Hobby Hub: Try Something New in Grand Forks

We understand. You’ve already found your favorites and standbys in the greater Grand Forks region and before long, you’ve found yourself stuck in the same ol’ routine. But variety is the spice of life–don’t you think it’s time to mix it up a bit? Sure ya do. Our community is jam-packed full of more opportunities than you think, just waiting to get you out of your rut. If you’ve been looking for a reason to step outside your routine, consider this your sign.

Pottery’s the Clay to Go at Muddy Waters

If you’re anything like me, you’ve sat in front of hours of the Great Pottery Throwdown and over confidently thought, “Gee pottery doesn’t look that complicated—I could do better than that”. Though I am probably wildly overestimating my skills, I figured I would never find out because getting started in the pottery craft is way more expensive than I would have imagined. Fortunately, Muddy Waters Clay Center in Grand Forks frequently offers classes that will have us newbies spinning for joy. These classes are often 8+ weeks, and for an affordable, entry-level price, provide almost all the materials you will need to learn how to throw on a wheel or design your next pinch pot.

Find the Spotlight with the Local Theatre Scene

If you’ve secretly longed for the stage, good news—the greater Grand Forks region has tons of opportunities for you to shine. Take, for example, the Fire Hall Theater, which houses the Greater Grand Forks Community Theatre (FYI theater = the building, theatre = the art). Through the GGFCT, you can try your hand at tons of different theatrical opportunities, whether you are a seasoned professional or a budding beginner. Here, you can not only audition to act and sing in performances, but they are also always looking for set builders, costume designers, lighting designers and operators, and directors of all sorts. Your little one will also find a home here with their annual children’s productions and their regular summer camps. Follow the Fire Hall and GGFCT social pages to keep up with new opportunities.

If you’re into the new and experimental, make sure to check out the brand new Empty State Theatre Company, where you can expect to watch or be part of shows that are popular, topical, brand new, and/or completely unique. With no brick-and-mortar location, Empty State Theatre shows excite audiences by performing in unique locations—like a play that takes place at a summer camp, actually performed in a park around a fire pit (the audience even got to make smores!) Be sure to keep up with their Facebook and Instagram to keep a pulse on their audition opportunities.

Grand Forks is also home to the famous Empire Arts Center, which houses the Empire Theatre Company. This is one of only a handful of theatre companies in the state that provide paychecks to their actors—meaning if you land a role, you get to call yourself a PROFESSIONAL actor. With locked and loaded seasons full of shows of all genres, you don’t want to miss your chance to flex your acting skills or try your hand at any of their open creative theatre opportunities.

Hitch a Ride with Grand Rides Bikeshare

Did you know that Grand Forks has a free bike sharing program? Thanks to a partnership between Altru Health Systems and a ton of cool local organizations, Grand Forks locals can enjoy free rides for up to six hours every day in the summer. Now there is no reason not to explore our over 21 miles of gorgeous Greenway!

Get Rollin’ on the River with Boathouse on the Red

Speaking of Greenway, you’ll notice that it follows the Red River, where in the summertime, you’ll see tons of people paddling along in kayaks. Does everyone in Grand Forks own a kayak, you might ask? Nope! But renting one is super easy here. Thanks to Ground Up Adventures, you can rent all the materials you need to coast on the current for the day for less than the price of a large pizza. Simply take yourself downtown to 101 Riverboat Road (just across the river from the Blue Moose, right before Sorlie Bridge, and just past the gazebo) and find the little blue kiosk to get started!

Gain Teambuilding Skills by Joining a Sports Team

We have opportunities to get moving and go for gold year-round here in the Grand Forks region. Between PlayIT Multi Sport Complex, LUG Sports, GF Parks, and Choice Health and Fitness, you have tons of options to join a team in one or many of the following sports: Basketball, Hockey, Volleyball, Soccer, Dodgeball, Billiards, Ping Pong, Air Hockey, Golf, Cornhole, and Foosball. For softball players, you’ll want to take a look at the Grand Forks Softball Association to find your tribe and for golfers, discover the leagues at Valley Golf Course in East Grand Forks.

Personally, the only sports I’ve ever even come close to being competent in are archery and racing. If you find yourself in the same boat, discover the Red River Archer’s Club where you can get out of the cold and get shooting arrows at a wide variety of targets. And if racing is in your blood, be sure to check out both the Pro Speed Karting League at Northern Air Action Park or, if you’re ready to commit to buying your own kart, the Forks Karting Association at River Cities Speedway.

