Get Ready for Fall Festivals in North Dakota

Fargo Park Fall Festival, Fargo, ND

Appreciate the state’s rural scenery on the beautiful drive from downtown Fargo to Rheault Farm, the countryside paradise where this annual fall festival is held. This free event is held on the last two weekends of September each year and is held to celebrate the fun activities of autumn. Families can pick out a carving-worthy pumpkin from the patch, get face painting from a local artist, watch clown performances, work on fall-themed arts and crafts, play carnival games, and navigate the straw bale maze. There’s no better way to spend a September day than at the Fargo Park Fall Festival!

Potato Bowl, Grand Forks, ND

Celebrate North Dakota’s agriculture heritage and unique spirit at the famous Potato Bowl, held in Grand Forks! For over 50 years, the Potato Bowl has drawn in tourists and football fans from far and wide each fall season. The festivities focus around a famous annual football game held between North Dakota and Idaho State, a battle between two of the largest potato-growing areas in the country. The festivities include giveaways, a golf scramble, baked potato bar, fan luncheon, fun run, parade, and potato pancake breakfast!

Norsk Hostfest, Minot, ND

As the widely anticipated annual Norsk Hostfest puts it, this event is “pure scandamonium!” Celebrating all things Scandinavian, it is one of the most popular events in North Dakota and the perfect cultural event to welcome in the fall season. The several day event has activities for people of all ages and interests, including delicious and unique culinary creations, nightly dances, live demonstrations, Miss Norsk Hostfest competition, live music, and, of course, Vikings.

HarvestFest, Hazen, ND

Visit the quaint and friendly small town of Hazen for their annual harvest festival, held every year in early September. There is something for everyone at this lively event with live music, a classic car show, a vendor show with all manner of wares and services, street dances, breakfast feeds, inflatables, a parade, adorable wiener dog races, an authentically North Dakotan “fleischkeukla feed,” and, of course, beer and brats. Hazen may be a small town, but they know how to throw a party!

Uffda Day, Rutland, ND

For over three decades, Rutland has hosted one of the hottest events of the fall in the entire state: the Scandinavian festival of Uffda Day. Celebrating the tiny town’s rich Scandinavian roots and the coming of autumn, Uff-Da Day is chalked full of activities fit for everyone. The day features Scandinavian cuisine booths, crafts, vendors, a 5K run, lively parade, widely anticipated wife-carrying contest, kids’ nickel toss contest, and a traditional Scandinavian meal served at City Hall that consists of scalloped potatoes with ham and plenty of Scandinavian delicacies.

Key Insights at a Glance

• Fall festival season in North Dakota brings activities like apple eating, scarecrow building, tractor shows, parades, and more.
• The Fargo Park Fall Festival offers pumpkin picking, face painting, arts and crafts, carnival games, and a straw bale maze.
• The Potato Bowl in Grand Forks celebrates North Dakota's agriculture heritage with a football game, giveaways, golf scramble, baked potato bar, fan luncheon, fun run, parade, and potato pancake breakfast.
• The Norsk Hostfest in Minot celebrates Scandinavian culture with culinary creations, dances, live demonstrations, competitions, live music, and Vikings.
• Hazen's HarvestFest features live music, a classic car show, a vendor show, street dances, breakfast feeds, wiener dog races, fleischkeukla feed, and beer and brats.
• Rutland's Uffda Day celebrates Scandinavian roots with cuisine booths, crafts, vendors, 5K run, parade, wife-carrying contest, nickel toss contest, and traditional Scandinavian meal.