By 3 o’clock on Thursday, June 18, it was clear the weather might not cooperate.

“We're keeping an eye on the forecast and recommend bringing a light jacket, umbrella, or poncho just in case,” read a Facebook post from Citizens Alley, the outdoor gathering space in downtown Minot playing host to a series of ten free concerts this summer. “Complimentary disposable ponchos will also be available.” Organizers shifted the schedule of events up by a half-hour to stay ahead of the risk of rain.

That risk hardly deterred Minoters eager for an evening of live music. More than 500 people filled Citizens Alley to hear original songs performed by Barley Jacks, a Minnesota-based bluegrass trio, as well as the International Music Camp Brass Quintet. “It’s such a wide range of people,” said Jessica Ackerman, the executive director of Local Motives, the non-profit that operates Citizens Alley. “You see all generations in the same space. People who love music, sure – but also people who may not necessarily know what they’ll get.”

The concert was part of the Levitt AMP Music Series – a matching grant program whose goal is to bring the joy of free, live music to small- and mid-sized towns across the country. Minot was one of about 30 communities selected in 2026 to receive $40,000 in grant funding per year for three years to help establish Citizens Alley as a destination for live music and community engagement.

Just weeks into the inaugural summer of the Levitt AMP Minot Music Series, Ackerman says that vision has come to life. “You see connections being made everywhere you look. It’s incredible.”

One such connection played out that Thursday on the elevated walkway overlooking the stage. “I came out on the fire escape and saw two young men standing up there together,” Ackerman recalled. “And I said, ‘How’s the view from up here?’ And they told me they had just arrived to serve at Minot Air Force Base two days before this and stumbled upon the alley. One of them is a first-term Airman who told me he had no idea how he would get to know people outside of work. Well, this could make a big difference in how the next few years of his life goes.”

Later, as expected, the skies opened up.

“The rain let loose around 8:20,” said Teresa Loftesnes, who coordinates about 20 volunteers weekly to greet guests, haul tables and chairs, and ensure people are safe and happy. “We were not torn down yet – but it was amazing that these volunteers didn’t run to their cars. They said, ‘Let’s do this,’ and they were right there helping us get everything moved inside. It felt so good to see everyone working together as a community, not thinking about themselves.”

Despite the rain showers, another concert night was in the books – one of ten scheduled for this summer, and an example of the powerful impact of how collaboration and shared purpose add up to community development. “Dozens of people are fueling this, over and over and over, in ways that match their interests and gifts – all to make Minot an even better place to live.”

The story of the Levitt AMP Minot Music Series dates back almost a decade – to a rooftop view. In 2017, Jessica Ackerman and her husband, Ryan, had purchased a downtown building called the Citizens Garage. “We were particularly interested in being part of the renaissance of downtown Minot,” she said. “We felt connected to that neighborhood. So we bought a building with good bones.”

Around that time, she climbed onto the roof of the building to take in the view. “You could see from above that this was arguably the most blighted block downtown at the time. But you could also see people shopping. Students playing outdoor games on the lawn at Central Campus. It was easy to envision the idea of what that block could become.”

Jessica was drawn to the concept of placemaking: the transformation of underutilized areas into vibrant, accessible community spaces. “I couldn’t get enough of the idea of bringing people together for the love of community and getting to know each other.”

She also became aware of the work of the Levitt Family Foundation. The private family foundation was established in 1966 by Mortimer and Mimi Levitt to support the arts, culture, and education. Since then, it has expanded into a national network of permanent music venues and the grant-funded Levitt AMP series, all with the goal of taking struggling or overlooked public spaces and using free, all-ages, original music programming to turn them into gathering places.

That vision resonated with Jazmine Schultz, a longtime music organizer and entrepreneur who opened Prairie Sky Breads in 2020, a few steps away from the unused space that would become Citizens Alley.

“When I heard the words the Levitt Foundation was using, I thought, ‘This is exactly what I’ve been pursuing here for 20 years,’” Schultz said. “All-ages, accessible, original music – and community centered. It’s everything I’ve always wanted for Minot.”

