Things to do in Grand Forks
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Grand Forks
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best outdoor months, with Art Fest in June, Speedway Fridays, the market, and Potato Bowl in early September.
Hockey opens and football is in full swing, with fall colour and winter not yet fully closed in.
Coldest months and best hockey atmosphere indoors, but severe cold makes outdoor sightseeing a specialist activity.
Snowmelt, flood watch, Greenway low section closures, mud, and the thinnest event calendar of the year.
Recovery month with spring trout and the Greenway reopening, plus UND graduation filling every hotel tier.
Hockey, holiday lights, and Christmas in the Park, with full winter dress and driving rules in force.
What's on
- Grand Cities Art Fest second weekend in June
Artists, food, and live entertainment across both downtowns and the Greenway banks.
- Cats Incredible summer, centred in July
Catfish tournament on the Red River centred on East Grand Forks, a headline weekend for anglers.
- Potato Bowl USA late August to early September
Parade, fry feed, tailgating, and a UND football game at the Alerus Center.
- HollyDazzle Festival of Lights late November
Winter market, carriage rides, parade of lights, tree lighting, and fireworks in both downtowns.
- Greenway Snow Day February
A winter festival day on the Greenway with fat tire, trail, skating, and novelty winter events.
Best things to do in Grand Forks
Ralph Engelstad Arena
The finest college hockey arena in America, and a UND game here is the one national level draw in Grand Forks.
North Dakota Museum of Art
The state art museum on the UND campus, small enough to do well in an hour and strong on regional work.
Empire Arts Center
A 1919 movie house turned theatre and gallery downtown, and the best non hockey evening in Grand Forks.
Town Square
Downtown gathering plaza for festivals, the Saturday market in season, and skating and lights in winter.
Town Square Farmers Market
Red River Valley growers and bakers in Town Square on Saturday mornings, the best summer hour downtown.
Alerus Center
UND football, big concerts, and the Potato Bowl game, in the big indoor stadium on South 42nd Street.
River Cities Speedway
Friday night dirt track sprint cars and late models at the Bullring, loud and local in the best way.
Splasher's of the South Seas
A big indoor waterpark inside Canad Inns, and the winter cheat code for families with small kids.
Where to stay in Grand Forks
Downtown Grand Forks
best overall base, food and evenings
Walkable to the best restaurants in either city, Town Square, the Empire, and across the bridge to East Grand Forks.
UND and South 42nd Street corridor
hockey, football, and family event weekends
Hotel cluster by the Alerus Center with the Ralph and UND a short drive north, and the waterpark in the middle of it.
Downtown East Grand Forks
quieter evenings and camping on the Minnesota side
Boardwalk dining, the recreation area campground, and a short bridge walk to downtown Grand Forks, but thin hotel stock.
South Grand Forks 32nd Avenue South
road trips, shopping, and Kings Walk golf
Widest chain choice and easy highway access by Columbia Mall, completely car dependent and low on character.
Think twice about
- 32nd Avenue South commercial corridor
Not dangerous, but charmless, traffic heavy, and unwalkable to downtown, food, and hockey atmosphere.
- Gateway Drive highway motel strip
Quality varies more here than anywhere in town, so book only a specific property with recent good reviews.
Best restaurants in Grand Forks
Harry's Steakhouse
The classic downtown steakhouse, with filet, bison, lobster tail, hash browns, and smoked Old Fashioneds.
Skies 322
Hand cut steaks and seafood with a downtown view, plus the weekend brunch local diners single out.
The Toasted Frog
Downtown gastropub famous for fried cheesy pickles, wood fired pizza, walleye, and craft cocktails.
Ely's Ivy
A weekly changing farm to table menu downtown, with local taps and the most adventurous proteins in town.
Bernie's
Molly Yeh cafe in East Grand Forks for knoephla soup, pickle grilled cheese, and a serious bakery case.
The Blue Moose Bar & Grill
Northwoods boardwalk bar and grill in East Grand Forks, with walleye, 40 beers on tap, and river seating.
Rhombus Guys
Best pizza in Grand Forks, with creative pies and a rooftop bar in season for groups and families.
