Grand Forks and the surrounding areas offer an abundant array of activities to do at all seasons of the year. One activity that can be enjoyed year round – no matter the season – is the fine arts! In our area you will find many opportunities to take in a live theatre production, live music (indoors and outdoors), an art exhibit or gallery – just to name a few! An evening that you spend enjoying the arts is never wasted so here are 4 ways you can appreciate fine arts in Greater Grand Forks:
4 Art Gems of Greater Grand Forks
1. An Evening at the Empire Theatre
2. A Night with Summer Performing Arts Company
3. A Stroll through the North Dakota Museum of Art
4. An Evening at the Grand Forks City Band Concert – Myra Museum Pavilion
About The Author
Well, hello! I’m Jen Regimbal – I was born and raised in Grand Forks then moved away for college and “boomeranged” back to go to grad school and start my career. I am passionate about sharing the lifestyle of the Midwest and the support of local food, music, art, and experiences. You can follow along with me on Instagram at @sugarspiceandstylethatsnice and Facebook at Sugar, Spice, and Style That’s Nice.
Empire Arts Center
The Empire Arts Center’s marquee creates an iconic view on Demers Avenue downtown. This historic and beautiful building houses a variety of events and forms of art year-round. Audiences can take in theatre productions, community cultural events, dance recitals, and concerts – just to name a few. The lobby of the theatre includes an art gallery curated by the University of North Dakota, featuring a rotation of art to enjoy before and after a show, or for a quick break during an intermission. Check out the marquee anytime you’re downtown to get a feel for upcoming events! There is something for everyone to enjoy and productions happen all throughout the year.
Summer Performing Arts
I have fond memories of summers growing up in Grand Forks and participating in the Summer Performing Arts company every year from elementary school through high school graduation. This special organization provides full format theatre and drama experiences for students elementary through high school each summer. High school students spend a majority of their summer preparing, rehearsing, and perfecting a musical production to be performed in July each year. The Summer Performing Arts company puts on two full-length productions each summer – one starring 9th and 10th grade students, and the other 11th and 12th. When you purchase tickets for these shows you are supporting the continued operation of this great program AND you get to enjoy a top-notch show. Monitor their website to see what shows they will be putting on this summer!
North Dakota Museum of Art
The North Dakota Museum of Art is nestled in a beautiful spot on the University of North Dakota campus. Here you will experience mainstay exhibits along with rotating fresh and new art throughout the year. The building renders a unique place to explore, and you can even grab lunch in their hidden café with a friend (or date). This local gem also hosts an outdoor concert series in the summer, providing the perfect backdrop for enjoying an evening on balmy summer nights.
Grand Forks City Band at the Myra Museum Pavilion
During a drive along Belmont Road on some summer weeknights, you may notice an abnormal amount of cars parked near the intersection of 24th Avenue. If that’s the case you’re in for a treat – the Grand Forks City Band is playing a concert at the pavilion on the Myra Museum property. Bring your lawn chair and stake out a spot to enjoy an evening of outdoor music. The Myra Museum provides a great setting to sit back, tap your toes along with the music, and enjoy the outdoors with lots of tree cover and a close proximity to the Red River.
The Grand Forks area offers a wide variety of arts experiences and this list of 4 recommendations only begins to skim the surface. I encourage you to keep your eyes and ears open to other ways to celebrate the arts in our community. Enjoying the unique talents of others is such a fulfilling way to spend your time and expand your interests! I hope you take the time to research these (and other) fine arts gems and support them in the near future.
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As a person who grew up in Asia, my taste buds developed a little differently from someone who grew up in North Dakota. Don’t get me wrong, I had my fair share of burgers, mashed potatoes and gravy, cheesy potatoes, and hotdishes (Casserole? Never heard of her). My mom was an amazing cook and she made sure to cook up some midwestern classics whenever my dad was missing a little piece of home. Everyone gets homesick some days, and I’ve found some amazing Asian cuisine in Grand Forks whenever my mom isn’t around to give me a spoonful of the Philippines – or if I’m a little too lazy to cook it up myself.
Asian Cuisine in Grand Forks #1: Rice is Life
If you’ve ever met a Filipino, you know that rice is life. It is our weakness. I grew up eating rice every day in the Philippines. Now if I somehow make it a week without rice in at least one of my meals, something feels wrong. Luckily for me, there are plenty of options for rice– centric meals around Grand Forks.
House of Punjab – Vegetarian Options, Spicy Options
House of Punjab is an amazing Indian restaurant in Grand Forks that opened in 2021. They have a variety of naan, kebab, and vegetarian options, but we all know I’m here for the rice, so the curry is where it is at. My personal favorite is the Saag, which is made of spinach, spices, and your choice of meat: Chicken, Lamb or Shrimp. If you like a bit of spice you can always ask for hot, but I’ll stick to my medium and enjoy the heat without losing the taste buds. Don’t forget a nice glass of Mango Lassi as a sweet end to the amazing meal.
Seoul Kitchen – Vegetarian Options, Spicy Options
Seoul Kitchen is a Korean restaurant in Grand Forks established in the summer of 2024. Aside from the appetizers and desserts, EVERYTHING COMES WITH RICE! Truly a Filipino paradise. They even have quick lunch specials if you’re craving some Korean goodness on-the-go. My personal favorite: Dol-Sot Bibimbap.
