Grand Forks Brings The Community Out For A Scavenger Hunt & Live Music

The scavenger hunt had eight locations made up of six businesses and two parks.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Finding things to do in the community while in the midst of a pandemic can be a hard task for many.

“People want to get out and do things, but they want to be safe and do it in a social distancing way,” said the Executive Director of  Greater Grand Forks Julie Rygg.

Grand Forks came up with an idea that would encourage people to enjoy all the city has to offer while also supporting local businesses.

Raise the Forks started with a scavenger hunt taking participants all over the city and ended with a celebration that included a picnic and live music.

“We want people to be excited to bring events back when it’s safe. And so, that’s what we’re trying to do and really these local businesses. We can’t do what we do here if we don’t have strong local businesses. So, we want to support them, we want to showcase them as much as possible,” Rygg said.

One of the companies taking part in the event is Northern Roots Boutique.

The business like many, had to look for other ways to still provide service, while making sure to keep both customers and employees safe.

“I always want to concentrate on women coming to the store and the one on one attention and dressing them and doing different things and when COVID hit, it wasn’t safe to come into the store, I did more online presence,” said the owner of Northern Roots Boutique Kay Derry.

Derry adds it’s nice the community can also enjoy a little bit of normalcy even if it’s just for day.

“I don’t want to say it’s a depressing time, but it is a depressing time when you can’t go out and do things with your friends, so this way you can at least, even if it’s across the parking lot, or go around town and just go for a drive and get fresh air,” Kerry said.

The scavenger hunt had eight locations made up of six businesses and two parks.