Dear Minot:
Our city has always been a hub of activity in north central North Dakota, and our role as a regional leader continues to grow.
Whether it’s for shopping, entertainment, sports, health care, or some other reason, Minot continues to attract visitors from outside our community. The month of March is always a busy time of the year for tourism in Minot, driven by sporting events at all levels. March 2024 is no different. Here’s just a sampling of some of the major events happening in our community in March:
- Feb. 29-March 1-2: Girls Class A State Basketball Tournament – MSU Dome
- March 1-2: Home & Garden Show – ND State Fair Center
- March 2: NCAA Division II Wrestling Super Regional - ND State Fair Center
- March 2-3: Rebel Roundup gymnastics competition – Magic City Campus
- March 4-7: Region 3 Boys basketball tournament – MSU Dome
- March 13-16: U.S. National Sled Hockey Border Battle – Maysa Arena
- March 14: Prairie Grit Sled Hockey Classic – Maysa Arena
- March 14-16: Boys Class B State Basketball Tournament – MSU Dome
- March 8: KX Sport Show – ND State Fair Center
- March 15-16: National Archery in the Schools State Tournament – ND State Fair Center
- March 19-20: ND League of Cities spring workshop – Clarion Hotel
- March 21: 37th Annual Prairie Warrior Auction – Grand Hotel
- March 22-24: State Amateur basketball tournament – various locations
Whew. Certainly, there are a lot more events – large and small – happening in Minot in March, but listing them all would be nearly impossible. Our friends at Visit Minot can help with their calendar at visitminot.org.
As residents, business owners, and elected officials, we can all play a key role in helping these events succeed and in ensuring Minot remains in the rotation to host these tournaments, competitions, and conferences.
As a community, we must show the teams, coaches, fans, visitors, and supporters that we’re glad they’re here. We must roll out the red carpet for our visitors to let them know we appreciate them taking the time to visit our wonderful city. We can do that in a wide variety of ways.
If you own a business with some sort of sign, consider posting a “Welcome to Minot” or similar message during the days of these events, especially the events that bring visitors from other cities, other states, and even other countries. Let’s make our guests feel welcome.
During these events, Minot will be a busy place, including the restaurants, hotels, shopping locations, and other establishments. If you’re in a restaurant and see a large group of people with team jackets or other apparel, stop and say hi to them. Tell them you’re glad they’re here, and thank them for coming to Minot. A smile, handshake, and a thank you can go a long way.
As a community, Minot has worked hard to expand its facilities to attract more tournaments, competitions, events, and conferences. We’re continually expanding our shopping opportunities. We’re opening more unique and locally owned restaurants and other establishments. We’ve made dramatic changes at the Roosevelt Park Zoo and added one-of-a-kind attractions like the Magic City Discovery Center. All of these things help bring more visitors to Minot, and that’s a good thing for everyone.
But ultimately, great facilities and more shopping and dining opportunities won’t be enough if our visitors don’t enjoy their time in our community. That’s how each and every one of us can contribute to the future success of our entire community. We can all take pride in our community and small acts of kindness and sincerity can make all the difference.
I challenge all of us – from residents to business owners to elected officials – to be good ambassadors and cheerleaders for Minot. Let’s make sure “Welcome to Minot” isn’t an empty promise. We can all do our part.
You can find more about what’s happening at the City of Minot at minotnd.org, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. We’d also encourage you to sign up for our monthly electronic newsletter on our website.