The Ackermans continued their redevelopment efforts. They purchased two buildings next door to Citizens Garage – now connected and functioning as a single building known as 1st and Central, which houses small businesses like Prairie Sky Breads. Then they began the work of restoring the alley into a year-round quasi-public gathering space. “Ryan is a very capable builder,” Jessica said of her husband. “He’s a unique engineer in his ability to see things come off the paper and understand how it will feel on a human scale.”

The effort was made possibe in part by the North Dakota Department of Commerce’s Destination Development Grant program in 2024. “Those dollars supported important things like concrete and a mobile stage,” Jessica said. “That created the foundation for everything else to happen.”

That same year, Jessica formalized Local Motives as a non-profit to operate Citizens Alley. To help navigate the business side of this mission, she took part in the Minot Area Chamber EDC’s Start Up Minot Academy, powered by CO.STARTERS. “I’m glad I did that,” she said. “My vision was a little different than others in the cohort, most of whom had a for-profit vision. But I’m using the tools I gained there now as everything is taking off.”

Citizens Alley opened in July of 2025. Weeks later, Ackerman and Schultz were already preparing to submit an application to receive Levitt AMP grant funding. The community rallied behind the effort during the public voting phase of the process, propelling Minot into the top tier of applicants nationwide. “I kept saying that we need more in Minot,” Ackerman said. “More outdoor activities, more family-friendly things, more music. That became the theme of our voting campaign: More in Minot.”

In November, the good news came: Minot would receive $40,000 each year for three years to help establish the Levitt AMP Minot Music Series.

Behind every Thursday night are dozens of passionate people finding their own way into the work.

For Jazmine Schultz, who serves as the music series’ production manager, Levitt AMP Minot represents a full-circle moment; she’s spent two decades cultivating a local music scene in Minot alongside like-minded friends. “That whole gang that helped me do that over the years is also at the table for Levitt AMP,” Schultz said. “It’s really heartwarming to be working with these people to help make this happen.”

It also establishes new opportunities for local musicians. Each performing artist is fully paid – and becomes part of a network of musicians to potentially perform at Levitt-supported venues across the country. “We're trying to create a music ecosystem in the middle of North America,” Schultz said. “We're trying to create a place where artists can actually be artists.”

Schultz sees the ripple effects going beyond music. “We know that engaged people are less likely to have mental health struggles,” she said. “This allows more people to have a fun night off without having to take time off from work or leave town. You can still have these great moments with your family and rally around a community experience.”

The music series has also become a workforce pipeline. Marissa Beck, a Minot State University senior, started this spring as a marketing intern. Running the merchandise table, coordinating donations, and building marketing materials has given her hands-on experience in event management — the field she hopes to break into after graduation. “I wasn't really sure if there would be a lot of opportunities in the Minot area for something like that,” Beck said. “This was kind of a goldmine for me to direct my focus towards.”

None of it happens without volunteers — and that's where Teresa Loftesnes comes in. She coordinates about 20 volunteers a week through AmeriCorps, a federal program that helps non-profits like Local Motives build capacity they couldn't otherwise afford. The volunteers span generations, from teenagers earning their first hours of community service to retirees looking for a new way to give back. “Volunteerism makes the community whole,” Loftesnes said. "I find purpose in reaching out, bringing a volunteer in, and helping them leave their shift saying, ‘That was really great. I enjoyed this.’”

For Jessica Ackerman, the view of Citizens Alley and the city block it occupies has changed a great deal since she saw it from the rooftop nine years ago. What was once a quiet corner in need of rejuvenation is now a bustling community space. But she sees the same thing today that she saw back then: potential.

The Levitt Family Foundation is a spend-down organization, deliberately giving away its full endowment by 2041 rather than existing in perpetuity, and Minot's three-year grant runs through 2028. What happens after that depends on the support of sponsors, donors, and community buy-in.

Ackerman is optimistic. “Every Thursday, this space fills with people who otherwise have no reason to be in the same place. And as a result, a civic and economic ecosystem is developing. The barista meets the banker. The new family meets the old guard. The downtown storefront gets foot traffic it didn’t pay for. You can’t purchase an ecosystem like this – you can only grow it. I think we’re doing that here.”

The Minot Area Chamber EDC is proud to be a supporting partner of the Levitt AMP Minot Music Series.