The City of Watford City scheduled demolition on north Main Street to begin Monday, September 21. Under contract, TTK of Watford City is removing three retired buildings, working 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The city's notice said northbound Main would be closed between 2nd and 3rd Avenues for the duration, with traffic detoured to the west. The buildings sit between Larsen's Drug and Door 204. The city expected the work to take about three weeks, which puts the end of the window around mid-October. As of this writing, no reopening notice has been posted.
The timing matters for more than the detour. The space being cleared is planned as a gathering place for downtown. Meanwhile, the full weekends on this October's calendar are happening three miles of habit away from Main Street, at the McKenzie County Ag Expo. October 2026 shows clearly why the city wants a venue in the middle of town.
What's Coming Down, and What the City Plans to Build
In a December 2025 update, the city described the three single-story buildings. They housed one tenant at that point, down from six tenants 18 months earlier. The project, Downtown Redevelopment Area 2, has two phases:
- Phase 2-A is a multi-level commercial building. It includes 5,000 square feet of ground-level retail with new public restrooms, plus 5,000 square feet of office space on the second floor and possibly a third. The upper floors could include a cooperative workspace for new businesses.
- Phase 2-B is Main Street Square, which the city calls a downtown "plug-and-play outdoor venue" where residents can gather and hold events. It is backed by a $400,000 North Dakota Department of Commerce Destination Development Grant. The rest of the cost is to come from a community fundraising campaign in 2026 and 2027.
The money for Phase 2-A ties back to a familiar building. The city plans to pay for it with a 10-year bond backed by oil and gas production tax revenue. The new bond replaces a similar one used to build the Rough Rider Center, which was scheduled to be paid off in June 2026. In effect, the borrowing capacity that built the Rough Rider Center now goes to the commercial building. The square next door depends on the grant and the community campaign.
Most recently, the city's published schedule targeted groundbreaking in 2027 or 2028 and a ribbon cutting in June 2029. That schedule dates from December 2025. The September 2026 demolition notice doesn't revise it. Mayor Phil Riely described the goal as replacing the current buildings with "newer, more efficient retail and commercial space that we all understand is so badly needed in our downtown."
Where October's Weekends Are Happening
Until the square exists, the town's longest-running fall events are on the Ag Expo grounds. Here is the October calendar there:
| Event | Dates | Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin Pickin' Palooza | Oct. 3–4, 10–11, 17–18, 24–25 | Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–4 p.m. | Pumpkin picking, kids' activities, photo spots |
| Broncs in the Bakken | Sat., Oct. 24 | 3 p.m. | 10th annual, indoor arena, free admission |
| Haunted Corn Maze | Oct. 30–31 | 6:30–11 p.m. | Live actors, both nights |
Pumpkin Pickin' Palooza runs all four October weekends, which works out to eight open days across the month. Unlike a one-afternoon event, it leaves room for plans to change.
Broncs in the Bakken is easy to mistake for an ordinary rodeo. Stan Headings produces it, and it is an ABHA-sanctioned bucking horse futurity. Young horses compete in three classes. The yearling class carries $5,000 in added money, and the 2-year-old and 3-year-old classes carry $10,000 each. Each class champion also receives a custom championship belt. It runs in the indoor arena on a late-October Saturday afternoon, and admission is free.
Main Street Gets Two Hours on October 30
Main Street's main October event is short. The Watford City Area Chamber of Commerce holds Trail of Treats on Main Street on Friday, October 30, from 3 to 5 p.m. The Haunted Corn Maze opens at the Ag Expo that same evening. Families who want both can plan the night in order:
- Trail of Treats on Main Street, 3 to 5 p.m.
- A dinner break of about an hour and a half.
- The Haunted Corn Maze at the Ag Expo, open from 6:30 p.m. until 11.
That one evening captures how the town uses its space this fall. Main Street gets a two-hour window for trick-or-treating, and the Ag Expo gets the late hours and both weekend nights. The city's plan describes Main Street Square as the kind of venue that could hold more of these events downtown. This year, the block that would host it is still being cleared.
New Gathering Spots Have Opened Away From Main Street
Some of the year's newest gathering places have opened away from the redevelopment block.
Kylee's Kitchen opened on July 8 at 1300 4th Ave. NE, Suite A. Owner Jennifer Natali named it. It opens at 5:30 a.m. daily, and the drive-thru is on the north end of the building. Monday through Friday it offers a $10 Daily Deal. Indian Tacos are the Monday special, and Friday's pulled pork became a permanent menu item after customers kept asking for it. On the drink side, the café serves espresso, "Zoomies," and customizable dirty sodas. In the evenings it hosts Paint & Sips, "Mommy & Me" craft workshops, Bible studies, game nights, and "Puzzlepalooza" competitions. Natali explained the reasoning to the McKenzie County Farmer:
"This world teaches us to busy ourselves so much that it seems like connection offline is often forgotten. But people need people and socializing matters...I think that we come into the group as strangers and leave as friends."
The café posts event tickets and daily deals on its Facebook page. Orders can be placed by phone at (701) 310-5162, or online through Google or DoorDash.
The Tee Box opened in 2026 with indoor golf simulators. It is located at 509 16th Street NE, behind the lumberyard. Owners Larriyon and Emily run it mostly by booking and encourage customers to call or book online. In June they described plans for men's and women's winter leagues on Wednesday and Thursday nights once the local outdoor course closes for the season. If those leagues start, they would give the town two standing evening activities after the Ag Expo's October events end, and neither depends on the weather.
A Park District Centennial, Then November Returns to Town
The Watford City Park District marked its 100th year on September 3. It held a ribbon cutting for the All-Inclusive Playground at Kent Pelton Nature Park. Construction had finished the previous fall. Since the ceremony, the playground has received the Golden Egg Award from the North Dakota Recreation & Park Association. On a cool October afternoon between pumpkin weekends, it's a nearby outing that requires no tickets.
In November the calendar moves back into the middle of town. Turkey Bingo and the 4-H Soup and Sandwich Supper run on Tuesday, November 17, from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Watford City Middle School Commons Area at 105 4th St. SE. On Friday, November 27, the day after Thanksgiving, the Parade of Lights comes down Main Street from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. This year's theme is "Celebrating Christmas in America!" By then the demolition window should be well behind the parade. The parade route will pass the empty lot where the city plans to build its commercial building and Main Street Square.
Event times and arrangements on the Chamber and Ag Expo listings can change, so check them the week of the event. For Main Street traffic, watch the City of Watford City's notices for the official reopening between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.
The cleared block on north Main is the start of a project with a long timeline and an unusual funding plan, with oil-tax bond capacity moving over from the Rough Rider Center. If you own property downtown, or are deciding what Area 2 could mean for a building or business nearby, West & Company can walk you through the city's published plans and what they mean for your property. Build Your Legacy.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
