Date Night in Grand Forks, ND: 5 Fun Itineraries
Grab your special someone and explore all this region has to offer.
Whether you just swiped right on a dating app or are scouting out places to take your better half, Grand Forks has everything you need to make your next date night a success. Located in northeast North Dakota, this college city combines the friendly warmth of a small town with the over-the-top amenities you’d find traipsing through a big city. The result — cozy coffee shops, upscale and laid-back eateries, nail-biting sporting events, thrilling outdoor activities and exquisite artistic attractions. Lucky for residents and visitors alike, exploring this region makes for a slew of fun dates. Here are five to get you started!
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1. The “Sporty” Date
Looking for a low-pressure activity where you and your date can just hang out, relax and have fun? Well, throw on a jersey, because you two are headed to a University of North Dakota (UND) hockey game.
“That’s what this town is about,” says Alicia Fadley, community involvement chair for the Greater Grand Forks Young Professionals’ Board of Directors. “If you can get tickets to a hockey game, that’s a fun night. There are other sports in town, but I think the Ralph Engelstad Arena is one of the nicest arenas in the world.”
To kick your date off right, begin your evening at Speedway 805 Grill & Bar, which is located less than five minutes from campus. Here, you can grab a few beers and split some classic American favorites, like tater tots, wings, chips and queso, and nachos.
Another benefit of eating here? The restaurant buses fans to and from UND hockey games, meaning you don’t have to worry about finding parking near the stadium. Plus, if you present your ticket stubs at Speedway 805 once the game is over, you’ll receive a free drink.
2. The “Fancy” Date
Trade your jeans and T-shirt in for slightly more formal attire for a night of elegance and sophistication downtown. Your first stop: Harry’s Steakhouse (cue jazz music because this restaurant takes you back to the 1940s).
“In the bar area, they have old movies playing on the TV, like black-and-white film. They have really old artwork everywhere. They’ve styled booths to kind of feel like the mob scene where you could close the curtains if you were having a private conversation,” Fadley says.
In addition to its unique atmosphere, the restaurant boasts excellent steaks, lobster artichoke dip, escargot and calamari.
Less than a one-minute walk from Harry’s is Empire Arts Center, where you and your date will spend part two of your evening. Depending on the day, it offers plays, musicals, films and more.
3. The “Outdoorsy” Date
Whether you have time on a Wednesday evening, Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon, you and your sweetie can slide this outdoor-themed date into any part of your week. And, it’s customizable!
The Greenway, located in both Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, MN, offers more than 20 miles of trails that run through gorgeous scenery. Here, you can take a leisurely walk, go for a bike ride or jog a few miles. If there’s snow, no problem! The Greenway can also be used for cross-country skiing.
After your outdoor excursion, head to Urban Stampede for coffee and a snack (think bagels, waffles and doughnuts).
“You’ll go in there and see college students hanging out all the way up to people in their 60s,” Fadley says. “It’s really a spot downtown where everybody feels comfortable and can hang out for a couple hours.”
4. The “Artsy” Date
Whether you and your date are creative or simply enjoy others’ works, this excursion will immerse you in great art.
To begin, head to the North Dakota Museum of Art, which is located on UND’s campus. Here, you can peruse its multiple exhibits, or, if you stop by on a Tuesday evening during the summer, you can enjoy the museum’s Summer Concerts in the Garden series.
“You can go into the museum and look at the art, have a glass of wine or a soda, and then the concert is outside, which is just a really cool experience,” says Janelle Boppre, the Downtown Development Association Board of Director’s treasurer.
To keep with the art theme, head to dinner at The Toasted Frog downtown. Not only does this restaurant serve up delicious pasta, sandwiches and lavosh (flatbread), but its walls are filled with abstract art.
5. The “Brunch” Date
If you love morning dates, we have just the outing for you and your “plus one.” Molly Yeh (yes, the Food Network star!) recently opened Bernie’s, which has a menu full of breakfast and lunch foods, like a breakfast burrito, thick-cut toasts and mouthwatering sandwiches. While this restaurant isn’t officially in Grand Forks, it’s less than a half mile from downtown.
“[Bernie’s atmosphere] is very relaxed, very simple, even very nostalgic Midwest vibes. She’s using really old-style dishes and things that you would have seen in your grandmother’s house. The aesthetic of the place is really farmhouse, really simple and clean,” Fadley says.
Once you’ve filled up your tank, it’s time to explore a few local shops. Near Bernie’s, you can find Simply Boutique, Knick Knack PaddyWhacks Cards & Gifts and Cabela’s. If you head back across the river into Grand Forks, you can also check out The Silo Boutique and Widman’s Candy Shop, which is known for its delicious chocolates.
Eager to learn more about Grand Forks? Start here.
This article was sponsored by the Grand Forks Region EDC.