Every fall, nearly 20,000 students arrive in Fargo-Moorhead to start a new year of college. 

Whether you're off to North Dakota State University (NDSU), Moorhead State University Moorhead (MSUM), or Concordia College, sometimes it's nice to get off-campus and explore the city.

This guide is designed to help everyone from incoming first-year students new to town to seasoned students who want the best student discounts and tips.

OFF-CAMPUS COLLEGE HANGOUTS

Each university has its own favorite off-campus student hangouts. Here's where to find fellow scholars.

NDSU student hangouts

Bars: Students decked in green and gold hang out at The Bison Turf or Herd & Horns.

Coffee Shops: In the Memorial Union, students sit and grab a coffee from Memorial Union Caribou Coffee to get them through long study sessions or to meet up with friends.

If you're headed further off campus into Downtown Fargo, you'll find students hanging out at Atomic Coffee and Youngblood Coffee Co.

MSUM student hangouts

Bar: Starbird Lounge was opened by MSUM alums; they make great cocktails in a tiki-like space. You can also find fellow students at Vic's.

Coffee Shops: Most MSUM students relax at the on-campus coffee shops, but a few also hang out at Third Drop Coffee.

Concordia student hangouts

Bar: Also in Moorhead, Concordia College students have their turf at Mick's Office (which also serves delicious burgers).

Coffee Shops: Many students are sitting around Twenty Below Coffee Co. just north of campus.

COLLEGE DISCOUNTS

Show your college ID at any of these places to receive a discount.

Coffee & treats discounts

Babb's Coffee House: 15% off
Caribou: 50% off any drink 4-7 pm (locations may vary)
Kroll's Diner: Shakey Mondays two-for-one shakes
Sandy's Donuts: 10% off on Mon, BOGO free 5-7 pm daily.
Third Drop Coffee: half off any espresso drink 5-7 pm, Tues-Thurs. 

Food discounts

Applebee's: Happy Hour 3-6 & 9-close
Arby's: 10% discount on meal
Baron's Eatery & Bar: Happy Hour $4 off pizzas, $3 off appetizers, 3 pm - 6 pm and 9 pm - close Mon-Thurs.
Blackbird: Dine in $15 2-topping pizzas or $16 specialties from 4-6 pm Tues-Thurs. 
Buffalo Wild Wings BOGO 50% traditional wings on Tuesdays and BOGO free boneless wings on Thursdays
Dempsey's: Tuesday pizza special - $10, 1 topping, 4-9 pm (apps $6 from 4-7). Wednesday $1 tacos. -- MUST BE 21+ 
Fryn' Pan: 10% off with a student ID. 
Herd & Horns: College grilled cheese and 10% off food with a student ID. 
India Palace: 10% off online carryout and dine-in with coupon code ROYAL
Mick's Office: $7.50 for wings on Tuesday, 5-8 pm, $2.75 burgers on Wednesday, 5-8 pm, $7.50 bacon cheeseburger basket on Sunday, all day.
Panchero's Mexican Grill: Free beverage with entree purchase with student ID
Perkins: 10% off with a student ID.
Qdoba: $1 off a chicken entree
Rhombus Guys: Free cheesy bread with the purchase of any full-price pizza. 
Rustica: Half-price starters and pizza 5–6 pm and 9–11 pm Tues-Sat.
Sickies Garage: 50% off entree on Tuesdays (up to $5).
Spicy Pie: Two slices and a fountain drink for $12.28 after tax. 

DISCOUNTS ON THINGS TO DO

Sports, active fun, and exercise

The Bowler: Free bowling with a student ID, 9:30–11 pm on Thursday, two games for $2 from 3–5 pm on Tuesday.
Fargo Force: $5 ticket college nights, check website for dates & other specials.
Kingpinz Social: Arcade Happy Hour with 50% off arcade games and $20 bowling lane rental Monday-Thursday 11 am - 3 pm. 
Skate City: 1 for 1 admission 9–10 pm on Saturdays.
Sky Zone Trampoline Park: $10 per hour discounted rate on Thursdays from 8 –10 pm with a student ID.
Suite Shots: $15 unlimited golf Monday-Friday until 1 pm. 
Sunset Lanes: $8 all-you-can bowl with college ID, Thursday 10 pm - Midnight. 
Xcalibur Entertainment: $10 per person bowling (shoes included). $4 pounders, $3.50 rail shots, and $10 nachos. Thursdays 6–9 pm. 
YMCA of Cass and Clay Counties: $11 off monthly dues with proof of class schedule or tuition bill.
Yuj Yoga: $10 student nights on Sunday. Save $20 when signing up for a monthly unlimited membership. 

Entertainment & performing arts

Bonanzaville: $10.50 entry with a student ID.
Fargo Air Museum: $12 student tickets.
Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre: $15 musicals & $13 plays. Passes range from $75 to $100 for students as well. 
Hjemkomst Center: $9 discounted tickets with a student ID.
Marcus Theatres: Value tickets on Tuesday for $7 GA, $7.50 movies on Thursdays with a student ID.
Plains Art Museum: Free admission.
The Rourke Art Museum: Free admission.
Theatre B: $12 tickets to shows, $10 tickets to Sunday performances. 

