10/09/2026
10.9.21…5 YEARS AGO!
Five years ago today, Moorhead Legacy Education Foundation hosted the very first event at the Armory Event Center…the SpudTacular Gala! It was a night I’ll never forget. They had approximately 250 guests in attendance, Apollo Strings & Post Traumatic Funk Syndrome performed, and Livewire's production team provided the finishing touches which included uplighting on the stage.
I purchased my ticket, got all dressed up, sat in the audience and listened to people reminisce about the building and what it used to be and what it had become.
That whole week, I was nervous about opening for the first time. The 600 venue chairs were delivered two days before the event all individually wrapped. We called in reinforcements and sat in the parking lot for hours removing six pieces of cardboard from every single chair.
It was stressful and terrifying, but as I entered the building that night with the string lights on and the building full of excited people, gratefulness and pride quickly took over. I am so grateful that the Owner had the vision to revive this abandoned building that sat empty from 2008-2019, and proud of the final outcome and wonderful partnership we have with Urban Foods Catering that has been with us since day one.
Please take a few minutes to scroll through these photos and look at the history of the building. The first photo was taken in 1924!
The Armory Event Center was awarded the Fargo-Moorhead Heritage Society’s 2023 Spring Preservation Award for Restoration and the 2024 Award of Merit from the American Institute of Architects of North Dakota.
Today, we are celebrating the only way we know how…by hosting an event! It’s fitting that Sollera is hosting their 5th fundraiser with us today! Thank you for all your love and support these last five years. We look forward to many more years of celebrating your big moments and milestones!
THANK YOU!
