They did the Dabke, the Hambo and Vava Madmal, then finished with the Ghost Dance!

By Ken Buehler

On your train ride today you’ll be passing through Leif Erickson Park along the shore of Lake Superior. This natural amphitheater descends to a mammoth stone stage with bookend turrets made of native rocks. The Works Projects Administration (WPA) built the castle-like structure during the Great Depression.

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Sensory Friendly Day puts all that aside with quiet surroundings, orderly events, a smaller number of guests and conductors specially trained to minimize anxiety and maximize fun. The event caught on and has been replicated at other Thomas venues. This year Mattel, the Thomas brand manager, made

Originally called Cullum Park and then Lake Shore Park, it got its current name in 1927 when furniture store owners Birt Enger and Emil Olson bought the replica vessel Leif Erickson. The boat had sailed from Bergen Norway to Duluth to commemorate the travels and discoveries of the ancient Vikings in the New World. It was placed in the park and the park’s name changed.

Sensory Friendly Days a regular part of all Thomas visits based on the model that started here in Duluth.

Families with members on the spectrum get free tickets for that person and one adult/guardian courtesy of the Depot Foundation. This year’s Sensory Friendly Day is Thursday, Aug. 11, and is hosted by Autism Speaks Minnesota and Duluth Mayor Emily Larson.

With its Old World ties established, Leif Erickson park was about to become home to one of Duluth’s most colorful folkloric events. Duluth’s Folk Festival featured ethnic foods, music, dances and traditions. What started as a private backyard garden party grew to one of the largest folk festivals in the Midwest.

Colorful costumes swirled across the stage as dancers young and old performed traditional routines celebrating the cultures of diverse world nationalities and Native American customs. The smell of shakshuka, chicken tikka masala, kabobs and flatbread filled the air. Families spread blankets on the ground and spent the entire day under the sun. continued on PAGE 13

Leif Erickson Park

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The Leif Erickson Folk Festival was an annual celebration. During construction of the freeway the park was closed and the event moved to Bayfront Park where it struggled, fizzled and ended. By the time the park reopened the magic was gone and so it was with the Duluth Folk Festival.

Northeastern Minnesota was a melting pot of immigrants and natives. We need to celebrate more of where we all came from to appreciate where we are today.

By Ken Buehler

Huge advancements in technology have always created their own language. We talk on our cellphones about 4G and now 5G networks, as if most of us know what that means. Kodachrome gave way to the pixel. Xerox became a verb and all the bells and whistles once referred to a 1950’s automobile with every imaginable feature like power windows, seats and mirrors. Now a computer software package with every imaginable option has all the bells and whistles.

But what of the advancements made before cellphones, digital cameras,