Miscellaneous

MATBus: free rides with a student ID

21+ INFO

 Downtown college bars

A classic bar crawl weaves through Downtown Fargo, and it goes a little like this:

Trivia nights & open mics

You can find trivia or open mic nights literally every night of the week.

Check out the official Fargo-Moorhead events calendar to find all of them, but take a glance at the top places below.

Top places to find bar bingo

Top places to find open mic nights

Top places to find pub trivia

DRINK SPECIALS & COLLEGE NIGHTS

Once you're 21, finding cheap drinks becomes a top priority.

Mug nights

The college hangouts mentioned earlier usually have a "Mug Night," during which you bring in a reusable mug (you buy this on your first visit), and they top it up with tap beer for less than $5.

The Bison Turf's mug nights are on Wednesday at 7 pm and Saturday all day. The cost is $6.25 for a new mug and $4 for a refill.

Herd & Horn's mug night is Wednesday from 7 pm to close.

Chub's Pub near NDSU has $7.25 new mugs with $4.25 refills from 8 pm - close. 

Mick's Office college mug night is Thursday from 8 pm to close. $4 domestic mug fills and $3 Busch Light or Old Style mug fills.

Bar drink specials & happy hours

Another event we can't forget is Ladies' Night at The Windbreak. On Thursdays, ladies drink free from 9 pm to midnight, while everyone can get $1 U-Call-Its from 8-9 pm, $2 from 9 to 10 pm, and $3 from 10-11 pm. The Windbreak is pretty far south, just off of I-29, so make sure you have a sober driver or plan to call an Uber or Lyft to get home.

For a complete list of bar specials, check out our guide to happy hours.

Sip & Savor Passport

Looking to explore beyond the college bars? Experience the area's top spots for cocktails and cozy vibes with the Sip & Savor Pass. From handcrafted drinks at 701 Eateries, The Noble Hare, and Wild Terra Cider to laid-back lounges like Starbird Lounge and Marge's Bar, each stop offers exclusive deals and discounts.

UNDER 21 HANGOUTS

We have a whole blog on places to go and things to do if you're not quite of age, but here's the gist.

Bars (yes, you read that right)

Many bars allow people under 21 to hang out until a certain time in the evening. Here's a list from A-Z of some of the popular nightlife spots.

The Bison Turf - all ages until 10 pm
Blarney Stone Pub & Blarney Stone at the Hodo - all ages until 9 pm
Brewtus Brickhouse - all ages until 9 pm
Cowboy Jacks - all ages until 9 pm
Frank's Lounge - all ages until 3:30 pm
Herd & Horns - all ages
Labby's Bar & Grill - all ages until 8 pm
Lucky's 13 Pub - all ages until 10 pm
Midtown Tavern - all ages until 10 pm
Mick's Office - all ages until 9 pm
NoBull Smokehouse - all ages, Friday & Saturday until 9 pm
Pounds - all ages until 8 pm
Rhombus Guys - all ages
Sickies Garage - all ages
The Silver Dollar - all ages until 9 pm
SouthTown PourHouse - 18+ until 3 pm, 21+ after 3 pm
Tailgators Sports Cafe - all ages until 9 pm
The Toasted Frog - all ages until 9 pm
Wurst Bier Hall & Wurst Bier Hall West - all ages until 9 pm

Late-night hotspots for food

Boss' Pizza & Chicken: Closes at 4 am Thurs-Sat and 3 am Sun-Wed.
Deek's Pizza: Closes at 3 am every day.
Denny's: 24-hour diner
Fryn' Pan: 24-hour diner
Insomnia Cookies: Closes at 3 am Thurs-Sat and 1 am Sun-Wed.
Pizza Patrol: Closes at 4 a.m. Sun-Thurs, 5 am on Fridays and Saturdays.
SouthTown PourHouse: Kitchen closes at 1 am every night.

Things to do off-campus

Check out our post on free things to do in Fargo.

Bowling: Check out the discounts section for places to bowl cheaply. Plus, Kingpinz hyperbowling.

Brewhalla: This food hall has great food choices, shopping, and fun activities like pinball and art classes. Oh, and it's connected to a brewery if you're of age. 

Clay Your Way: Pick a ceramic piece to paint, choose your paint colors, and spend a few hours painting whatever design you want. They'll fire it in the kiln for you to pick up after a few days.

Disc golf: Tons of parks in Fargo and Moorhead have excellent disc golf courses (most are within biking distance of the three campuses).

Hunt for murals: Downtown Fargo is close to all three college campuses and full of fun murals for a picture-taking outing.

Skateboarding: Head downtown for the city's best skate park.

Suite Shots: This Top Golf-like facility has 60 climate-controlled suites powered by Toptracer Ranger software and five indoor simulation rooms where you can hang out, hit some balls, or play games.

Thunder Road is an excellent option for early fall. Here, you can ride go-karts, play mini-golf, and use the batting cages.