It wasn't long ago that Sundays in Downtown Fargo were quiet and peaceful. There would be a few restaurants and retailers open, but not enough to make a day out of it. Weekend visitors would spend their last day in town roaming the streets with camera in hand, stopping in front the iconic Fargo Theatre for photos.
But these days, Sundays in Downtown Fargo have a new level of activity.
After a collective effort by downtown business owners, there's been a shift in Sunday offerings in Downtown Fargo. Most retailers, art galleries, and restaurants have expanded their hours to Sunday.
Here's a one-day itinerary to get you started.
Morning
Grab a coffee & donut (or toast!)
Fargo's craft coffee scene deserves to be your first stop in the morning. Grab a Matcha Green Tea Latte from Young Blood Coffee Co. and order something off the gourmet toast menu while you're at it.
Or, pop into Atomic Coffee, grab a cup to go, and head next door to Sandy's Donuts for a morning treat. Just like that, you're ready to tackle your full Sunday.
Hunt down some murals
Street art is always free and always fun to find!
Everything from the buildings to the electrical boxes are coated with the amazing works of local artists. Every few blocks a new mural awaits. Learn more about these works of art and find a map of all of the locations on our Murals of Downtown Fargo page.
Brunch
Spend your late morning and early afternoon eating some delicious brunch. Depending your moods, you could opt for a more traditional brunch - The Boiler Room has brunch options available all day long so try out their Rum Chata French Toast or famous Scotch Eggs to start out your day.
If you’re in need of some hair of the dog, the impressive Bloody Mary and Mimosa Bars at Pounds will have just the ticket, with their massive selection of build-your-own ingredients. You can pile veggies, pizza rolls, grilled cheese sandwiches, sausage, shrimp, chicken strips, cheese, and more into your glass, so your drink doubles as your meal (or you can order food alongside it).
The Boiler Room also serves delicious brunch and has a Bloody Mary bar alongside it.
Afternoon
Scandinavian heritage exploration
Duration: 2 hours
The Hjemkomst Center, just across the river in Moorhead, opens at noon on Sundays. This Scandinavian culture center showcases a replica Norwegian stave church, a Viking ship that actually sailed from Minnesota to Norway, and one of the region's largest art collections. You can also take a guided tour of the inside of the stave church, they're scheduled each hour (the views are incredible!).
In summer:
Kayak the Red River
From the Hjemkomst Center, you can hop right on a kayak or canoe by grabbing one from the rental station in the park surrounding the heritage center for just $10 an hour. The rental station is open from 1 to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Fargo is split from its sister city, Moorhead, by the Red River of the North. This river also separates North Dakota from Minnesota, so you can paddle in two states at once!
Read our guide to canoeing and kayaking in Fargo.
In winter (or on rainy days):
Do an escape room or visit Rourke Art Gallery
Duration for either choice: 1 hour
Test your puzzle skills and possibly meet some other travelers or locals while trying to escape together. Puzzled Escape Rooms pits you against the clock. You have 60 minutes to unlock the codes and get out of any of their themed rooms, from a wedding gone wrong to an NDSU Bison Fan Cave, and you can schedule your game for Sunday.
Otherwise, you can soak in some local art at Rourke Art Museum in Moorhead. Housed in a converted courthouse, this curated collection of regional and local art exhibits is a fun place to spend an hour or three. On Sundays, it's open from 1 to 5 p.m.
Shopping
The shops of Downtown have limited hours on Sundays (most of them are open from about 12 to 5 p.m.) but you can still get plenty of shopping done.
Starting on Main Ave, the oldest street in Fargo, you can wind your way past multiple shops. Stroll west and check out MINT + BASIL (a home decor, kitchen and lifestyle boutique), round the corner on 8th St and you'll find more vintage clothes and antiques.
Not ready to call it a day? It's also worth wandering up Downtown Fargo's main drag, Broadway, and stopping in the multitude of shops along the way.
Clothing shops open on Sundays along Broadway include Proper, Kindred People, and Others.
Stores to note for cute gifts and souvenirs are STABO for Scandinavian-inspired goods, Unglued for things all made by local artists, and Zandbroz Variety for everything from books to scented soaps to coffee mugs to wrapping paper.
Broadway N, Fargo
Evening
Dinner on a patio
You've had a full day so treat yourself at one of these cool restaurants. In the summer, you can even sit on their patios! At Wurst Bier Hall, order a boot of German beer (or a classic local draft) and some weinerschnitzel, spaetzle mac & cheese, or gourmet wurst sausages.
Otherwise, you could sit on the rooftop at Rhombus Guys and order one of their fun pizzas. And we'll do you one better: if you head to Front Street Taproom for a local beer, just down the street, you can actually get Rhombus delivered to you!
Satisfy your sweet tooth
All of Downtown's gourmet ice cream shops are open on Sundays (can we get a heck yeah for that?!).
You have three options: Silver Linings Creamery for small-batch and experimental ice cream flavors, Scoop N Dough Candy Co. for cookie dough and ice cream medleys, or Tea & Crepe Cafe for trendy Thai rolled ice cream.
Cap off your night with drinks
If you haven't hit up the local brewery scene yet, now's the time. Drekker Brewing Company's Viking beer heaven, Brewhalla, is open until 8:00 p.m. on Sundays. Call ahead and see if you can schedule a tour of the operations if you want an in-depth look.
You can always stop by Junkyard Brewing in Moorhead, which has an excellent patio and is open until 10:00 p.m.
Wild Terra – the only urban cidery in the state – also keeps its door and patio open until 8 p.m. on Sundays.
Other things to do in Fargo during the day
Looking for things outside of Downtown Fargo? Most of the major Fargo attractions and museums are open on Sundays, including:
- Fargo Air Museum (10 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
- The FARGO Woodchipper (9 a.m. - 6 p.m. in the summer, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. in the winter)
- Red River Zoo (10 a.m. - 7 p.m. in the summer 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. in the winter)
- Bonanzaville, USA (12 - 5 p.m. from May 1 to October 31)
You can now turn Sunday into a 'fun-day' in Downtown Fargo. Looking for things to do in Fargo for the rest of your stay? Check out our other itineraries.