Crookston's Best Bars

The holiday season is just around the corner, and that means there's no shortage of fun activities for you, your family, and your loved ones this December in Grand Forks. So whether you're looking for something seasonal or just a good time, there are plenty of options for you to choose from. We've created this list of our most anticipated December events to help you plan a December that sends 2021 out in style. more Annual Holiday Lego Display When you think of the holiday season, you likely think of fun toys and merry children, and toys don't get more iconic than Lego. That's why the annual holiday Lego display is one of the most beloved traditions in all of Grand Forks. In collaboration with HB Sound and Light and GFKlug, the miniature display comprises thousands of carefully placed bricks. Grand Forks residents will love the experience of seeing Greater Grand Forks and its most famous landmarks recreated with tiny bricks. ArtWise Holiday Showcase Support local artists in the Grand Forks community by attending the art-wise holiday showcase and seeing their fantastic works of art. The showcase, which runs from November 4th through December 31st at the Columbia Mall, features a variety of pieces from local artists for display and purchasing. You can take in the beautiful art and help support local artists by purchasing your favorite piece. Brantley Gilbert at the Alerus Center Don't let the name fool you, Brantley Gilbert's "The Worst Country Tour of All Time" is coming to Grand Forks, and it promises to be a fantastic time. Gilbert always provides an excellent show for those in attendance. With featuring performances by Hardy and country legends Toby Keith, it's a night that promises to leave any country fan satisfied. The Holiday Show Starring Misti Koop Get into the holiday spirit with the holiday show starring misty cute, running at the Empire Arts Center from November 26th through December 5th. Misti is a veteran of the stage, and she takes guests through her experience performing a holiday show aboard a cruise liner. In addition, she shares her experience of being far from home for the holidays with stories and performances of holiday traditions, along with help from the North Dakota Ballet Company, the University of North Dakota's Low Brass Ensemble, and more. Magical Medora Christmas Don't miss the one-night opportunity to take in the Magical Medora Christmas on December 9th from 7 to 9 pm. The show features five veterans of the Medora's Burning Hill Amphitheatre performing Christmas music that is sure to delight. It's a fun experience for the whole family, with entertainment for all ages. It's no wonder this is one of the most popular touring attractions in North Dakota every year. The Nutcracker Extravaganza There are few holiday shows more universally revered than "The Nutcracker." The beautiful ballet dancing you can see is sure to astound, with over 75 dancers from small children to adults taking part. The show includes the family-friendly first act of "The Nutcracker" and the famous "Land of the Sweets" from the climactic third act. Tickets are available for shows on December 17th and December 18th, and you don't want to be one of the people who miss out, so get yours ordered today. Santa Visits the American Legion Image via Flickr by T Dale Bagwell | CC by 2.0 Visiting with Santa can be a holiday-making experience for children, and the American Legion is happy to provide the opportunity for locals to meet Santa themselves this year. Santa will make his visit to the American Legion on December 11th from 1 to 5 pm. The American Legion and Santa and courage families to come by, get a photo with saint nick, and participate in fun activities like coloring. Your child can even use the opportunity to deliver their letter directly to Santa's hand and make sure he gets it and keep that extra special this year! Thompson Square at The Prohibition Room The Prohibition Room is ready to rock with the announcement of a performance by two-time grammy-nominated artist Thompson Square. The duo, who won the Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association's duo artist of the year, is coming to Grand Forks and providing an acoustic show for their fans. The show runs from 7 pm to 10:30 pm on December 2nd, and fans will want to be there for this unique opportunity for an intimate performance by the band. Ugly Christmas Sweater Pub Crawl If you have a favorite ugly Christmas sweater, we have great news for you. But, if you don't, you better get shopping. The ugly Christmas sweater pub crawl allows you and your friends to tour the excellent bars in grand forks while celebrating the fun of wearing gaudy Christmas shirts. With the partnership from iHeartMedia, 2021's crawl on December 11th from noon to 10 pm is sure to be a blast. University of North Dakota Winter Wonderland The students at the University of North Dakota are immensely talented, and on December 4th, from 2 pm to 4 pm, their choirs are ready to share those talents with you. Featuring performances from several choirs within the University of North Dakota's music department, this show features a mix of holiday classics and the latest seasonal songs. So get December started the right way with this night of lovely music. At Rydell Auto Group, we love being a part of the Grand Forks community. We have met so many friendly and talented individuals in our time serving this community, and we love the opportunity to give back to it by sharing that love with others. In addition, we take pride in being Grand Forks' number one new and used car dealership and take the responsibility that comes with it seriously. That's why we use our platform to help promote other people and businesses doing great work in the Grand Forks community. So, which of these December events are you most looking forward to? Is there something else that caught your eye which we missed? You can contact us today and tell us all about it, or leave a note in the comments for others, so we don't miss out!

