GRAND FORKS — Country music star Zach Bryan’s visit to Grand Forks stirred more than $12 million in economic impact for the community, about half of what events at the Alerus Center typically generate in a full year, according to General Manager Anna Rosburg.
Generally, the city-owned facility creates an annual economic impact estimated between $15 million and $22 million, she said. The Bryan concerts — on Aug. 25-26 — generated roughly half that in two days.
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Most of the Alerus Center’s concerts typically generate an estimated $1 million to $2.2 million in economic impact, Rosburg said. One of the biggest events in terms of economic impact, the Junior Grand Am basketball tournament, generated an estimated $5.2 million in 2023.
Julie Rygg, executive director of Visit Greater Grand Forks, said she’s been hearing nothing but good things from business leaders and others about the impact of the Zach Bryan concerts.
“What the Alerus Center has done with bringing in these concerts, plus all the other events that they host there, from conventions and tournaments and all of that, has just been so wonderful for Grand Forks,” she said. “Part of their mission is to generate economic impact for our communities, and I think they’re getting an A-plus there.”
An event impact summary shared by Rygg found that the total business sales from the concerts totaled $12,323,773, with $8,242,058 being direct business sales for things like lodging, retail and food. Lodging scored the highest from the direct sales with $5,100,254. Rygg said the occupancy rates (the lodging available in town that was used) reached 88.6% on Sunday, Aug. 25, and 90.4% on Monday, Aug. 26.
“It’s rare to see a 90% on any day, let alone a Monday, so great, great numbers there,” she said.
Rosburg said 94.4% of guests through the weekend were from outside of East Grand Forks, Grand Forks and Grand Forks Air Force Base — 93.6% on Sunday and 95.4% on Monday. Bryan also broke attendance and revenue records at the Alerus Center, including “the highest grossing revenue for any concert in the venue’s history” on Sunday and the third highest in revenues generated in gross ticket sales on Monday, Rosburg said.
The Sunday, Aug. 25, concert saw more than 24,000 in attendance — the highest-attended concert ever at the Alerus Center.
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One hotel in town, The Olive Ann, was busy keeping up with the flow of visitors. Landon Bahl, vice president and COO of 322 Hospitality Group, which owns the downtown hotel, said these were the first big concerts since The Olive Ann opened. They brought in record room rates, filling the hotel to capacity both nights and housing heavy Canadian traffic, he said. UND move-in weekend, which was happening at the same time, also brought people, but the Bryan concerts created a massive influx, he said.
The Olive Ann’s coffee shop, Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea, and restaurant, Skies 322, did record numbers. Hotel staff were busy flipping the majority of the hotel rooms for the next day, as people were staying one night for the first concert and others were coming in for the second.
Bahl complimented the Alerus on booking Bryan, speaking about “the importance of those events, and the importance of getting not only shows, but high-caliber shows that we have.
“It sets our city apart, and also, it’s just a tremendous way for so many people that would typically not come here to come here and truly experience what Grand Forks is all about,” he said. “So that’s just hats off to the Alerus team that makes it all happen.”
Barry Wilfahrt, president and CEO of the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce, said Bryan’s two-day format boosted the particularly large impact, combined with UND’s move-in weekend and other local events happening at the same time. The second concert being on a Monday also created traffic on a day when businesses usually don't see much, he said.
“I think the Alerus Center has done a fantastic job, particularly in recent years,” he said. “We’ve gone from a time seven to eight years ago where people in the community questioned whether it was a good thing to have built the Alerus Center and how we were getting our money’s worth. Now we’re at the point where, wow, where would we be as a community without this?”
Bryan’s concerts were highlights in an already great year for the Alerus Center, Rosburg said. 2024 has been a record year across the board with high-selling acts such as Kane Brown, Chris Stapleton, Journey and Toto and has put the center in a great financial position, she said. More concrete information about its successes will be available when the Alerus’ annual report is written.
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“2024 has been an incredible year for the Alerus Center,” Rosburg said.
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