Looking at a map of the Fargo-Moorhead area, one sees that it’s mostly suburbs with farmland surrounding for miles. The skyline of downtown is spotted with a couple of office buildings and a single radio tower. And around town there is always the problem of what to do in a tiny place like this. Take a journey to Main Street in Fargo, where there are a few great hidden gems to discover.
Turning left off Main onto Eighth Street will put you right in front of a humble shop with succulent treasure inside, Nichole’s Fine Pastry. Anyone who is a returning patron will tell you that it’s the only place for scrumptious, made-from-scratch goodies at a scrumptious price. And not only is your mouth flooded by what’s known as the “Finest Pastries in Town,” but your eyes are also treated to a feast of great visual art created by local artists. This month, Nichole’s is featuring a display of paintings and mixed media by Fargo’s Thomas Jefferson and oil paintings by Molly Yergens of Faribault, Minn.
Sitting down with anything from the huge selection of treats with a couple of friends and something warm to drink in the cozy café atmosphere is a deliciously sophisticated way to spend a winter afternoon.
Downtown can be quite the maze if you don’t know your way around, but if you can find Babb’s Coffee House on the corner of Main Avenue and Broadway, you don’t have to worry about where you are, because you are at a phenomenal place to relax with all-natural fresh coffee and a great mix of jazz and blues, folk and Seattle-inspired live music that really soothes the soul. It’s definitely a place to go if you’re a coffee lover or if you want to expand your love for music.
Hidden among the traffic and the busy boutiques is a little doorway that opens into The Spirit Room, which perhaps has the perfect example of the charisma historic Fargo has to offer. At 111 Broadway, it is easy to get to and it’s worth the drive downtown in the winter weather.
The Spirit Room galleries present spectacular views into cultures from around the world and from the creative minds of so many different people. The gallery displays art of new and up-and-coming artists around the area, and presents art that is diverse and poses new understandings for people.
“Our mission is to enrich people’s lives through the development and practice of creative and healing arts,” said Dawn Morgan, the executive director of the gallery. The studio also offers yoga classes, international dance classes and hours dedicated to meditation. There is so much going on at The Spirit Room for everyone; it is absolutely worth a visit.
If you’re looking to take more home than a full stomach or a good mood, across the street and less than a block north of The Spirit Room is Ecce Art + Yoga. Ecce (pronounced et – cheh) is a split gallery with one half featuring a single artist and the other displaying many collections of different artists with each piece for sale. Many of the pieces are not just local, but by international artists with spectacular work.
Besides these, there are many more places to find around town to venture into and take in artistic awareness, be presented with different cultures and get a grasp of a new taste of Fargo.