Maybe you've heard of Fargo from the movie or TV series, but you've never actually visited the real place.

We promise it's nothing like what you see on TV. This three-day itinerary for your first visit will cover all the fun things to do in Fargo, plus where to eat and how to fit in with locals.

Want to customize this to suit your travel style? Check out other things to do in Fargo, and add whatever you’d like!

Morning

Twenty Below Coffee Co.

Fargo’s craft coffee scene deserves to be your first stop in the morning. Twenty Below Coffee Co. is the only coffee shop that roasts its beans in-house so that you can try a truly Fargoan cup of Joe.

Sit inside and chat, play one of their many board games, or take your coffee. They also have a Moorhead location with loaves of bread to go!

Just don't eat too much! You'll have a big afternoon of eating in the store.

14 Roberts St N, Fargo | (701) 566-0977
600 8th St S, Moorhead

There are so many shops Downtown. Starting on Main Ave, MINT + BASIL sells boutique clothing on 8th St S (known as SOMA); Alina Collective just down the way features artisan home goods and more; KITTSONA also has some great pieces.

It’s also worth wandering up Downtown Fargo’s main drag, Broadway, and stopping in many shops along the way. For clothing boutiques, your choices include Primp, Kindred People, Proper, Outermost Layer, O’Day Cache, and The Nines.

For cute gifts and souvenirs from Downtown Fargo, ND, head to STABO for Scandinavian-inspired goods, O’Day Cache for jewelry and great gift items, and Unglued for things all made by local artists. Handpicked Goods for everything from books to decor and plants.

Broadway N, Fargo

Brewhalla

Grab lunch at one of the many local restaurants within this food hall, and then stroll around the shops to find some great souvenirs. Plus, there are multiple bars serving Drekker beer as well as the Drekker Brewery. 

1702 1st Ave N, Fargo | (701) 532-0506

While you're moving from shop to shop, be sure to look around at the local murals. Fargo is covered in art. Literally. Everything from the buildings to the electrical boxes is coated with the amazing works of local artists. Every few blocks, a new mural awaits.

Downtown Fargo

A night at the RedHawks baseball game

Even if you're not a baseball fan, an F-M RedHawks baseball game is a great spot to hang out on warm summer nights for a relaxed atmosphere. Check ahead to see if there's a game on... sometimes, they even shoot fireworks off at the end!

Tickets are $6 in advance or $8 at the door. You can grab dinner here or have a local beer, sit back, and enjoy the game with passionate local fans.

Newman Outdoor Field, 1515 15th Ave N, Fargo | (701) 235-6161

Besides our semi-professional baseball team, Fargo-Moorhead also has three universities chock full of sporting events, a semi-pro hockey team, and football team. Want something a little weirder? Watch a roller derby or horse racing (or try your hand at curling!).

Day 2

The first place you should go on your trip is Downtown Fargo. So that's what Day 1 is for, covering some of the top things to do in Downtown Fargo.

Morning

Nichole's Fine Pastry

Get oriented with a stop at Nichole's Fine Pastry, a European-inspired bakery. Overflowing shelves of small-batch, delicate pastries, cookies, truffles, and decadent cakes fill this cozy shop. Also, they also serve delicious lunches of sandwiches, soups, quiches, egg bakes, pasta bakes, and salads.  

13 8th St S, Fargo | (701) 232-6430

Kayak or canoe the Red River

Duration: 1-2 hours 

Fargo is split from its sister city, Moorhead, by the Red River of the North. This river separates North Dakota from Minnesota so that you can paddle in two states simultaneously! Kayaks and canoes that fit one to three people are available for rent for just $10 an hour at two locations in Fargo-Moorhead.

Read our guide to canoeing and kayaking on the Red River.

If it's winter, you can still experience the river. Rent snowshoes or cross-country skis from River Keepers and hit the trails for picturesque snowy views.

Lindenwood Park Kayak Rentals, 1905 Roger Maris Dr, Fargo | (701) 356-2106

River Keepers Rental Shack, 202 1st Ave N, Moorhead | (218) 299-5396

While not technically brunch, the extensive mimosa, and Bloody Mary bar at Pounds will be more than enough to fill you up for the day. You can load your glass with as much yummy stuff as will fit in it. On the Bloody Mary side, that means veggies, grilled cheese slices, pizza rolls, fried chicken, pickles, shrimp, cheese, jerky, and more. Feeling more like a mimosa? Add in fresh fruit, juices of your choice, gummy candies, and cupcakes!

6 Broadway N, Fargo | (701) 478-1234

Moorhead Dairy Queen

Duration: 20 minutes

Hop off on the Minnesota side of the river and grab a mid-afternoon treat at the Original Moorhead Dairy Queen. This historical landmark has been a local favorite since it opened in the late 1940s. Try one of the hand-dipped Dilly Bars (invented at this shop!) and take your photo by the 16-foot-tall Dilly Bar statue.

That being said, this classic is only open from March 1st through the end of October. Downtown Fargo has year-round favorites like Silver Lining Creamery and Tea & Crepe Cafe.

