The 2026 First Ship contest is live
Duluth’s Lift Bridge
DULUTH, Minn. – The 43rd Annual First Ship Contest is open for guesses.
The Duluth Seaway Port Authority and Visit Duluth are partnering for the First Ship Contest.
The person who correctly guesses when the season’s first “saltie” sails into the seaport could win a Duluth prize package. A “saltie” means an oceangoing vessel to complete a full transit of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
In 2025, Federal Nagara arrived under Duluth’s Aerial Lift Bridge at 6:05 a.m. on April 21.
Click HERE to enter.
Duluth goods and experiences include:
- Cedar & Stone Group Sauna Package for up to 10 people valued at $550-plus
- Cabybara feeding tour at Lake Superior Zoo valued at $300
- One-night stay at Canal Park Lodge valued at $150
- Visit Duluth swag basket
- Duluth Seaway Port Authority prize pack
- And more
