The Summer Scramble Precedes Fargo Street Fair

By Pat Bresnahan

Summer is always one of the busiest times of the year for North Dakotans. With a limited number of fair weather months, it seems as though we try to fit a year’s worth of weddings, fairs and events into a 3-month window. For the four of us at Grain Designs, this summer has been no exception. So I thought I would give a brief rundown of what has been happening at Grain Designs as well as what will be coming up soon.

Just like almost everyone else in the area, the Grain Designs team was itching to get to the lake for the fourth, but not before the completion of a couple unique projects.  One was a bit out of our usual scope of work, but it was a unique design/build project that we were happy to help with.  We were commissioned to build 100 vape liquid testing stations for Infinite Vapor. This was an interesting project that required a few late nights and quite a few tedious steps.  We even called in the outsider’s help for the project.  In the end though, it was fun to work on a project that was different from most of our builds.

Another unique project that we wrapped up was a custom dog kennel equipped with sliding doors for the new south Fargo Pet Spa and Grooming company, Muddy Paws. Having grown up with dogs, I can tell you that dog kennels typically aren’t built with a home’s aesthetics in mind. This kennel however, blended functionality and beauty nicely with the hopes of achieving the best of both worlds.  Grant and Blain had the pleasure of delivering this piece and returned with some great feedback about the unique space and business concept… be sure to stop in and check them out.  I think I speak for the entire team when I say that we were very happy with how both projects turned out.

With a couple of big projects in the rear view mirror, we were able to take a little time off for the fourth. Phil and I headed to our annual family reunion in Park Rapids, Grant got to spend a little time at his parent’s lake cabin, and Blain enjoyed a trip to Breckenridge Colorado. Although we love our jobs at Grain Designs, I don’t think any of us felt ready to return to work this week after our great vacations. But as the Cage the Elephant song says, “There ain’t no rest for the wicked and money don’t grow on trees”. With that in mind, there are still plenty of things left in July to get excited about. One of the biggest events of the year for us is coming up next weekend. That of course is the 2017 Downtown Fargo Street Fair which runs from Thursday July 13th through Saturday July 15th.  Last year’s street fair was a lot of fun, and we are looking forward to getting a chance to chat with people, unveil some new products, and hopefully sell a few of those products as well.

Not unlike the weeks preceding the 4th of July holiday, more large projects and Street Fair preparations have us busy gearing up for the big event.  I know we’re not the only ones… my girlfriend, Nicolette Berge, is the events coordinator for the Downtown Community Partnership.  This title puts her in charge of a lot of the planning for the street fair, and makes her responsible for the fair’s success.  As you might imagine, that makes this a bit of a stressful time of year for her and by association me.  I know first hand that there is a lot of hard work that goes into making this great event a reality and can also attest to the fact that there are TONS of great vendors to check out in addition to the Grain Designs booth.  If you find yourself perusing the streets for the Grain Designs booth, we will be sandwiched between the iconic Fargo Theatre and great local shops O’day Cache, Proper, and Shannalee.   Mark you calendars, be sure to come check it out and stop by to say hello.  I am certain that you will have a great time browsing vendors and eating fair food, but even if you don’t, you can feel good knowing that you made my life a bit easier.