Faces of the Boom Series – by Amy Dalrymple, Grand Forks Herald

Happy Birthday North Dakota

North Dakota turned 123 years old today having achieved statehood on November 2, 1989. It is ranked as the 39th U.S. State by entry into the Union, however the  exact number is a secret simply because Benjamin Harrison signed the  documents in the blind and it was never disclosed which of the two Dakotas is the senior state. North Dakota claims the earlier ranking as the 39th State because of alphabetical order, but secretly we’re sure we were first.

To celebrate this momentous occasion for the state we love, the Ambassadors Program and the North Dakota Department of Commerce is launching, LuvND.com, an interactive site celebrating North Dakota’s 123rd birthday. The site features 123 ways to explore the state, one for each year of statehood. The activities featured act as a virtual bucket list for those looking for North Dakota experiences.

You’ll likely find many activities that you can say “I’ve done that!” But better yet, you’ll find a ton of things that you can add to your “must do’ in North Dakota list.

A sampling of the activities listed includes:

• Have a grinder at the Red Pepper in Grand Forks – named one of Esquire’s best places for late-night food.
• Climb North Dakota’s highest point – White Butte (Elevation 3506′) near Amidon.
• Visit North Dakota’s version of Stone Henge - Mystical Horizons near Bottineau.
• Participate in a grape stomp at Red Trail Vineyard in Buffalo.

The site also features a downloadable list so you can check off what you’ve accomplished. Visit the site at LuvND.com and be sure to share your favorites on Facebook or Twitter. We invite you to add to the list on Twitter by using the #LuvND hashtag in your posts.

Happy Birthday North Dakota … you still look as good as the day you entered the Union!

North Dakota is home to the Maah Daah Hey Trail, which is America’s longest single track mountain bike trail. With 96-miles of scenic badlands beauty, the Maah Daah Hey is a challenging course that connects the northern and southern portions of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and winds through the Little Missouri National Grasslands in the Badlands. Maah Daah Hey is a Mandan Indian phrase meaning “an area that has been or will be around for a long time.”

Thanks to one of our ambassadors, we have the ability to offer you the experience of riding the Maah Daah Hey in 3-minutes. With the help of a mounted bike cam, this group of riders was able to capture some of their Maah Daah Hey adventure last week and share it with us. Look at the amazing views, those steep ascents and descents and the sheer beauty of the badlands. Let the adventure begin!

Enjoy!

Late July is red, white and blue in North Dakota

What’s more red, white and blue than a state fair? The North Dakota State Fair is back and better than ever with concerts, contests and the greatest fair fare. Fargo and Grand Forks host blues events and the Red River is the site of fishing tournaments. To find more information about these activities, and for a complete list of events, go to NDtourism.com or call 800-435-5663 or 701-328-2525.

Plane Fun! Hillsboro Fly-In

Hillsboro

July 19

Fly-ins are opportunities for pilots to fly-in and neighbors to drive-in and enjoy a meal together. The burgers will be good. But up-close access to the variety of airplanes is legendary. www.ndac.aero/events.htm; 701-328-9653

Fargo’s Downtown Street Fair

Fargo

July 19-21

Stroll through blocks of outdoor booths selling handmade arts and crafts. Enjoy awesome food and great entertainment in historic downtown Fargo. www.fmdowntown.com; 701-241-1570

15^th annual Drayton Riverfest

Drayton

July 19-22

There is something for everyone on the banks of the Red River, including food, music, parade, fireworks, Supper at the Soddy at 5 p.m. at Blessing Square, science exploration activities, mud volleyball, motorcycle run and more. www.draytonnd.com; 701-454-3474

37^th annual North Dakota Governor’s Cup Walleye Derby

Garrison

July 20-21

A total of 252 teams race out onto Lake Sakakawea for the 37^th annual derby. After two days of fishing, they return for weigh-ins to see who’s going to be crowned champions. The Governor’s Cup for ages 17 and under is July 21. www.ndgovernorscup.com; 800-799-4242 or 701-337-5576

