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 with you. They also have a Moorhead location with loaves of bread to go!

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

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.

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, 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 First Avenue Market for locally made items and snacks. Handpicked Goods for everything from books to decor and plants.

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, multiple bars are serving Drekker beer as well as the Drekker Brewery. 

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

After lunch, check out the murals you saw earlier when shopping. 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 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... 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 has three universities chock full of sporting events, a semi-pro hockey team, and a football team. Want something a little weirder? Watch a roller derby or horse racing (or try your hand at curling!).

Day 2

Morning

Nichole's Fine Pastry

Next, stop at Nichole's Fine Pastry, a European-inspired bakery. This cozy shop is filled with overflowing shelves of small-batch, delicate pastries, cookies, truffles, and decadent cakes. 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. Kayaks and canoes that fit one to three people are available for rent for just $10 an hour for a late morning full of canoeing or kayaking along the 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 along the banks of the river.

Lindenwood Park Kayak Rentals, 1905 Roger Maris Dr, Fargo | (701) 356-2106
River Keepers Rental Shack, 202 1st Ave N, Moorhead | (218) 299-5396

Since 2015, Pounds has delivered comfort with loaded everything bagel mac & cheese, torch sauce wings, and a hangover burger. The revamped location offers great lunch or late-night bites vibes, complete with a pet-friendly patio.

6 Broadway N, Fargo | (701) 478-1234

Moorhead Dairy Queen

Duration: 20 minutes

Head back to 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

Your next stop needs to be the Historical & Cultural Society. 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 local history.

This cultural center's centerpiece is a giant replica of a Viking ship that sailed from Minnesota to Norway in the 1980s. 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

Patio hangs + food trucks

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 camped all over town in the summer, especially at breweries and every type of patio.

Locations vary

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

Marge's Diner

Brunch is served at Marge's Diner. The kitschy spot is decorated using the Midwest Grandma aesthetic while serving up hearty comfort food dishes, including a pancake bigger than your face.

220 Broadway N, Fargo | (701) 526-0149

Duration: 2.5 hours

Did you know Fargo has 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
3179 Bluestem Dr, West Fargo | (701) 532-0484

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

Enjoy a four-season patio at Camp Lonetree, located on the top floor of 701 Eateries. With campfires, games, and curling, plus a casual hunting-and-camping-inspired menu featuring burgers, hotdogs, and homemade French onion dip—paired perfectly with camp mules and cocktail flights.

701 N University Dr, Fargo | (701) 478-7337

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. Complete our Crafts & Drafts Pass by visiting them all, and win commemorative coasters.

Almost all spots have significant outdoor areas to continue your patio-sitting evening.

Locations vary

 

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