There are times when a day or weekend spent fishing is just what you need to unwind from a long work week. After you've gained a bountiful catch from your favorite fishing hole and carried it home, you might find that a strong smell clings to your vehicle. Here are some of the simple ways you can eliminate the overpowering fish smell from your car, truck, or SUV. more Preemptive Measures Planning ahead can make the difference between cleaning up a minor stink and having to go over every inch of your cabin and storage area to eliminate the awful fish stench. Make sure you bring a tackle box and cooler that are securely closable. It may be nice in a sentimental way to hang on to old boxes and coolers, but one sharp jolt can tilt them open and cover your cabin or storage area with fish, strong-smelling liquids, and sharp objects. Make sure you have enough towels, newspaper, or similar absorbent material to tackle a large spill. If one takes place, the sooner you mop it up, the easier the stains and smells will be to remove. Ignoring a spill can completely ruin cloth upholstery or seriously discolor leather or vinyl upholstery. Building Cleaning Kits Image via Flickr by wuestenigel | CC by 2.0 We are referring to two different kinds of kits here. The first is a portable kit for gutting, scaling and cleaning fish. It includes a foldable portable workspace, knives, and other items. Many fishers prefer to do that kind of work at home, in or near the kitchen. If you do the work at the fishing site and outside of your vehicle, you'll eliminate most of what creates unpleasant fishy smells before you head home. You can prevent the fish smell entirely by carrying home a cooler full of filets instead of a cooler full of dead fish. The second fish cleaning kit includes all of the chemical products and materials you'll need in the event of cabin contamination. You won't always be able to do cleaning work on-site because of the weather and other variables, so go ahead and gather these important items. Include cleaning sprays and solutions appropriate to your vehicle's upholstery and dashboard materials. It may be tempting to buy all-in-one cleaning products, but these chemicals are less effective than the ones made specifically for the type of stain and/or surface you want to deal with. If you have wooden paneling or metal-look accents in your cabin, check your owner's manual for the best products to clean them with. These interior additions tend to react badly to powerful all-purpose chemicals. Include a few quarts of water, vinegar, and a liquid clothing detergent. This mix is excellent for clearing stains and smells from carpet and cloth upholstery. You can work it into the carpet by hand, but a portable carpet cleaner will do the work best. Baking soda is a great scent elimination powder. If you keep an open box or bag in your cooler and in your door cargo pocket, the smell will clear from the air. Ventilation and Proper Packing If you've got a full haul of fish on your hands and you couldn't clean them on-site, keeping your vehicle aired out will do a lot to eliminate long-lasting smells. Keep your windows rolled down and run your air conditioning to maximize airflow. Try to avoid stopping anywhere for too long. The longer your fish stay in your vehicle, the more pungent the smell will be and the harder it could be to remove. If you've got whole fish, make sure they are adequately packed into their coolers before you get rolling. Wrap them in newspaper or butcher's paper to soak up excess fluid and put that in a couple of layers of plastic bag. Lay the fish in layers in a large cooler so that they are as flat as possible and cover each layer with some ice. Avoid overfilling your fish coolers before travel. It is better to throw back a few fish than to have your coolers overflow and tilt onto your floor. Fill the Air with Better Scents There are many ways to improve the smell of your vehicle during transport, while you're cleaning, and after you are done. While a solid air freshener is a common option, vent-set timed-release air freshening units are far more effective. If you prefer a more natural scent, consider compact incense cones. These can be placed in cup holders or dashboard inserts specially made to hold them as they release their aromas. Scented sprays for cloth upholstery or new leather smell sprays for leather upholstery are also available. When you choose the detergent for the kit mentioned above, try to go with a scentless option. The scented versions can leave a powerful detergent smell in your vehicle for quite a while. If All Else Fails, Call in the Cavalry Sometimes, the fish stench won't disappear, no matter what you do. This is often the case in situations that involve large spills from your fishing cooler. When you hit that wall, it is time to head down to Rydell Cars in Grand Forks, North Dakota. There you'll find a crew of professionals ready to clean and detail your vehicle, so it looks new inside and out. They'll use equipment engineered for delicate and deep cleaning work. Contact our service department to schedule your appointment, and we'll get that harsh fish smell out in no time. If the odor is so terrible that it can't be removed, we can replace the tainted upholstery or carpeting. Contact us if you know of any other valuable tips for clearing fish smells out of vehicles. We'll add them to our list so our outdoor-loving patrons can benefit. At Rydell Auto Group, we wish you productive fishing trips, safe smell-free rides home, and many delicious dinners with loved ones and friends. Suppose you need something to drive to your fishing spot in; check out our expansive inventory. We're sure we can help you find a vehicle to enjoy.

