As the season transforms from the hustle and bustle of racing to the store for that last-minute gift, sealing dozens of envelopes full of greeting cards, and pulling that last batch of cookies out of the oven to spending quality time with loved ones and engaging in activities we enjoy, I want to take a moment to wish you a joyous holiday season and thank you for another amazing year!

I look forward to seeing you on the trails ahead!

David Barthel

Bentleyville Tour of Lights is wrapping up its second season at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth. This year's highlight (pun not originally intended!) and centerpiece has been the 120-foot tall steel-framed Christmas tree. As usual, the display consisted of several themes, including: Downtown, Midtown, Uptown, Penguin Park, Canal Park, the Twelve Days of Christmas, and many more. Here's a sampling (more here):






Bentleyville will light up one more time for the season on January 1 with fireworks scheduled at 6 PM.

Light displays in Duluth go beyond the magic of Bentleyville. Superior Street through downtown is adorned with lights as is the Bayfield Tug near the Lake Superior Maritime Museum.


I hope you all had a great year. I wish everyone continued and newfound peace, happiness, and prosperity as we enter 2011.

With the opening of the popular Bentleyville USA Tour of Lights yesterday, Duluth has put on its Christmas hat yet again. With nearly three million lights illuminating dozens of displays, Bentleyville proclaims itself as the largest holiday light display in the Midwest. The panoramic image above of downtown Duluth, the waterfront, and the Bentleyville display is a previously unreleased image from 2009. A notable addition to the 2010 display is a 120-foot tall steel-fabricated Christmas tree adorned with 50,000 LED lights that jive in sync to the tunes of "Jingle Bell Rock" and other Christmas favorites.

Bentleyville 2010 Tour of Lights is open daily November 20 through December 26, weather permitting. More information can be found here: http://www.bentleyvilleusa.org.