Trunk & Tent Show Coming to Carlton April 21 (and Other Reminders)

Biking is a subject that has really grown in recent years. You can tell what's hot by how many new posts there are on a theme in Google Alerts. This mornings "alerts" for biking include a mountain biker who will be talking about safety after having broken all four limbs in a biking accident, street bike rentals in Miami, bike tours in Philadelphia, a road accident that killed India's leading woman biker, and the Second Annual Light the Fire Biking Fest in Cape Town, South Africa.

If biking is in your blood, or even it is just beginning to become something more inviting to you, then you might be interested in the The Carlton Trunk & Tent Show coming next week on April 21, sponsored by Carlton Bike Rental & Repair.

I remember the late Jim Oberstar's ribbon-cutting when Carlton Bike Rental (CBR) first opened. Hard to believe that was already six years ago.

Carlton is an ideal kickoff point for Minnesota's famous bike trail network. For this reason there will also be reps from Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores (COGGS), a chapter of the International Mountain Bicycling Association. Yes, this region not only has paved trails for family outings but an astonishing network of mountain biking trails for serious adventurers.

The Trunk & Tent Show is more than a biking occasion though. There will be representatives from Swiftwater Adventures, local pros with 50 years of experience guiding whitewater rafting and kayaking here on the St. Louis River as well as reps from the 50-mile Minnesota Voyageur Ultra Marathon and the Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon Race giving away free passes. Jay Cooke Park manager Lisa Angelos will be on hand to answer questions about the park and The Streetcar will contribute by grilling eats and offering libations via a cash bar.

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Other Upcoming Local Happenings

Tonight is the opening reception for Team Spirit and Hat Trick at the Depot (Duluth Art Institute galleries upstairs.) This is another excellent show. (I got a sneak preview Sunday.)

The Minnesota Arts Board is conducting two meetings tomorrow from noon till mid-afternoon. The first is about funding for arts programs in Minnesota with an overview of all grant programs. This will be highly informative with a Q&A period after the presentation. The second will address funding for art in public spaces. Both meetings will be at the DAI at their Depot location. Details here on Facebook.

The current exhibit at Karpeles Manuscript Museum has been Full Steam Ahead, a clever title for the rare manuscripts and documents pertaining to Robert Fulton's development of the steamboat. This Sunday Karpeles is having a special kickoff to the upcoming Huskeys baseball season titled Spring Fever Reliever. It's a family event for local baseball fans... or rather, fans of our local baseball heroes.

And since we're talking about Karpeles here, May is going to be one of the most exciting months on record for local Dylan fans as the Duluth Dylan Fest team has pulled out all the stops. One of the new events will be taking place at Karpeles, title Einstein Disguised As Robin Hood, it will feature rare documents from the William Pagel Collection. For details on all the upcoming Duluth Dylan Fest events, follow on Facebook here.

Meantime, I gotta get ready for the new day. Have a great weekend.