Christmas in July

Icelandic State Park, near Cavalier

July 20-22

Christmas is coming early to Icelandic State Park where campers decorate their campsites for Christmas. Also enjoy the kids’ bike parade and evening entertainment. www.parkrec.nd.gov; 701-265-4561

McVille Days

McVille

July 20-22

There’s something for everyone including dances, children’s games, canoe races, barbecues, golf tournament, bingo, aerial show, dessert bake-off, and parade. www.mcville.com; 701-322-4343

Vinnie’s Mud Bog

Lidgerwood

July 20-22

Time to get down and dirty with mud pits open for trucks and ATVs. Competition obstacle courses will be set up for four-wheel-drives and two-wheel-drives. www.vinniesmudbog.com; 701-640-0441

North Dakota State Fair

Minot

July 20-28

The North Dakota State Fair returns with a stellar concert lineup to include Kid Rock, Zac Brown Band, Blake Shelton, and Foreigner to name a few. Take part in the exciting midway games, ag shows, action-packed NPRA rodeo and, of course, unbeatable fair food. www.ndstatefair.com; 701-857-7620

Art and Wine Walk

Grand Forks

July 21

Stroll the downtown area and sample an assortment of fine wines while viewing great works by talented regional artists. http://www.visitgrandforks.com/event-calendar/art-wine-walk-2012; 701-746-0444

Family Rocket Day

Bismarck

July 21

Gateway to Science staff will help you build and launch your very own rockets while you watch the rocket launches of professional rocketeers. http://gatewaytoscience.org/; 701-258-1975

Rod and Reel Rally Catfishing Tournament

Drayton

July 21

Anglers compete in the Red River of the North’s only whopper catfishing tournament and have a chance to cash in a $30,000 bonus for breaking the North Dakota state channel catfish record. www.draytonnd.com/AnnualEvents/RodReelRally/tabid/774/Default.aspx; 701-454-6184

10^th annual Praise on the Prairie Music Festival

Hazen

July 26-28

Bring a chair and a tent and enjoy several genres of music, including Christian rock (Thursday night), country and gospel music (Friday and Saturday). Concessions and canopies for shade provided. www.praiseontheprairie.com; 701-870-4584

Old Fashioned Saturday

Northwood

July 26-29

Spend the weekend enjoying a parade, concerts and street dance, demolition derby, craft show, games, golf tournaments, water carnival, 3-on-3 basketball tournament, car show and 5-K walk and run. www.discovernorthwood.com/news.htm; 701-587-5370

Halloween in July

Bottineau

July 27-28

Everyone is encouraged to bring costumes and candy, decorate campsites and participate in all of Lake Metigoshe State Park’s spooky events. www.parkrec.nd.gov/parks/lmsp/lmsp.html; 701-263-3281Bottom of Form

Fargo Blues Festival

Fargo

July 27-28

Don’t miss any of the 12-band blues explosion featuring world-class bands, great food and plenty of beverages on the grass at Newman Outdoor Field. http://www.fargobluesfest.com/; 218-287-7775

Heggyfest

Finley

July 27-28

The band “Firehouse” headlines this two-day community festival that also includes a golf tournament. http://finleynd.com/finley-days/; 701-524-1680

Taylor Horsefest and Musical

Taylor

July 27-28

It’s all about horses. Events include demonstrations, parade, musical and cowboy poetry, entertainment and food booths. www.taylorhorsefest.com/events.htm; 877-757-7545 or 701-974-4210

Ukrainian Festival

Dickinson

July 27-29

Celebrate the area’s strong Ukrainian heritage with music, Ukrainian dancers, food and activities. http://ucitoday.org/VYTAIEMO-Welcome.html; 800-279-7391

Blues on the Red

Grand Forks

July 28

Enjoy an evening of great blues music from some of the top musicians in the country. Vendors will be on site selling pizza, burgers and barbecue. www.visitgrandforks.com; 701-772-8404

Do and Discover

Ellendale

July 28

This year’s Do and Discover features historic re-enactors, lunch, Lego building, horse care lessons and old-time photographs. http://www.ellendalend.com/; 701-349-2916

Cats Incredible Catfish Days

Grand Forks

July 28-29

Not just a fishing tournament! Top anglers compete while others enjoy a chili cook-off, beer garden, food vendors, live entertainment, games and contests. www.gochamber.org; 701-772-7271

Northern Great Plains Culture Fest

Knife River Indian Villages, Stanton

July 28-29

Learn about the people who first inhabited the area through cultural demonstrations and presentations of the lives of people that lived on the Plains. www.nps.gov/knri; 701-745-3300

These are just a few of North Dakota activities and events taking place in late July. For more information, go to NDTourism.com or phone 701-328-2525 or 800-435-5663.