24 8th St S, Moorhead | (218) 233-3221

Hjemkomst Center

Duration: 2 hours

Pronounced YEM-komst, your next stop needs to be the Historical & Cultural Society across the bridge in Fargo's sister city, Moorhead. The area has a rich Scandinavian history, and many locals' ancestry can be traced back to Norway and Sweden (you'll notice a lot of fair-haired folks around town!).

Get your bearings by learning some of the histories of the area's people.

This cultural center's centerpiece is a giant replica of a Viking ship. In the 1980s, this Viking ship sailed from Minnesota to Norway. While you're here, you can also check out one of the region's largest art collections.

202 1st Ave N, Moorhead | (218) 299-5515

Find a patio & some food truck eats

End your day of adventures with a drink in hand on a patio and some food truck cuisine in your belly. Fargo has tons (like TONS) of food trucks AND patios. 

Here's our guide to local food trucks... you can find them camped all over town and in the summer, especially at the breweries.

Meanwhile, we've also got a long list of patios you can relax on. There are patios on rooftops, alleyways, main downtown streets, and all over the city.

Locations vary

Another must-stop is Brewhalla. This market is unique, with ice cream, seafood, plants, pizza, and much more. What else can you ask for? Start your day there for breakfast or end it with happy hour. The market houses only locally owned small businesses, keeping the Fargo touch at the center of everything.

The place to be on a warm summer night is attending an outdoor concert, show, or play at Bluestem Amphitheater. Throughout the summer, the Bluestem Summer Concert Series brings bands such as the Avett Brothers, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, plus acts like Steve Martin and Martin Short. It's also home to the Trollwood Performing Arts summer mainstage musical. Check ahead for what's happening!

801 50th Ave S, Moorhead

Live music is alive even if it isn't Bluestem season. Check out our events page and browse performances from happy hours to community theater.

Day 3

Morning

Boppa's Bagels

These quick-grab bagel sandwiches give you lots of variety... seriously, you can choose from 31 bagel varieties and 17 cream cheese spreads.

3051 25th St S, Fargo | (701) 241-7800
3251 Seter Parkway, Suite 117, Fargo | (701) 241-7800

Duration: 2.5 hours

You'll be just down the street from the largest art museum in the entire state.

Take a guided, 60-minute tour for $4 per person, led by an experienced guide. Reservations are required for the tours, but you can also take a self-guided gander through Plains Art Museum's three main exhibitions.

704 1st Ave N, Fargo | (701) 551-6011

Besides Norwegians and Scandinavians, German heritage runs deep in Fargo. Wurst Bier Hall is the perfect representation of it: plenty of beer (and boots to drink it from!), sausages, sauerkraut, and even knoephla and borscht soups. Don’t know what those last three are? Head to the Wurst, sit at a long, communal wooden table, order a boot of beer, and find out.

630 1st Ave N, Fargo | (701) 478-2437

Duration: 25 minutes

In case you didn't know, a famous movie was named after our fine city (and now, an FX series has rekindled its fame). FARGO, the Coen brothers' cult classic film, doesn't actually take place in Fargo, ND, but we still have the original iconic Woodchipper on display at the Fargo-Moorhead Visitors Center.

Stop in and take your picture with the well-known movie prop... there's even a leg sticking out of it for excellent action shots. If you're looking for Fargo souvenirs, this is a great spot for that as well.

2001 44th St S, Fargo | (701) 282-3653

Duration: 3 hours

Fargo has prairie roots – pioneers around the railroad built it. A stop at this pioneer village and museum makes you feel like you've stepped back into the 1800s. Wander through original structures relocated here from across the region, including Fargo's first house, a schoolhouse, a saloon and hotel, a church, and a fully-stocked mercantile store.

The huge complex has over 400,000 artifacts, and guides in period dress will explain how life worked in the early days on the prairie as you wander from place to place.

1351 Main Ave W, West Fargo | (701) 282-2822

You might find it weird that we're sending you to a shopping mall on your first trip to Fargo, but hear us out. West Acres Mall has one of the region's largest collections of local art, plus an art studio where you can see resident artists working hard at their creations.

Besides major department stores, the mall also has a cool little shop called MinnDak Market, which sells Pride of Dakota products and unique regional artisan gifts and foods – all made in North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota.

3902 13th Ave S, Fargo | (701) 282-2222

Frequently voted Best Burgers in Fargo, if you’re in the mood for a good ol’ American patty made exceptionally well, JL Beers is a must… just get there early to snag one of the 47 seats.

810 13th Ave E, West Fargo | (701) 373-8484
4240 32nd Ave S, Fargo | (701) 356-4240
518 1st Ave N, Fargo | (701) 492-3377

Fargo has some fantastic craft breweries. The area's breweries make some tasty beer and constantly have a rotating list of fun events. If there's one way to end your time in Fargo, it's with a craft beer.

To mention a few, Fargo Brewing Company was the very first brewery in Fargo, and they make some great summer beers. Junkyard Brewing (picture below) in Moorhead makes experimental and small-batch beers, and Drekker Brewing opened their Viking beer heaven – Brewhalla – in Downtown Fargo.

All three spots have significant outdoor areas to continue your patio-sitting evening.

Locations vary; check this web page for exact addresses.

 

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