Norwegian Christmas Weekend

Schedule of events 2009

Family Activities

Free crafts in the Hands-on History Room, Westby-Torgerson Education Center, Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Make Norwegian Christmas ornaments: yarn nisse doll, a juletråd (braided yarn ornament), a julekurv (woven paper heart basket), and kolrosing (incised design on wood.)

Hnefetafl, a Viking board game, in the Hands-on History Room, Westby-Torgerson Education Center, Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Juletrefest, or Christmas Tree Party, in the Norwegian House in the museum’s main building, Saturday at 11:30 and 1:00 p.m.; Sunday at 12:00 and 1:30 p.m. If your singing is sincere, a julenisse may visit with his bag of presents. A julenisse is a little elf who protects the home or farm where he lives. But he likes to play tricks, too, and Vesterheim has more than one julenisse that you’ll have to watch out for during the weekend!

Julebukker throughout the museum complex all weekend. Don’t be afraid, they are only scaring away evil spirits so you can have a good Christmas.

“Can You Find?” Scavenger Hunt Game throughout the museum’s main building.
The lobby host will give you a set of cards to this popular game, in which you search for exhibit items relating to Christmas in Norway.

Music and Presentations

Saturday
11:00-3:00
Music—Sing-along with Connie Bolson, Church Gallery, Main Building
11:00
Music—Decorah Chorale, Westby Ship Gallery, Main Building
11:45
Music—Decorah High School Madrigal Singers, Westby Ship Gallery,
Main Building
12:30
Music—Oneota Valley Youth Choir, Hauge Gallery, Westby-Torgerson
Education Center
11:30-11:30 and 1:00-1:30
Book presentation—Dag Rossman, Expanding Norse Mythology: A Stoytellers Journey, Hauge Gallery, Westby-Torgerson Education Center
11:30
Juletrefest—Norwegian House, Main Building
1:30
Music—Collegium Musicum, Westby Ship Gallery, Main Building
11:45-12:15 and 3:00-3:30
Book presentation—Deb Nelson Gourley, The Boys from Vangen: Vangsgutane, Hauge Gallery, Westby-Torgerson Education Center
1:00
Juletrefest—Norwegian House, Main Building
2:00
Music—Fiddlers, Hauge Gallery, Westby-Torgerson Education Center
2:00
Gallery Talk—Laurann Gilbertson, Sacred Symbols, Ceremonial Cloth, North Gallery, Main Building

Sunday
12:00-2:00
Music—Sing-along with Connie Bolson, Church Gallery, Main Building
12:15
Music—A Touch of Brass, Westby Ship Gallery, Main Building
12:00
Juletrefest—Norwegian House, Main Building
1:00
Music—Luren Singing Society, Westby Ship Gallery, Main Building
1:30
Juletrefest—Norwegian House, Main Building
1:45
Music—Northern Lights, Westby Ship Gallery, Main Building
2:00
Gallery Talk—Laurann Gilbertson, Sacred Symbols,
Ceremonial Cloth, North Gallery, Main Building

Folk Art

Museum’s Main Building
First Floor
Norwegian House
• Straw ornaments, Bev Schrandt
Westby Ship Gallery
• Figure carving, Harley Refsal
• Painted costume doll ornaments, Norma Wangsness

Second Floor
Selland House
• Hedebosøm, Roger Buhr
Smaby-Hagen Gallery (wood)
• Chip carving, Ellen Macdonald (Saturday 10:00-1:00)
• Woodworking, Kim Glock (Saturday 1:00-3:00)
Granrud Gallery (silver)
• Bunad detailing, Nancy Elsbernd

Third Floor
Maland Walker Gallery (textiles)
• Weaving and Spinning, Oneota Weavers Guild
Weaving: Weavers to be announced
Spinning: Claire Butchkoski (Saturday and Sunday 12:00-4:00)
Anna Hong Gallery
• Minowa Rugkrafters, Ruth Bjonerud, Carolyn Boe, Mabel Cox, Ann Duder, Joann Hagen, and Martha Huinker (Saturday 10:00-2:00)

Westby-Torgerson Education Center
• Woodenware sales, LeRoy Iverson, Hauge Gallery
• Woodcarving, Rebecca Hanna (Saturday 10:00-4:00), Folk Art Supply Shop

Special Exhibitions

Sacred Symbols, Ceremonial Cloth in the North Gallery, Main Building.
Flashback: Norwegian Landscapes in Retrospect in the Anna Hong Gallery, Main Building
Sami on the second floor, Main Building

Food

Norwegian Kaffistova (Coffee Shop) in Vesterheim’s Bethania Lutheran Church
Open Saturday and Sunday - 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Serving traditional Norwegian Christmas foods: lefse; rømmegrøt; søtsuppe (sweet soup); ertersuppe (pea soup); smorbrød (open-faced sandwiches); julekake; Norwegian cookies, including sandbakkel, krumkake, rosette, pepperkake, and kringla; tyttebær saft (lingonberry juice); milk; and coffee.

Food Demonstrations in Westby-Torgerson Education Center
Lefe on Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with John Glesne and Travis Cleveland
Krumkaka on Saturday from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., with Clara, Jonathan, and Michael Knudson

Dayton House Café Serving seafood and Norwegian specialities.
Open Monday-Saturday 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. for lunch; Friday and Saturday 5:00-8:00 p.m. for dinner; and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. for brunch.