High Plains Reader is the upper midwest's independent news, arts and entertainment news source. HPR hits stands the Third Thursday of every month and is available free of charge. In its 31st year, the Reader is the go-to source for news, in depth journalism reports, music, theatre, arts, food, beer, wine and culture. More than 10,000 issues of HPR are distributed monthly, including Dickinson, Bismarck, Jamestown, Valley City and Grand Forks / East Grand Forks. Read more here at hpr1.com and follow us on Twitter at @hprfm.
Additional or back copies may be purchased at HPR’s office for $5. No one may have more than one current issue of the High Plains Reader without permission of HPR management. Theft of HPR publications will be prosecuted.
124 8th St. N. :: Fargo, ND 58102
Phone: (701) 235-1553
Co-Owners: Raul Gomez & John Strand
Publisher: Raul Gomez | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Editor: Sabrina Hornung | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Sales Director: Alicia Underlee nelson | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Film Editor: Greg Carlson | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Design: JosieGereszek | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Web Design & Development: Benjamin Lake Hamilton | Krondek | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Best Bets | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Advertising Team: John Strand | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), Alicia Underlee Nelson | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Delivery: Midwest Distribution
Founders: Ian Swanson, Peter Ryan, Len Schmid & Jim Johnson
_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)__293px-wide.jpg)
_(1)__293px-wide.jpg)
__293px-wide.jpg)
__293px-wide.jpg)
By Bryce Vincent HaugenAdditional reporting by Alicia Underlee Nelson For the second time this month, federal immigration agents shot an American citizen dead in the streets of south Minneapolis. And for the second time, the…
By Kooper Shagena Just off of I-94 and Highway 83 on State Street in Bismarck, an abandoned Kmart sits behind an empty parking lot, watching the cars roll on and off the interstate exchange. It has been standing there quietly since…
Saturday, January 31, mingling at 6:15 p.m. and program at 7 p.m.Fine Arts Club, 601 4th St. S., FargoThe FM Symphony is getting intimate by launching a “Small Stages” chamber music series and it's bringing folks together via…
By John Strand If you are reading this editorial and you too are worried sick about the state of our country, keep reading. Maybe we can inspire each other. It was near closing time. We were discussing our values crisis. So this…
By Ed RaymondA mind that snapped, cracked, and popped at one hundredI wasn’t going to read a long column called “Centenarian: A Diary of a Hundredth Year” by Calvin Tomkins celebrating his birthday on December 17 of 2025…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…
By Rick GionSince the much-dreaded Covid years, there has been much ebb and flow in the Fargo-Moorhead restaurant scene. In 2025, that trend continued with some major additions and closings. Let’s start the New Year on a positive…
Saturday, January 17, doors at 7:30 p.m.The Aquarium above Dempsey’s, 226 N. Broadway, FargoThe Slow Death is a punk supergroup led by Jesse Thorson, with members and collaborators that include members of The Ergs!, Dillinger…
By Greg Carlson The versatile Nia DaCosta follows her underseen and underappreciated “Hedda” (one of my 2025 favorites) with the first female-helmed entry in the 28 Days/Weeks/Years Later series, a fascinating and grisly…
By Jacinta ZensThe Guerrilla Girls, an internationally renowned anonymous feminist art collective, have been bringing attention to the gender and racial imbalances in contemporary art institutions for the last 40 years. They have…
Saturday, January 31, 6:30-9 p.m.Transfiguration Fitness, 764 34th St. N., Unit P, FargoAn enchanting evening celebrating movement and creativity in a staff-student showcase. This is a family-friendly event showcasing pole, aerial…
By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…
By Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com At the beginning of the movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas," the Grinch is introduced as having a smaller than average heart, but as the movie progresses, his heart increases three…
January 31, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.Viking Ship Park, 202 1st Ave. N., Moorhead2026 marks 10 years of frosty fun! Enjoy sauna sessions with Log the Sauna, try Snowga (yoga in the snow), take a guided snowshoe nature hike, listen to live…
By Vern Thompson Benjamin Franklin offered one of the most sobering warnings in American history. When asked what kind of government the framers had created in 1787, he replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.” Few words…