It’s almost Memorial Weekend which means, for most people, a nice three-day weekend. Last year our Memorial Weekend update included information about flooding and closures.  This year we’re happy to say – Missouri River boat ramps are open!  All 18-holes of Bully Pulpit Golf Course are open!  Campgrounds in the Badlands are open!  The Dakota Zoo is open!  And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for fun experiences you can enjoy this weekend and all summer long in North Dakota.

Looking for some North Dakota travel tips?  Be sure to pick up an official North Dakota Travel Guide and state map.  They’re free and if you don’t already have one you can pick them up at rest areas or order online and we’ll mail them to you.  Check your routes online with the ND Dept. of Transportation.  A travel information map will alert you to any road closures or construction.

Here are a few events from our weekend calendar and you can find many more at www.NDtourism.com.

• Memorial Day is Military Appreciation Day in all North Dakota State Parks which means free admission for veterans and current service members.
• The Sky Dance Sakakawea kite festival will take place at Fort Stevenson State Park – May 26-28
• How about a Wild West Shootout?  It goes down at 3 p.m. on Monday in the Frontier Village in Jamestown
• Kick back with some cowboy poetry, May 26 in Medora

Memorial Day services are held in communities around the state. One of the most notable takes place in Sherwood where veterans from the U.S. and Canada exchange flags at the International Boundary.  A program and parade will follow with North Dakota’s Lieutenant Governor Drew Wrigley as keynote speaker.

The festivities kick off on Thursday with a youth half mile and 1-mile run.  Also starting Thursday is the Health and Fitness Expo at the Fargo Dome. Runners can pick up their packets and visit more than 80 vendors showcasing the latest and greatest in food, clothing, shoes, souvenirs and more.

Let the carb loading begin! On Friday night the pasta and lefse feed will be filling all of our runners with extra carbohydrates so they have extra energy for the big race. Friday evening is the start of the event with the 5K race. This year, the Fargo Marathon Organization set a goal to register 10,000 runners for the 5K. Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota and NIKE have partnered to produce a matching funds program with the goal of raising enough money to purchase a new pair of running shoes for 1000 underprivileged children in the Red River Valley.

On your mark…get set…run! Saturday morning the 10K kicks off bright and early at 7 a.m. with the half marathon runners starting at 7:30 and the full marathon runners at 8:15 a.m.  If you are in the Fargo area you should definitely come down and cheer on the runners. The “cheerleaders” as I call them are an important part of the race. They keep runners excited and driven to keep going.  If you can get to the finish line, which is inside the Fargo Dome, it is such a neat experience to see runners of all sizes and ages cross the finish line. What an amazing accomplishment it is for all the runners. The Fargo Marathon is one of the coolest events North Dakota has so get out and cheer on the runners this weekend!

Bucket list fail.

A friend of ours was recently inspired after attending a freelance writer’s conference to create her own North Dakota Bucket List. We created a bucket list once, but we think we may not have understood the concept at the time.

She, much like many of our Ambassadors, loves North Dakota and was shocked by how many times she hears about new places to go and visit even after living in the state her entire life. We liked the list so much we thought we’d encourage you to think about your North Dakota bucket list. Check out her list below and for the full skinny – and we mean skinny, as she is normally a fitness and healthy food blogger – visit her at www.donteatcrapblog.com.  

