all.
Their top categories of events include comedy, food and drink, fundraisers and charities, outdoors and recreation, seminars, lectures, and classes, games and hobbies, musical concerts, plays and many more.
“We’re very proud of the events calendar. We give more events more coverage and in more detail than anyone else,” said Lundgren.
Blogs, Essays, Features and More
PDD’s blog is a place for people to share information and viewpoints about the area’s history, culture, current events and hot topics. Some strands are controversial, some quirky, and others are great spots for people to ask and answer questions.
Hundreds of registered users, having a variety of interests and varied fields of expertise, offer their views on the site’s blog, covering a potpourri of topics. Recent discussions focused on climate, works of art, the history of local buildings and gift guides.
An eclectic list of past tags and comments run the gamut: the Lift Bridge, album releases, bicycling, literature, drone videos, Duluth songs and mystery photos,
According to Lundgren, they have some paid staff writing content and the rest are registered contributors who can comment and react to the comments of others.
The Perfect Duluth Day team gathered at Enger Tower. Photo by Lift Off Aerials
In addition to the blog, PDD also publishes essays, features and does some news reporting. Lundgren added, “ We have even beat other sources to some area news.”
Internships Offer Journalism Experience
Since 2012, PDD has offered internships to UMD students who help with calendar production, news reporting, blog reporting, photography and video production.
These two-credit internships are given to qualified college students in writing studies or journalism programs — and sometimes other fields of study. Prospective interns can find more information on how to apply on the website.
More Perfect Days Ahead
Lundgren noted that he is excited about the continued growth of Perfect Duluth Day. “We are also looking forward to the celebration of our 20th anniversary in June of 2023.”
For more information on Perfect Duluth Day, to sign up to be part of the blog or to check their calendar for upcoming events, visit perfectduluthday.com
