Before North Dakota obtained statehood and entered the Union as a dry state, the region's commercial beer industry thrived. A lengthy era of temperance forced locals to find clever ways to get a beer, such as crossing the Montana and Minnesota borders for a pint, smuggling beer over the rails and brewing at home. After Prohibition, the state's farmers became national leaders in malting barley production, serving the biggest brewers in the world. However, local breweries struggled until 1995, when the first wave of brewpubs arrived on the scene. A craft brewing renaissance this century led to an explosion of more than a dozen craft breweries and brewpubs in less than a decade. Alicia Underlee Nelson recounts North Dakota's journey from a dry state to a booming craft beer hub.
Before North Dakota obtained statehood and entered the Union as a dry state, the region's commercial beer industry thrived. A lengthy era of temperance forced locals to find clever ways to get a beer, such as crossing the Montana and Minnesota borders for a pint, smuggling beer over the rails and brewing at home. After Prohibition, the state's farmers became national leaders in malting barley production, serving the biggest brewers in the world. However, local breweries struggled until 1995, when the first wave of brewpubs arrived on the scene. A craft brewing renaissance this century led to an explosion of more than a dozen craft breweries and brewpubs in less than a decade. Alicia Underlee Nelson recounts North Dakota's journey from a dry state to a booming craft beer hub.
North Dakota's largest urban enclave perches on the banks of the Red River of the North, just across from its sister city, Moorhead, Minnesota. This practical prairie community prizes grit, resourcefulness, and a DIY spirit. But there's a whimsical side hiding under that stoic surface. This is a place where you can ride an indoor Ferris wheel at Scheels, take photos with macabre movie props, color on the walls in the Art Alley, and do yoga in the snow at Frostival. Join a thunderous crowd cheering for NDSU (one of the winningest college football programs in the country). Kick back with beer, crafts, and pinball at Brewhalla. View contemporary works in a sunny former tractor showroom turned Plains Art Museum, and visit the Hjemkomst Center to see a dream transformed into a ship that sailed the Atlantic. Family-owned restaurants, unusual shops, an eclectic art scene, and a calendar full of festivals showcase flavors and traditions from around the world and deepen the diversity of a place that's been a cultural crossroads for centuries. Locally grown ingredients pop up on menus, in markets, and flavor the craft beers, wine, spirits, and ciders served all over town. 100 Things to Do in Fargo Before You Die shows you the city through a local's eyes. Travel writer and Fargo resident Alicia Underlee Nelson turns her attention to her home city, sharing insider tips, locals-only spots, and detailed itineraries tailored by season and by traveler type.
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