Thief River Falls, Minnesota, is an ideal place to raise a family — and we should know because the Rydell family has been a proud part of the Grand Forks community since 1954. This also means that Thief River Falls has a lot of options to find family-friendly indoor fun. The range of indoor activities in and around the city is diverse, entertaining, and enlightening. Check out some of our favorite indoor activities in the Thief River Falls area. more Fosston Community Library and Arts Center Image via Flickr by Larry Lamsa CC by 2.0 The Fosston Community Library and Arts Center at 403 N. Foss Ave. in nearby Fosston is full of entertaining and enriching indoor activities for the entire family. The library recently celebrated 60 years of service to the community. Its selection of books is a bookworm's dream. Whether you favor nonfiction, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, action and adventure, history, or horror, this library has something you're sure to love. Audiobooks, music CDs, and DVDs featuring movies shows, and documentaries are available. The Arts Center is home to a theater, a musical instruction center, a recording studio, an art gallery, and more. Its theater department is one of the busiest in the region, with features spread throughout the year. If you have a boy or girl in high school who loves stage acting, inquire about the program's single-act student-directed plays. Instrumental and choral recitals, musicals, and other theatrical events take place year-round, so call or check the online schedule for details. The art gallery is a multiuse space that's home to a wide range of rotating exhibits, so you never know what artistic wonders you'll see. Facility rentals are available, so make a reservation if you want to use this creatively engaging space for a special event with your loved ones and friends. Rental areas include a fully loaded kitchenette and a large indoor space ideal for writing groups, book clubs, business meetings, and other important gatherings. Marshall County Historical Society Just half an hour from Thief River Falls, in Warren, you'll find the Marshall County Historical Society (MCHS). Located at 808 E. Johnson Ave., this historical society and museum are packed with unique indoor attractions for the family to explore. Start out in historic Settler's Square, an accurate representation of life in the 1880s. One of the most fascinating exhibits in the square is a photographer's studio, where you can have your picture taken using an antique camera obscura. Get haircuts and shaves at the barbershop, have something made at the local blacksmith's shop, and learn to craft a meal at the Cook School. Other attractions include the Landreville Cabin, a period lawyer's office, a county church, a bank, and a general store. Check out the massive new visitor's center, a 10,000-square-foot building housing an astonishing array of exhibits. Exhibit pieces include an incredible range of war relics, a perfectly maintained Studebaker Wagon, various period farming equipment, and more. One of the more recent MCHS additions to this grand collection is a UFO car. Falls Cinema One of the best ways to relax and enjoy the day with family is to see a feature film or two at a grand theater-like Falls Cinema. The cinema is located at 15469 US-59 right in Thief River Falls. Tickets are very affordable: The adult rate is $9 a ticket, while the rate for kids, seniors, and matinee films is $7.50 a ticket. Falls Cinema showtimes are primarily in the afternoons and evenings, featuring the most popular releases. If you have a large group of friends or coworkers who love going to the movies, consider renting part of the theater for a private showing for $200. For the cheapest available ticket prices, visit during the ticket sale on Tuesdays, when all tickets are $5. If you bring a bucket with you on Wednesdays, you can fill it with a free order of popcorn with any drink purchase. Thursdays are ideal date nights at Falls Cinema, where you and your loved one can get a meal, popcorn, soda, and a ticket for $25 each. You can purchase tickets online at the theater website. The cinema is happy to host birthday parties for $11 a person. The party package includes a kiddie combo meal or a medium soda and an order of popcorn. Norskies Junior Hockey Club Enjoy one of the most beloved pastimes in Minnesota at the Norskies Junior Hockey Club. The Friday and Saturday games are among the most attended events in the area. Coach Elliot Bates brings innovative and entertaining strategies to the ice to get wins for the team. He has coached many teams in the region, including the Granite City Lumberjacks, Yellowstone Quakes, and others. The team and its coordinators are dedicated to enriching and empowering the young people of Thief River Falls. Consider allowing your child to attend tryouts during the selection camp period, which takes place each year. Prospective players must have registered with USA Hockey for the season in which they wish to play. Purchasing season tickets is the most helpful way to support the team. Plus, you avoid having to buy tickets repeatedly for yourself or the hockey lovers among your family and friends. Season ticket holders enjoy special perks such as guaranteed seats at every game, lower per-game prices than nonseason rates, and a 10% discount at the Norskies gear stand. Season pass holders also have no wait at the box office, the first choice of the best seats during playoff games, and first rights for same-seat renewal if you find a favorite spot to watch from. Ten-game flex packs are available for those who want to go to several games but don't want to spring for a season pass. Whether you favor reading and art, a stroll through history, a movie at the theater, or a good time on game night, each of these fantastic locations is ideal for a family outing on your day off. If we missed any fun indoor activities in or around Thief River Falls, Minnesota, please get in touch so we can add them to our list.