Where Community Shines: A Red River Valley Fourth of July

In the Red River Valley, Independence Day has always been a shared tradition...the kind where neighbors gather, lend a hand, and carry the celebration together. It’s a way of living, rooted in quiet generosity and a steady sense of responsibility to one another. Here, community isn’t an add-on; it’s the backbone of how this region moves through the world.

You see it every year at the Sertoma Fourth of July Celebration, when families line 11th Avenue for the parade, the flag raising, and the entertainment. You see it in the spaces the fill slowly around South Middle School with people settling in long before the fireworks begin. Friends save spots for one another. Kids trade glow sticks and race between blankets. Someone always brings extra bug spray. Someone always brings more chairs. It’s a holiday built on small kindnesses…the quiet, everyday generosity that defines this region.

That same spirit is shaping the Grand Forks Children’s Museum. Long before any groundbreaking, this project has been carried by people who believe in giving our kids a place to explore, imagine, and discover. Teachers, parents, engineers, artists, business owners, and volunteers have all added to this project, not because they had to, but because that’s what communities here do. We build things together. We invest in the future together. We make sure our kids have room to grow, question, and create. On this Fourth of July, we’re celebrating that kind of independence, the kind rooted in shared effort and shared hope. The kind that says a strong community is one where children have space to learn, play, and dream big.

As the museum moves closer to becoming a reality, we’re grateful for every person who has helped carry it forward. The Red River Valley has always known how to build with purpose. This summer, we’re honored to be building something for the next generation.

We’ll be at the Sertoma Fourth of July Celebration, and we’d love for you to stop by, say hello, and hear what’s happening behind the scenes as the museum takes shape.

Happy Fourth of July Grand Forks, and thank you for showing what independence looks like when a community chooses to lift together.

Katie Mayer, Executive Director, Grand Forks Children's Museum