When you hear Fargo, you probably picture snow, a certain wood chipper and people saying, “You betcha.”

On our recent visit to Fargo for the Photowalks show, we found all kinds of reasons to look beyond those stereotypes: a walkable downtown filled with many colorful murals and historic buildings, independent cafes, Scandinavian-inspired food and a movie theater worth photographing more than once. Just outside town, the landscape changes to wide-open roads, old barns and enormous prairie skies.

A visit here to the largest city in North Dakota, with a metro population of 275,000, is steps away (I know this, because I walked it) from the Minnesota border in Morehead, and not that far away from South Dakota. Minneapolis is a two-hour drive, and many people in Fargo head down to the big city for concerts and sporting events.

After running all over town with my iPhones for Photowalks, here’s how I’d organize a two-day visit.

Day One: Walk Downtown, Follow the Murals and Stay for the Lights

Downtown’s Broadway Square is a gathering place that is best known as a place to watch movies at night and hang. It’s also a nice touch for Fargo’s transformation. Once a parking lot, it’s now a place to meet, relax and start exploring on foot.

Our downtown guide, Rocky, took me on a roughly one-mile photowalk through historic streets and alleys. And there are many of them, with art seemingly everywhere you look.

Among my favorites were the Bob Dylan mural (did you know that the Minnesota native began his early career in Fargo?), the playful Super Mario mural and the “Greetings from Fargo” design. Graffiti Alley offers a different experience: a space for wild street art alongside the more finished public artworks elsewhere downtown.

Late Morning: A Homemade Pop-Tart at Moonrise Cafe

The fun thing about making these travel shows is ditching the chain restaurants we see all over and visiting a local shop where everything is handmade and there’s price in the local offerings. Such was the case at the Moonrise Cafe on Broadway, which offers coffee and dozens of baked treats.

The staff told us their homemade Pop-Tarts take three days: make the dough, assemble the pastries with filling, then bake and finish them. Flavors change; during our visit, spiced plum was among the offerings.

Afternoon: The Wood Chipper and a Minnesota Detour

The movie Fargo didn’t take place in Fargo. The bad guys in the film were from there, but virtually all the action was in Minnesota. That hasn’t stopped local boosters from running with it. In fact, you can visit the Fargo-Moorhead Visitors Center see the famous wood chipper from Fargo, along with movie memorabilia. Even if you came to discover the city beyond the film, this is a fun stop.

Then cross the Red River into Moorhead, Minnesota, for the Hjemkomst Center. Its centerpiece is a remarkable replica Viking ship whose story includes a voyage to Norway. It adds another dimension to the area’s Scandinavian heritage—and gives you a reason to explore both sides of the river.

Dinner: Scandinavian Flavors at Prairie Kitchen

For dinner, we visited Prairie Kitchen at 701 Eateries.

I ordered true local fare: skillet cornbread and Swedish meatballs, leaning into the region’s Scandinavian connections. It was a different side of Fargo’s food scene from the cafes and contemporary food halls.

Evening: Photograph the Fargo Theatre

Build your evening around the Fargo Theatre’s illuminated sign. Of everything I photographed in town, this was the landmark that kept drawing me back.

The scale, the glow, the nostalgia dominate the skyline and screams FARGO to the world. Arrive around sunset so you can try the marquee against both a fading sky and the deeper colors that follow. During our shoot, clouds added texture to the background and made the scene even better.

Start directly across the street, then explore an angled view from farther along the block. The compositions feel surprisingly different.

If the programming fits your visit, make a night of it with a movie or live performance inside. We love that Fargo can support a year-round independent cinema.

Day Two: Food-Hall Finds and the Open Prairie

Morning: Revisit Your Favorite Downtown Corners

Use the morning for anything you rushed past on day one: another mural, an interesting storefront or a historic building that deserves a closer look.

Lunch: Browse and Eat at Brewhalla

Make Brewhalla your lunch stop. Built around Drekker Brewing Company, it combines food, shopping, drinks and space to gather.

The variety is part of the attraction. People traveling together can choose different meals and still share the experience.

I went for pizza, at The Bird, with fresh dough and sausage made in-house. It was one of the food highlights of the trip. Over all, if you were expecting Fargo fare to be just chicken fried steak and grilled cheese sandwiches, (not that there’s anything wrong with that,) look no further than Brewhalla.

Afternoon: Leave Room for the Backroads

Then in spring, summer and fall, head beyond downtown for the landscape that became my favorite part of visiting the area.

The city gives way to fields, barns and straight roads beneath huge skies all within a few minutes drive. After a day of murals and architecture, the open space makes a striking contrast and a photographers dream.

We found sunflower fields during our visit, but treat those as a seasonal possibility rather than a guaranteed stop. The broader attraction is the prairie itself. (Do know that Fargo can get very cold in the winter, as frigid as 40 degrees below, so be prepared and bundle up.)

Where We Stayed

Our base was the Best Western Plus Kelly Inn & Suites, which hosted our stay. Its lodge-style decor includes carved bears that give the property a personality of its own.

Best Western supported and hosted the accommodations for this PhotowalksTV visit.