MOORHEAD — Nature of the North, located at 814 Center Ave. in downtown Moorhead, is set to close its brick-and-mortar operation Sunday, May 22.
According to a message from owner Jon Walters posted to the business’s website, the physical location will close, but that doesn’t mean the end for Nature of the North. “Don't worry though; Nature of the North as an entity will still exist,” the message read. “We have every intention to shift our focus back to community events, workshops and outdoor activities, so stay tuned for plenty of fun ahead!”
Nature of the North opened in June 2020 while the COVID-19 pandemic was causing chaos for businesses throughout the metro. At the time, Nature of the North was limited to 25% capacity and had to cancel nine month’s worth of events, Walters’s message stated.
Those pandemic challenges proved too much to overcome. “We've been pushing to get back on track ever since, but launching a physical location in that environment destroyed all of our plans and projections,” Walters stated. “All of the initial debt we acquired is, unfortunately, proving to be more weight than our location is able to handle.”
The post encouraged those with unused passes or gift card dollars to stop by before May 22. Come Sunday, Nature of the North will be hosting a farewell party featuring raffles, prizes, live music, group bike rides, booths, games and a campfire, a Facebook event stated.
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Walters credited the support of the Fargo-Moorhead community for helping Nature of the North emerge from the pandemic. “We wouldn't have gotten as far as we did without your support and generosity over the past few years,” he wrote. “We're extremely excited to get back to our roots and continue our mission to break down the barriers preventing our community from getting outdoors.”
Despite the closing, Walters promised that “it’s not goodbye, it’s see ya later.”