Half Brothers Brewing Company
Downtown craft taproom with brick oven pizza, local hazy IPAs and sours, live music, and a cosy room.
Outdoor things to do in Grand Forks
Greater Grand Forks Greenway
About 2,200 acres of riverfront trails on both banks of the Red River, for riding, walking, and winter skiing.
Red River State Recreation Area
Urban camping, trails, and river fishing inside the Greenway, a walk from East Grand Forks bars and food.
Sertoma Park
A calm 22 acre park with a Japanese garden and meditation area, best at morning or golden hour.
King's Walk Golf Course
An Arnold Palmer Signature links style course on flat valley land, and the best public round in town.
Grand Forks Country Club
The private 18 hole club in town, a pleasant prairie round only if you have a member connection.
Lincoln Park Golf Course
A flat, forgiving public nine, exactly right for beginners, families, and an evening warm up round.
Turtle River State Park
A wooded trout river valley 20 miles west, with 13 plus miles of trails, wetlands, and winter skiing.
Larimore Dam Recreation Area
The local lake day near Larimore, with a swimming beach, fishing, boating, camping, and picnic grounds.
Best hotels in Grand Forks
The Olive Ann Hotel, Grand Forks, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel
The one genuine luxury hotel in town, an aviation themed boutique downtown with a fifth floor terrace.
Canad Inns Destination Centre Grand Forks
Family resort connected to the Alerus Center and home to the indoor waterpark, built for event weekends.
Hilton Garden Inn Grand Forks-UND
The UND adjacent branded pick for university, hockey, and football stays without the waterpark circus.
Staybridge Suites Grand Forks
Kitchen suites across from the Alerus Center, best for tournament weeks, work stays, and families that cook.
Hampton Inn & Suites Grand Forks
The reliable branded mid range sleep in the south corridor, with no story and no surprise by design.
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Grand Forks
The smart cheap sleep near the Alerus Center on quiet nights, with an indoor pool for families.
My Place Hotel-Grand Forks, ND
Kitchenette budget rooms by the Alerus corridor, good for road trippers and tournament families.
Is Grand Forks expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | $75 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | $140 a person |
| Splurge | $320 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Ralph Engelstad Arena: weeks ahead
- Empire Arts Center: a few days ahead
- Alerus Center: weeks ahead
- Chester Fritz Performing Arts Center: a few days ahead
- Red River State Recreation Area: a few days ahead
- King's Walk Golf Course: a few days ahead
- Devils Lake: months ahead
- Harry's Steakhouse: a few days ahead
- UND hockey tickets go on public sale in early September and rivalry games sell first.
- Book hotels weeks to months ahead for hockey, football, Potato Bowl, and UND graduation weekends.
- Reserve Harrys and Skies 322 on weekends and game nights, and Kings Walk tee times on summer weekend mornings.
- Devils Lake guides for prime summer and ice fishing weeks should be booked months ahead.
Is Grand Forks safe?
- Cold is the main risk, with January mean highs near 16F and wind chill far lower on open ground.
- Carry a blanket, scraper, charger, and water in a winter rental, and keep the tank at least half full.
- Lock cars and leave nothing visible, as property crime is the realistic urban risk for visitors.
- The Red River is powerful and muddy, so no casual swimming and life jackets for paddling and fishing.
Grand Forks travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- The Alerus Center with no event on is a big empty building, never a sight on its own.
- Columbia Mall and 32nd Avenue are useful and ordinary, and no part of a visitors best day.
- Splashers is a hotel waterpark, great for kids in winter and a one hour stop for adults without them.
- East Grand Forks is a bridge walk, not a separate day trip, so do Bernies and Blue Moose with downtown.
Getting around Grand Forks: public transport and more
- Downtown Grand Forks and downtown East Grand Forks are a few minutes walk apart across the Sorlie Bridge.
- You need a car or rideshare budget beyond a downtown weekend, especially in winter when walks turn serious.
- Parking is mostly free or cheap except on Ralph, Alerus, Art Fest, and Potato Bowl event days.
- Grand Forks International Airport is about five miles away, and rental cars should be booked ahead on event weekends.
Who Grand Forks suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Grand Forks your trip
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