Coming soon: Poke Bowl
During my walks in downtown Grand Forks, I noticed a new Poke Bowl shop seems to be in the works on DeMers. I can’t wait to see what they have to offer!
Asian Cuisine in Grand Forks #2: Slurp, Sip, Repeat
King Pho – Vegetarian Options
As we all know, it can get a little cooler here in Grand Forks. What’s better on a cool day than a hot bowl of soup? Located on South Washington St, King Pho is a Vietnamese restaurant in Grand Forks that has a large selection of noodle soup, AKA pho. They serve other Vietnamese cuisine such as vermicelli buns and various rice dishes, but in the cold winters, I come here for the hot noodle soup.
Asian Cuisine in Grand Forks #3: Otaku Hour
Like a lot of kids around the world, I grew up watching anime. If you know anything about Japanese animation, they create some amazing depictions of food. Kaizen is a Japanese restaurant in Grand Forks that opened in 2023. Kaizen serves a wide variety of foods outside of Japanese cuisine, such as Korean Bulgogi and Vietnamese Pho, but when I dine at Kaizen: I’m here for the Japanese cuisine. If you want to explore Japanese cuisine, Kaizen has plenty to offer outside of the famous ramen. Japanese curry, udon, and the list goes on! My personal favorite: Katsudon.
Asian Cuisine in Grand Forks #4: #FeastMode
Who can say no to a buffet? When I was young, I remember going to the Cchinese buffet in Jamestown as a treat or on special occasion. There’s not a lot of buffets in the Philippines, so when I got back to the United States, it was one of the first things I had. Panda Buffet is a Chinese restaurant in Grand Forks that serves a buffet and mongolian grill. Whenever I start craving some good lo mien and beef & broccoli, I head over to Panda Buffet.
Asian Cuisine in Grand Forks #5: Dinner and a Show
I experienced hibachi for the first time during my sophomore year when one of my friends celebrated her 21st birthday at a hibachi place in Fargo. It was a great time and I can say that experience is just as great or even better at Sakura. If you have never been to a hibachi experience, I suggest that everyone should go at least once. Sakura is a Japanese steakhouse in Grand Forks. Sakura is well known for their sushi, but they also have an amazing hibachi bar.
If you’re not feeling driving to the south side of town for hibachi, that’s ok! Fuji also offers a hibachi dinner. But that’s not all…
Asian Cuisine in Grand Forks #6: You’re Coming Home With Me
There are a handful of options to order take out in Grand Forks. If you’re craving Chinese food, but don’t want to battle the buffet lines, China Garden has a large array of options on their menu. You can pick and choose to your hearts content.
Personally, my go-to take out is a nice warm serving of fried rice (Of course!). For that, I always go to Fuji for take-out. Their servings of fried rice is enough for two meals! Shrimp, Beef, or Chicken; all of the choices taste amazing.
Asian Cuisine in Grand Forks #7: A Little Treat
I think a meal isn’t truly complete without dessert. Tea and Crepe is a rolled ice cream, sweet crepe, and boba tea store in Grand Forks. Located on Demers Ave downtown, I have to fight myself not to get a milk tea or a crepe everyday for lunch or a quick work break. Not only do they have a great selection of crepes, milk tea, and rolled ice cream, . tThey have a variety of rice balls that are a great snack after a long walk on the Greenway.
Asian Cuisine in Grand Forks #8: Hona-roll-ble Mentions
In the Grand Forks summer, one of my favorite things is the many food trucks that change locations across town. You can usually catch a large variety of them during the weekly farmers’ market. There are so many to try and taste that I feel that you need to experience them all for yourself but here is a sentence or two on each of the food trucks that serve Aasian cuisine in Grand Forks:
- The Wok (GF Herald Best food truck 2024): I might be a little biased as The Wok serves an amazing array of Filipino food. The owner changes her featured meals frequently so it’s not the same options every time you see her.
- Little Bangkok: Little Bangkok serves amazing Thai street food. Whenever I smell the great aromas from this food truck, it sends me back home to the night market and the great street food.
- New Flavors: New Flavors serves a varieties of different ethnic cuisine. I include this food truck on this list for their amazing Tikka Masala.
- Nur – Malaysian Kitchen: Nur is an amazing Malaysian cuisine. They serve great lunch dishes, but there is peanuts in a lot of their meals so nut allergies beware.
Asian food will always be a large part of my life. I am grateful that I can find a large variety of Asian restaurants in Grand Forks. It gives me little pieces of home away from home. Grand Forks has a lot to offer to people who need a temporary cure for homesickness and people are happy to share their culture with you.
Want More World-Class Cuisine?
Click here to read about 20 different cultural cuisine spots in Grand Forks!
Add some spice to the North Dakota flavor!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Well, hello! I’m Jen Regimbal – I was born and raised in Grand Forks then moved away for college and “boomeranged” back to go to grad school and start my career. I am passionate about sharing the lifestyle of the Midwest and the support of local food, music, art, and experiences. You can follow along with me on Instagram at @sugarspiceandstylethatsnice and Facebook at Sugar, Spice, and Style That’s Nice.
MORE FROM JEN
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