In the winter, you can take part in some quintessential midwestern sports too. Be sure to take a look at the Blue Line Arena, the ICON Sports Center, the Purpur Arena, and Gambucci Arena to find your ice hockey dreams come true. If you prefer brooms and stones over sticks and pucks, you’ll absolutely want to join the Grand Forks Curling Club. And finally, are you even a midwestern if you’ve never played broomball? Curling meets hockey in this unique sport—so be sure to check out the Grand Forks Broomball website or Facebook page to get involved.

Phew! That was only scratching the surface on athletic activities in Grand Forks, too. Be sure to check out the following Cooler articles to explore even MORE ways to get moving and grooving in the Grand Forks region:

Find more details on sports leagues here and here.
Find out more about winter sports here and here.
Find public places to get active here, here, and here.
And getting active in nature here and here.

Get Hooked on Knowledge with Trivia Takeover

You thought Grand Forks was just for the starving artists and jocks? Nah—we’ve got something for you brainiacs, too. If you’re feeling a bit cerebral, make sure to check out Trivia Takeover on social media to keep tabs on when the best trivia happens in Grand Forks. You can expect multiple weeknight trivia events each week, spanning a ton of different topics from pop culture to bookish. The best part? They all take place in different Grand Forks bars and restaurants, meaning you can feed your competitive spirit with deep fried goodies the whole time. Prizes are usually gift cards to that location, too, so winning gets you even more delicious dealings.

Become an Expert with a Local Class

You’re never too old to learn something new, and you don’t need to commit to getting a degree to do so. The University of North Dakota offers some not-for-credit courses that can get you new skills, whether your looking to get some credentials to start a new career, or you’re just looking to enrich your everyday life with some new knowledge. Some of these classes are even free (gasp!)

You can find even more classes and workshops covering everything from the arts to technology, dancing and beyond. The East Grand Forks and Grand Forks Public Libraries offer unique learning experiences, such as a Science Café, 3D printing, and writer’s groups, while the North Dakota Museum of Art provides hands-on classes in drawing, art history, metalsmithing, and papermaking. Finally, be sure to follow the East Grand Forks Community Education Facebook page, where you can discover tons of unique classes that cover anything imaginable, from Sour Dough 101 to personal defense.

Unleash Your Inner Nerd at Broken Sentry and Grand Cities Games

Being a nerd is cool now, and anyone who tells you otherwise is dead wrong. Take it from a nerd herself that some of the best people in this community can be found at local card and game shops. Broken Sentry, located in the mall, not only has an impressive board game selection, they also specialize in all things Warhammer. If you don’t already know, Warhammer is a tabletop strategy game, set in a Tolkein-esque fantasy world, where you can design mini models and CRUSH YOUR ENEMIES. Broken Sentry provides everything you need to get started as well as provides the space to play and folks to teach you along the way.

If your nerdy interests extend further than that, also be sure to stop in to Grand Cities Games on North Washington. You’ll probably see me there, browsing through Magic the Gathering Cards or fawning over the next mini I want to paint (but definitely don’t need) for my next Dungeons and Dragons session. On top of specializing in those two games, you can find board games for all ages and interests, cards like Pokemon, Yugioh, and Lorcana, new and vintage comics, and tons of nerd merchandise and memorabilia. They even host weekly Magic the Gathering competition nights and offer their two gaming spaces to the public for free nerd shenanigans.

Find Your People When You Join a Club

Where does one even begin to look for a club? A great first place to start would be within our local libraries, where there are groups for any interest imaginable. Beyond even book clubs, you can expect Grand Forks Public and the East Grand Forks Cambell Library to get you involved in everything from robotics to Legos to cooking to quilting.

If you are on social media or take a minute to browse Google, finding your next group in Grand Forks is as simple as a search away. Are you looking for something specific? Chances are, we have it for you in some capacity. Maybe you’re looking to join a quilting club? Bam—we got one. Maybe you want to meet weekly and drop gossip from the most recent episode of Real Housewives? Pow—we got that too. And if you’re looking to fill a void and start something on your own—you’re guaranteed to find your people here in Grand Forks who are just as excited about your niche interests as you!

Find Your Purpose by Volunteering

Some of the best habits you can make are for the betterment of others. There are far too many organizations than I could ever hope to list here that could use your time and efforts. The Greater Grand Forks: Way Cooler Than You Think! volunteer page can give you a complete list of places that you can get yourself involved.

No matter what you’re into—or what you want to try—the Grand Forks region has something for everyone. The Grand Forks region is your playground, filled with opportunities to create, connect, and challenge yourself. The best part? Our community makes it easy to dive into something new, no matter your experience level. So, why not step out of your comfort zone and give one of these bad boys a shot? You might just discover your next great passion—right here in Grand Forks!