Rural Rhythms: A Grand Tour of Grand Forks County Communities

We all know Grand Forks is cool, but what about the surrounding community? The greater Grand Forks area is home to many small, but thriving, towns including Gilby, Thompson, Emerado, Manvel, Reynolds, and Larimore. Although each of these towns may lack in population, they make up for it with their charm, enthusiasm, and character. Whether it be shopping, entertainment, or dining, each of these small towns has something wonderful to offer. Let’s explore Grand Forks County!

Gilby, located 30 miles northwest of Grand Forks, is our first stop. Gilby is probably best known for its geocaching (in fact, it ranks in the top 20 places to geocache in the world!). If you’re unfamiliar with geocaching, think of it like a modern grand-scale scavenger hunt. Participants use GPS coordinates to hide and find containers (called caches) at specific locations. Caches can vary in size and type and often come with a “take a prize, leave a prize” expectation. But what makes geocaching in Gilby so special? Gilby is filled with what seasoned cachers refer to as “gadget caches” in which one must solve a puzzle or complete a task before signing the cache’s logbook. Yearly, in September, geocachers from all over the country flock to Gilby for “Gilby Gone Wild.” This event usually draws in 200 or more people, nearly doubling the town’s size!

After spending the morning geocaching, stop by Gilby’s volunteer run coffee shop – the Gilby Grind. The Gilby Grind is open Saturdays from 8:30 to noon, serving coffee, espresso drinks, red bull infusions, and pastries. Because the coffee shop is staffed purely by volunteers, all profits from the Grind are used for community betterment projects, so you can give back by just getting your caffeine fix! It’s truly a win-win situation.

If you are looking for a unique date night, check out Gilby’s Murder Mystery dinner parties. With 7 different themes to choose from, there is something to suit everyone. Each participant plays a role, with one player being the murderer, and it is your job to try to figure out whodunit by the end of the evening. Check out Gilby’s Facebook page to learn about upcoming parties and themes.

Gilby is also home to microbakery Back-and-Back Bread Shop, specializing in fresh baked sourdough, cookies, bars, and compound butters. Baker Hannah offers local pick-up options at her home, delivery to Larimore, Grand Forks Air Force Base, and Grand Forks. The jalapeno cheddar sourdough is guaranteed to make your tastebuds sing!

Find out more about Gilby here!

Let’s head south to Thompson and explore all this community has to offer! Every other year Thompson offers an all-out celebration of their community with Thompson Days. Thompson Days features parades, fireworks, food trucks, car shows, and local vendors. There is something for everyone! Unfortunately, there won’t be a Thompson Days celebration in 2024, but they have already started planning for the summer of 2025.

Brewski’s Bar and Grill, the local watering hole, has daily specials and the regular bar fare – pizza, burgers, appetizers, and wings – but what really stands out is their Caesar bar. Available only on certain dates, you can build your own Caesar with toppings like pickles, olives, salami, and cheese among many more. If you are a bingo fan, Thursday nights they offer progressive bingo, tacos, and drink specials!

Highway 15 Market is local shopping at its best. You can find Highway 15 open through the summer at vendor shows or online year-round.  What started off as a small roadside operation offering produce, houseplants, clothing, and boutique products, has recently expanded into Midtown Marketplace in Grand Forks. They offer great variety, with items changing seasonally – you are sure to find something unique while shopping here.

Find out more about Thompson here!

Located near the Grand Forks Air Force Base, you will find Emerado, a town of about 500 people. Emerado offers small town charm and a wonderful sense of community, all while being located a mere mile from the Air Force Base and about 15 miles from Grand Forks.

Yearly, Emerado hosts its legendary Corn Feed , and, yes, it’s more than just all you can eat corn on the cob (though, last year they served over 1,200 ears of corn drenched in a collective 40 pounds of butter!). The Corn Feed has live music, a car show, vendors, family activities, and, of course, a corn eating contest! If you are looking for a fun outing, I highly suggest checking this event out!

Nelson’s Pumpkin Patch is a family-owned business, located just outside Emerado. During the autumnal season, bring the kids out for a fun day of activities including a corn maze, hay rides, haunted house, bounce house, petting zoo and so much more. Of course, they have a wide variety of pumpkins available for purchase in their pumpkin shack, or you can pick your own to bring home to create the perfect porch decor or jack-o-lantern. Nelson’s also has a variety of events and attractions to appeal to adults as well. From their grain bin bar to cornhole to special events like flower arrangement and charcuterie classes, there is something to appeal to everyone.

Find out more about Emerado here!

