DULUTH — 2024 is the 21st anniversary of Bentleyville, and the season is officially underway at Bayfront Festival Park.
Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus arrived by helicopter at 5 p.m. to kick off the season as hundreds cheered and welcomed them to the Twin Ports. About a half hour later, there was another show in the sky, this in the form of fireworks.
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Visitors will notice a change to the iconic 128-foot-tall tree and that's new RBG technology lighting. Recently, approximately 150,000 old LED lights were removed from the tree and replaced with the new lighting, which uses the colors of red, green and blue to create a variety of different colors. This year also marks the 15th anniversary of the large tree as a major attraction.
According to organizers, also new to Bentleyville this year are a cider house where visitors can get a 16-ounce cup of hot apple cider for $2, displays marking the 60th anniversary of the television special "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," and special Monday events that include live reindeer, jugglers, polka band and a hot dog night.
For 16 years, Bentleyville has been held at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth. Prior to that, the attractions were held at founder Nathan Bentley's homes in Esko and Cloquet.
The 2024 season wraps up on Saturday, Dec. 28. Hours are 5-9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 5-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The walk-through light show is free to attend, while parking will be $10 per vehicle. For more information, visit bentleyvilleusa.org.
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