North Dakota Bucket List ala Brianna Strahm (AKA @donteatcrap)

1. Drive through Teddy Roosevelt National Park to pet the buffalo and experience the Medora Musical (again!) (Editor’s Note: We strongly advise against petting buffalo.)
2. Bike or Hike “part” of the 100 mile Maah Daah Hey Trail
3. Go sailing on Lake Sakakawea
4. Kayaking or canoeing on the Pembina River
5. Catch a walleye in Devils Lake
6. Go to a UND Hockey Game at the Ralph Engelstad
7. Take a picture with the Worlds Largest Buffalo (again!)
8. Drive down the Enchanted Highway
9. Visit the Rock Museum in Parshall
10. Visit the Wood Chipper in Fargo
11. Walk across the Fairview Bridge
12. Visit Prairie Fire Pottery in Beach
13. Eat at the Pitchfork Fondue in Medora
14. Eat Juneberry Pie at Lunds Landing in Ray
15. Sample a dessert from Nicole’s Fine Pastry in Fargo
16. Eat Chippers from Widmans in Grand Forks (again!)
17. Visit the Albino Buffalo in Jamestown (sorta again!)
18. Ride a sled being pulled by an ATV at Papa’s Polar Patch
19. Stay at the Hotel Donaldson in Fargo
20. Experience Norsk Hostfest in Minot
21. Participate in a grape stomp at the Red Trail Vineyard in Buffalo

Now for the BIG question … what would you add to the list?

The Blue Man Group will be performing at the Fargodome on Tuesday, April 3. If you aren’t familiar with this wildly popular group, they are well-known for their combination of comedy, music, technology and starkly blue faces. The Blue Man Group show has been described as intensely exciting, outrageous, and one that leaves the audience in a blissful, euphoric state. And, who doesn’t love euphoria?! With no spoken language, Blue Man Group is perfect for people of all languages, and cultures.

Crafters and art fans unite! The 21st annual Minot Spring Show will be held April 13-14 at the North Dakota State Fair and includes more than 250 booths showcasing products hand-made from across the U.S. If you can’t make it to Minot, head to Hazen for their Art Show April 28-29. The weekend will be filled with demonstrations, entertainment and viewing of artwork in a variety of categories and hosted by the Hazen Arts and Crafts Association.

 Ready to rev up those engines? Grand Forks is the place to be April 14 – 15 for both motorcycle and car enthusiasts. The Red River Valley Motorcycle Show held at the Alerus Center is one of the region’s largest gatherings of motorcycles and will showcase some of the best classic and modern bikes. You also have a chance to win a custom 2012 Harley Davidson Road King motorcycle! For the car lovers, the 30^th annual Prime Steel Car Show will be on tap at the Purpur/Gambucci Arenas featuring some amazing classic cars, hot rods, muscle cars & antiques.

 Love opera? Then head to Fargo to experience Beethoven’s one and only opera, Fidelio premiering April 13 and 15 at Festival Concert Hall at NDSU. Hear and see the story of mistaken identity, love that conquers all and a final chorus that never fails to bring the audience to its feet. Wrapping up the list for those enjoying musical entertainment is the “Big Sing” in Jamestown April 28-29. This annual gathering of over 300 men from 12 choruses is sure to get toes tapping.

Greek letter (), is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi Day is celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world on March 14th. Pi = 3.1415926535 … (which has been calculated out to the trillionth digit by some super computer somewhere).

Math enthusiast or not, who wouldn’t want to celebrate a day so obscure and with the fortunate name of Pi? Any what might the best way to celebrate be … you guessed it, eating pie. Of course North Dakota has some excellent options to celebrate, whether at your mom’s countertop at one of the many local diners across the state.

So get out there and celebrate North Dakota, by eating pie in honor of Pi Day. Need a few ideas for great destinations for mouth-watering pie in North Dakota? We recommend (with a watering mouth and a hankering for diner coffee): Tower City Café – Tower City, Lewis and Clark Café – Washburn, Lunds Landing in Ray – Juneberry Pie, Little Cottage Cafe – Bismarck, and Webo’s Café in Linton.

This Ambassador is celebrating by fondly viewing my Pi plate (yes, it is awesome) and hoping my mother shows up with one of her homemade pies (Sweet Nordic gods, let it be apple … or wonder berry … or sour cream raisin … or rhubarb …).