NDSU student Kaylee Weigel walks in downtown Fargo near the historic Fargo Theatre. The Fargo-Moorhead area has many activities for NDSU students to enjoy.
The city of Fargo, North Dakota celebrates everything from arts and culture to food and music. A mix of historic architecture, local shopping and delicious restaurants make the downtown area, which is a short distance from the NDSU campus, a dynamic hub for entertainment and socializing.
Kaylee Weigel, who is set to graduate with a master's degree this spring, loves the variety of options Fargo offers for entertainment, relaxation and fun. Despite her busy schedule as the acting student body president and a microbiology graduate student, the Kappa Delta alumna still manages to make time to enjoy her experience in the city.
“I love Fargo because there are so many opportunities to get out of your house and get involved and engaged,” said Weigel, who is from Alexandria, Minnesota. “One of the things I love most about Fargo is the size; it's large enough where you can make a ton of connections and find so many things to do, but it's not too small where you know every single person.”
Fargo’s friendly community and vibrant culture make it easy to get out and explore.
“The type of activities I like to do kind of depend on the season,” Weigel said. “You get a good sense of all of the seasons and they are really beautiful.”
In the summer, Weigel enjoys annual events like Rib Fest and the Red River Valley Fair. In the fall, she likes going to RedHawks baseball games played on campus, Bison football games, the Red River Market and the NDSU Homecoming parade.
The Fargo-Moorhead area offers a diverse range of seasonal activities, including 200 miles of bike trails, 3,000 acres of parkland and 20 public golf courses.
“I really like snow, so in the winter I like to go ice skating or snowshoeing. Sometimes you can see snowball fights on campus which are really fun.” Weigel said. “I also really like going to Fargo Force hockey games.”
Downtown Fargo is bustling with energy and opportunities to experience a wide range of foods and experiences.
“I love coming downtown to shop local and eat local and just give back to local businesses. NDSU is really close to the downtown area so you can get a couple buddies and get lunch or a cup of coffee or just go for a nice little stroll,” Weigel said.
Fargo fosters a welcoming atmosphere where people come together to support local businesses, volunteer for community initiatives and participate in neighborhood events. Kaylee enjoys being part of the supportive community of nearly 250,000 people.
“It's pretty obvious that the Fargo-Moorhead community is really proud to have NDSU here. It's a great school and the Bison pride really does run deep,” she said. “There are a lot of community members that like to help out our college students, but also college students that like to give back to the community. There is a great sense of belonging and everybody just works together to build each other up.”
Kaylee said Fargo played a large role in her decision to attend NDSU.
“I chose NDSU because I knew it was a great school for science and I would get a lot of great research opportunities as an R1 institution. But the reason I picked Fargo is because it was a town that really did feel like home the second I stepped onto campus. I just felt like this was a place for me to belong,” Weigel said.
Learn more about Kaylee’s story by visiting the official NDSU YouTube channel.
Explore the possibility of calling the Fargo-Moorhead area home by visiting fargomoorhead.org. Students interested in touring the campus can schedule your visit at ndsu.edu/visit.
