Smelt March Through Duluth For the Run Smelt Run Parade

Annual Event Held for the 5th Time

Smelt and people joined together for the 5th annual Run Smelt Run Parade.

It’s a celebration of Smelt, a silver colored fish, and the coming of spring to the Northland. It’s a event that some argue, only Duluth could pull off.

“When I first witnessed the smelt harvest, the spectacle, the phenomenon of the natural event of the smelt running, it was really impressive to me,” said Jim Ouray, the organizer of the event.  

After witnessing smelting, he wanted to come up with a creative way to celebrate it.

“I have a background as a puppeteer so I thought, this phenomenon deserves a festival.” said Ouray.

And so he created the “Run Smelt Run” parade and party, a festival where people dress up as fish, or even dress up as fish dressed as people, and parade through the city.

Then the group marches to the Zeitgeist Arts Building for more dancing and a smelt fry.

Artists, fish lovers, and community members look forward to the event each year.