Today, downtown Grand Forks is home to many offices, stores, restaurants, and bars.

The coming of the Saint Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railway in 1880 led to dramatic growth.

The Hotel Dacotah, the St. John's Block, and the Security Building - all five stories - were witness to the fact that the city was prospering and that downtown Grand Forks was becoming one of the busiest commercial districts in the region.

By the dawn of the 20th century, downtown Grand Forks had become the commercial, transportation, health care, entertainment, and cultural center of the region and boasted many amenities.

In the later part of the century, the coming of the Interstate Highway System, urban renewal, and new commercial developments on the outskirts of the city signaled the start of a period of decline for downtown.

A roof was built over the street and the entire one-block section became an indoor shopping center.

The entire district was inundated with several feet of water and a major fire destroyed eleven historic buildings.

Also, a farmer's market is held every Saturday (9AM to 2PM) from mid-June to mid-September in the Town Square on the corner of 3rd Street S. and DeMers Avenue.