All posts by Dave Schaeffer

Winter Scholarship Update

Chester Bowl exists to make outdoor recreation in Chester Park available to any family regardless of their income or ability to pay. For decades, Chester Bowl has had a scholarship fund that has helped hundreds of families afford to ski, snowboard, and come to summer camp by awarding full or partial scholarships. Up until last winter, no family has been turned away, and every scholarship request has been awarded in full.

Over the last few years, scholarship requests have skyrocketed. And although fundraising for the scholarship fund has also increased, it has not kept pace with requests. Because of that, we now are limiting scholarship awards to what was raised in the previous year.

For the winter of 2024/2025, we have $27,300 in scholarship awards available. This is still a significant amount, but it is very likely that requests will exceed the funding we have available. Last year we awarded $25,000, compared to requests of $40,875.

Families will need to request scholarships during the registration period between September 16 and October 13. The request is part of the regular registration process, and you will have the opportunity to request a full or partial scholarship. We expect that anyone who does not register by the deadline is unlikely to be awarded a scholarship.

If you are a family requesting a scholarship, we want you to ask for what you need – but only what you need. Families may be responsible for paying a portion of their program fees even if they requested a full scholarship. We are optimistic that we can spread out the awards so that most, or even all, of the folks wanting to participate this winter will be able to afford to. You MUST register by October 13 to be awarded a scholarship for the winter, even if you are just requesting a season pass.

Chester Bowl is prioritizing scholarships for new families and returning families who completed their volunteer hours last winter first, followed by returning families that did not complete their volunteer hours. Families with the lowest income will also likely receive a higher percentage of their request than those with higher income.

Your family will be notified of its scholarship award by Chester staff by October 15. If your family chooses to accept this award amount and move forward with the winter program you will watch the winter slideshow and sign up for fitting times as part of the regular process.

Moving forward, the total scholarship amount available each year will continue to be based on the prior year’s fundraising, and will be split between summer and winter programming. We raise money for the scholarship fund through Fall Fest gate donations, our silent auction, grants (thank you Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation and Rotary Club 25 for your recent awards!) and donations from individuals and businesses. If you want to support the scholarship fund, please give generously at the Fall Fest gate, bid at our annual November silent auction, and/or contact Dave about making your tax-deductible gift directly.

If you have any questions about the scholarship fund, you can reach out to Dave at dave@chesterbowl.org or 218-940-9378.

Cheers to Chester September 26

Please join us for “Cheers to Chester”, a party thrown by Ski Hut for Chester Bowl at Bent Paddle. This event is raising money for Growing Up Chester, Chester Bowl’s fundraising campaign to expand and renovate the Thom Storm Chalet. With the recently announced $2.3 million in funding through the State LCCMR recommendation, Chester Bowl is 85% of the way to a fully funded project! Will you help us get to the finish line?

The event, held between 6 and 9pm on Thursday, September 26th, features live music from Boxcar, beverages available for purchase from Bent Paddle, and food available for purchase from the Rambler.

You can also win a e-bike and more! We are raising money at this event by selling raffle tickets. Ski Hut has donated TONS of prizes including a grand prize of a Townie Go 5I EQ e-bike! The more $10 tickets you buy, the greater your chance to win, all while giving to a good cause! Plus, buying tickets could give you BOGO cards and other perks at Bent Paddle. According to state law, tickets can be purchased by cash or check only. Bent Paddle does have a cash machine on site.

Can’t make the event? You can buy your tickets in advance from Ski Hut (available now, but Bent Paddle perks only available at the event), and you do not need to be present to win.

Last year’s event raised just over $5,000; can we top it this year? Every dollar raised goes to the upcoming Chalet expansion and renovation! Ski Hut has also donated $30,000 to Growing Up Chester- thank you Ski Hut for your generosity!

You can find out more about Growing Up Chester and donate directly at www.growingupchester.org.

Chester Bowl Recommended for $2,312,000 in Chalet Project Funding!

We are delighted to announce that the City of Duluth and Chester Bowl are recommended for $2,312,000 in funding from the Legislative Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, known as LCCMR, for our project to expand and renovate the Thom Storm Chalet!

This is a monumental day for Chester Bowl and the City of Duluth, as it brings our vision for the Chalet that will serve the next generations so close to becoming a reality! For full details, please visit our Growing Up Chester website.

Music in the Park 2024 announced

We are so excited to announce the 41st annual Music in the Park Concert Series! This free, nine-week series features a wide variety of music in the park. Each concert is 90 minutes and begins at 6:30 p.m. This year the series is split between Chester Park and Lincoln Park. The first five concerts will be held at Chester and the final four will be held at Lincoln. Chester Bowl supports the City of Duluth for the concerts at Chester Park.

Another change is the occasional split billing, where two sets of solo artists or duos each have a 45 minute set.

All shows start promptly at 6:30 (earlier than last year!) and end at 8pm. Bring a blanket or lawn chair. The concerts are entirely free. Twin Ports Express will be on site selling refreshments.

Chester Park Concerts: 1801 E. Skyline Parkway

June 18: Born Too Late

June 25: Ida Jo / The Trash Cats

July 2: Sydney Hansen

July 9: Cyr and the Cosmonauts

July 16: Mary Bue and the Monarchy

Lincoln Park Concerts: Lincoln Park Drive & W. 3rd St.

July 23: Big Wave Dave and the Ripples

July 30: Slapdash Bluegrass /The Brothers Burn Mountain

August 6: Matt Hannah / Mac and Cheese

August 13: Boku Frequency

August 20: Rain date, if needed

Volunteers are needed! Want to get your winter volunteer hours done early while rocking out in the park? Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090D4DAAAE2CA4FA7-49746840-music#/