Work with your hands, build community, and have fun!

- Local instructors who care about you
- Noncompetitive
- No Grades
- Small class sizes
The Duluth Folk School provides people with the opportunity to use their heads, hearts, and hands to improve their lives. In essence, we are a school for people that focuses on using tools and knowledge to express skills through hand crafting. It is our hope to blend traditional skills and tools with modern day tools and techniques to deliver fantastic, fun classes. It’s all about helping you discover your creative abilities and developing skills.
One thing that sets us apart, is that we want to focus on providing opportunities with instructors from the Twin Ports and surrounding communities. Having local instructors provides an opportunity for you, as a student, to be able to meet and support local craftspeople. This keeps more money in our area, but also supports the hard work and creativity of our neighbors.
DFS was created in 2015 to fill a need in the Duluth Community to help people learn how to make things. It was also created to be a “third place” where community could actually happen—where folks could gather to learn, network, and enjoy. We became a nonprofit in 2021, to make doubly sure our activities were focused on our community.
DFS Timeline
- 2016 – Offered the first class
- 2017 – Bought and refurbished 1917 W Superior St
- 2021 – Incorporated as a nonprofit
It is our hope that the social community of the Twin Ports area strengthens through making things.