Located on the Turtle River, Manvel is our next stop on our tour of Grand Forks County. Under 20 miles from Grand Forks, Manvel is worth the drive to explore its small-town charms. Take, for instance, Fresh Pickins, an antique store located in an old church. Fresh Pickins has everything including vintage collectables, home decor, and antique furniture. They are open 2 weekends per month or by appointment. Check out their Facebook and Instagram pages to stay up to date on their openings and pop up sales.

Enjoy everything Manvel has to offer at Manvel Days, a yearly community celebration. Manvel Days features a parade, street dance, car show, kid’s entertainment, food, vendors, and so much more. One could easily enjoy a full day of entertainment here all while supporting small town businesses, clubs, and committees.

For the outdoor enthusiast, check out Turtle River Roughrider Snowmobile Club. They host a yearly Vintage Classic Fun run for snowmobiles 2000 and older with prizes for both the oldest rider and the oldest sled (among others, of course!). For the younger riders and families, they also offer a snowmobile safety course and a Family Fun Day. But beyond snowmobiles, they also hold multiple community events each year like Santa Night, Holiday Lights contest, and Steak Fry.

Find out more about Manvel here!

A small town with lots of heart, Reynolds is just 15 miles south of Grand Forks. This neighborly town has so much to offer if you are looking to get away from the city for a day. Let’s start with a tasty treat – Cookies by Erin. Creating custom sugar cookies from her home-based bakery, Erin can bake a sweet treat for any holiday or special event. My mouth is watering just looking at her social media pages!

Reynolds Community Betterment hosts multiple community events yearly. It is their goal to make Reynolds a “grand place to learn, live, grow and play.” Yearly, in September, they offer Oktoberfest in the city park with everything you’d expect – beer, brats, pretzels, accordion music, and lederhosen! In years past they have also offered a summertime steak fry, and pie day on March 14th (there’s a little math humor in this one) with just about any sort of pie you could think of! Check out their social media to stay up to date on all the cool things Reynolds Community Betterment has to offer.

If you want to check out the local watering hole, stop by the Beehive for a refreshing beverage. On Tuesday nights you can grab homemade pizza from Mama Beck’s and a cold one for just $5.75, or on Wednesday nights you could try to win the progressive bingo jackpot. The Reynolds Pie Ladies serve up a delicious, home cooked meal on bingo nights, check out the Beehive’s Facebook page to see what’s on the menu this week.

Find out more about Reynolds here!

Head West on Highway 2 to find Larimore, a small-town rich in character and tradition. One of Larimore’s best known events is Larimore Days, held on the 3rd weekend in July yearly. Larimore packs so much into one weekend it hard to know where to start! Check out the community wide rummage sales, live entertainment, a kids zone with bounce houses and a dunk tank, a water fight with the fire department, or one of the local restaurants – Willy’s or Good Friends.

Flannel Fest is a new community celebration to enjoy all things fall and flannel each September. Enjoy a Flapjack Feed, hot chocolate or cider on the Museum Lawn, a Halloween movie at the Avalon Theater, and a hotdish contest. I can’t think of anything that screams fall more than this event.

The Avalon Theater is located right in the heart of Larimore. This historic theater is coming back to life with free movie screenings once a month. They offer a kids classic matinee or an adult favorite in the evening. Grab some popcorn (sponsored by the Larimore Park Board), settle in, and enjoy the show. Check out the on Larimore Area Community Action Club Facebook for a listing of movies and showtimes.

Find out more about Larimore here!

Just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Larimore is Northwood. Northwood, located 35 miles southwest of Grand Forks, or 20 miles southwest of the Air Force Base, boasts “this is the place for you!” With a variety of businesses, clubs, and organizations, Northwood has the feel of a larger town, with the connectedness of a small town.

Head on down to Old Fashioned Saturday, Northwood’s yearly festival, celebrating their rich small town traditions. Check out their demolition derby, hosted by the Men’s Club, live music, cookouts, carnivals, and so much more.

If you want to immerse yourself in local history, be sure to stop by the Northwood Pioneer Museum. Learn about the history of the region and those that shaped Northwood into what it is today. Featuring free admission, the museum is open to the public from Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM-4 PM allowing ample time to browse the exhibits.

Let your tastebuds experience a culinary adventure with Northwood’s 2 food trucks – North Brew Coffee and the Culinary Cruizer, open semi-regularly throughout the summer. North Brew features hot and cold coffee drinks, while the Culinary Cruizer serves up a little bit of everything like beer cheese mac and cheese, loaded nachos, and fried walleye hoagies. Yum! In recent years Northwood has showcased these and other food trucks at the Northwood Annual Foodies and Food Festival held in October. In addition to all the delicious food trucks and vendors, there is also a vendor show, free live music and a BBQ rib contest.

Find out more about Northwood here!