Syttende Mai, May 17, is the day Norway ratified its constitution in 1814 at Eidsvoll. “They did not, however, become independent from Sweden until 1905 and until then Syttende Mai celebrations were frowned upon and even forbidden,” Martha Griesheimer, Event Coordinator, said.
“Now, Norwegians celebrate their independence with excited crowds, especially of children, marching through the streets waving flags, singing songs, and celebrating their nation’s independence,” she continued.
“Syttende Mai at Vesterheim is a great opportunity to celebrate freedom wherever it occurs,” Griesheimer added.
The Vesterheim children’s parade will begin at 12:30 p.m. The route starts on Main Street in Decorah at the Winneshiek County Courthouse, then travels north along Washington Street to Water Street, then west on Water Street to Mill Street.
“School children who have been participating in Vesterheim’s popular Pioneer Immersion Program, along with Decorah’s Nordic Dancers, will lead the parade and everyone is invited to march along, or cheer from the sidewalks,” Griesheimer said. Norwegian flags will be provided for everyone marching.
Following the parade, there will be a dance on Mill Street near the museum led by the Nordic Dancers, with audience participation. In case of inclement weather, the parade and Nordic Dancers will be canceled, but other activities will continue as scheduled.
Syttende Mai is also a good time to view the museum’s exhibition “Sigvald Asbjørnsen, Sculptor,” which highlights the works of this talented Norwegian-American artist. At 2:00 p.m., Laurann Gilbertson, Vesterheim Chief Curator, will present a gallery talk about this exhibition.
There will be guided tours of the buildings in the museum’s Open Air Division at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Also, everyone is invited to an Open House and Reception from 4:40-6:30 p.m. to view projects that area fourth-grade school children made during the Pioneer Immersion Program. The reception will be in the lobby of the museum’s Main Building and the exhibition of projects will be in the third floor galleries of the same building.
