Annual 1 Million Thanks! event canceled due to rising COVID-19 cases

FARGO — Emerging Prairie has canceled its annual 1 Million Thanks! event due to rising COVID-19 cases in the region.

The entrepreneurial organization made the announcement in its newsletter Monday, Jan. 10.

"In light of the recent and projected increases in COVID-19 cases in our region, we have decided not to hold our annual 1 Million Thanks! event as planned out of an abundance of caution for our community and staff. While we will miss celebrating with you, we encourage you to join us at the many events we will be hosting throughout 2022 across Emerging Prairie, Emerging Digital Academy and Grand Farm," the announcement stated.

The event meant to celebrate the region's 2021 entrepreneurial successes and kick off the new year was scheduled Jan. 27 at the Fargo Air Museum.

In other news, Emerging Prairie announced it will soon move its operations from above the Chase Bank at 122 1/2 Broadway N. to the Black Building at 118 Broadway Suite 206. The move includes the Prairie Den coworking, event and meeting space; Emerging Digital Academy, the organization's “boot camp” for training software engineers; and Grand Farm, an initiative launched to accelerate research and innovation into technology which will be present on the farm of the future.

The move was initially announced in January of 2020 and expected to be complete that summer.

At the time, a Prairie Den official told The Forum their new home in the Black Building would be 30% larger at 7,809 square feet. Plans called for six rentable office pods, two conference rooms, two classrooms and two phone booths for working and collaboration space.

The Black Building was purchased by Kilbourne Group in 2016 and is in the midst of a top-to-bottom renovation and modernization.

David Samson/Forum Communications Co.

For details about the move and information about upcoming events, visit emergingprairie.com .