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Welcome to State Fair and ND State Parade

The North Dakota State Fair and the North Dakota State Parade are the biggest events of the summer, bringing to Minot thousands of visitors from all over the state, out of state and Canada. The 2023 fair started Friday, July 21, when its gates opened. Based on last year’s figures, over the fair’s nine-day run it is quite likely more than 300,000 visitors will pass through the gates. Last year, State Fair total attendance was 314,271, up 3,586 from 2021, according to reported fair attendance for 2022. The record is 320,486 visitors in 2013. The parade is today, and the many ...

Getting Burgum on national debate stage crucial

I had something interesting on my Facebook feed the other day: an ad for North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, promising $1 if I donated to his campaign. The first 50,000 people to do so received a $20 “Biden Relief Card.” It’s a $20 Visa or Mastercard debit card. All you had to do was donate $1. Ethically, I’m not sure how I feel about this. It is illegal in the United States to buy a vote. But this isn’t buying a vote. What Governor Burgum is trying to obtain is his golden ticket. That golden ticket is a chance to debate on the national stage. He wants to be on that stage in ...

New flight to Florida good for Minot travelers

This week Allegiant Airlines announced a new nonstop flight from Minot International Airport to Florida that will start in time for the winter holidays. This is a good addition to the Minot airport’s offerings of flights for passengers in the city and surrounding area. Passengers will be able to fly without dealing with layovers or driving miles to another airport to access a direct flight to Florida. It’s good for the local community when people can use local services provided for their businesses or personal travel. The new route will take travelers to Orlando Sanford ...

Fourth of July parade a start for more to come

Minot hasn’t had a parade on the Fourth of July for a long time but this year members of the Minot Shrine Club held their first parade in the city to celebrate this nation’s independence. Having a parade in Minot was Steve Belcher’s idea. Belcher, president of the local Shrine Club, said he remembers watching the Fourth of July parade in Minot about 55 years ago. He said that parade traveled from the street behind Town and Country Center, past Trinity Hospital and down Main Street. It was an ambitious project to hold a parade this Fourth of July. The call for entries was ...

Independence Day: More than parades, fireworks, barbecues

People think of family get-togethers, barbecues, parades, concerts and fireworks on the Fourth of July. We display U.S. flags to show our patriotism and pride for this country on that day. But the reason for celebrating the Fourth of July, also known as Independence Day, sometimes is lost in all our planning and activities. A federal holiday, the Fourth of July is when we celebrate America’s independence from the British empire. According to historical information, July 4 is the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress, a ...

Burgum first ND governor to seek U.S. presidency

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum announced this week his candidacy for U.S. president. You might wonder if any other North Dakota governor has run for president. To find out more we turned to Rick Collin, a N.D. expert on presidents and N.D. political leaders. Collin, of Bismarck, has taught many classes on the American presidency at the University of Mary, Bismarck State College and for Humanities North Dakota. No other N.D. governor has run for the presidency. A N.D. congressman was the first N.D. office holder to run for president more than 80 years ago, according to Collin. ...