Doing Good in the Neighborhood: Lincoln Park Earth Day Cleanup

In Duluth, we know that once the snow finally melts, it reveals a winter’s worth of “lost treasures” (bottle caps, sandwich wrappers, and straws galore). This is the time of year when the Lincoln Park community comes together to give our neighborhood a much-needed spring cleaning.

As we re-introduce our core values, we’ve shared stories about Work Hard, Live Wild, Boldly Curious, and Made for the Northland, but today we’re talking about the heart of our community efforts: Do Good.

To us, “Do Good” isn’t just a phrase in our handbook, it’s about taking care of our neighbors and the place we call home. Being Made for the Northland means being stewards of the streets, sidewalks, parks, and creeks that make Lincoln Park the best place in Duluth to do business. That’s why every April, we gear up for one of our favorite traditions: The Lincoln Park Earth Day Cleanup.

Community Collaboration

While we are proud to serve as a home base for this event, (and we provide the celebratory post-cleanup beverages) we certainly don't do it alone. For years, we’ve partnered with our friends at Ecolibrium3 (Eco3) to help organize and scale this effort. They are the boots-on-the-ground folks helping provide maps for volunteers, secure pickers and high visibility vests from the city, and help us spread the word. 

Eco3 is just one of our many partners on this event. Resource Renew (formerly known as WLSSD) provides sharps safety and education, Waste Management & Twin Ports Trailer Trash do the heavy lifting of the actual trash disposal, and Free Air Life Co. helps us promote the event to their community of nature enthusiasts. 

Collective Impact

This event is perfect for everyone: the guy that has a 32 gallon garbage can backpack (this is a real guy, and we love to see that energy at the cleanup), or a family that just wants to do something nice for our planet. The whole effort works because of the collective impact. Over the past 5 years, we’ve seen hundreds of volunteers pick up thousands of pounds of trash! It’s amazing what happens when a community decides to roll up their sleeves together.

Warm Bagels & Cold Beer

We know that picking up litter is hard work, (especially if you grab an entire mattress) and we believe that hard work deserves a reward.

The cleanup starts at our newest addition to the neighborhood, Bean & Bear Bagels, and ends with a celebration at the Ursa Minor Brewing Taproom. When you return with your 5 gallon bucket of reclaimed trash, the neighborhood is ready to say “thank you”. This year, all volunteers will receive bagel & cream cheese samples and coffee from Bean & Bear, then can head over to Ursa Minor to redeem a free beverage of choice to reward yourself for doing good with us. 

Join us this April

Earth Day is about more than just one day of cleaning, it’s about the pride we take in our Craft District. It’s about making sure that when

people come to visit our neighborhood, they see the same beauty that we do.

This Year’s Earth Day Cleanup Details:

-When: Saturday, April 18th 2026 | 9:00am-12:00pm

-Where: Starts @ Bean & Bear Bagels (202 S 26th Ave W)

Ends @ Ursa Minor Brewing (2415 W Superior Street)

-What to Bring: Wear sturdy shoes and dress for Duluth weather (we’ve had both rain, and snow on the day of our cleanup in the past, so layer up!) We’ll provide the bags, pickers, gloves, buckets, and high visibility vests to keep you safe.

Check out the eco3 website to register for a timeslot! https://ecolibrium3.salsalabs.org/lnpkcleanup2026/index.html

For our community, let’s get out there and make Lincoln Park shine! We can’t wait to see you back at the taproom after for a well-deserved beer once the job is done!