This city-wide celebration starts with evening ceremonies on Thursday, July 26, and continues all day Friday and Saturday, July 27 and 28. Nordic Fest is fun for the whole family with lively music and dancing, challenging sporting events, delicious food, and lots of entertainment. It’s a great time to visit Vesterheim! There will be folk art demonstrations, entertainment, and exhibits throughout the campus!
Nordic Fest 2024 Schedule
Demonstrations, Displays, and Sales
Friday and Saturday, various times between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. around Vesterheim campus. Free.
Folk Art and Living Heritage Demonstrations: Blacksmithing, forging, leatherwork, stave and bentwood container construction, rosemaling painting, weaving and spinning, mica embroidery, shoebands, nalbinding, Hedebo needlework, knifemaking, ropemaking, skinfell, lucet work, silver filigree jewelry, pottery, shrink boxes and kolrosing, acanthus and dragon-style carving, and beam carving. Supported by Jon and Mary Hart.
Country Gallery Antiques: Specializing in selling Scandinavian vintage and antique textiles, bunad accessories, jewelry, decorative wooden ware, sewing tools, books, knives, prints, and postcards.
Oneota Weavers and Spinners Guild Sales Shop: Hand-felted Santa and Christmas ornaments and figures, hand-woven rugs, scarves and shawls, table runners, and more.
Norwegian-American Genealogical Center and Naeseth Library: Representatives from the center, located in Madison, Wisconsin, will be on hand to offer genealogical research advice. Supported by Dean Gipp and family in remembrance of Cyndi Gipp.
Nils the Giant Nisse and Friends: Take advantage of great photo ops with various nisse around campus.
Norwegian Handcraft and Culture Kits for Kids: In Heritage Park following the parade on Saturday, Vesterheim Folk Art School will offer a limited number of free kits for kids ages 8+ to explore Norwegian handcrafts and culture.
Heritage Park: Outside park open during daylight hours for visiting.
Some of the historic buildings will be open on Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., tour on your own, no admission fee.
Guided tours of Heritage Park buildings on Thursday (free) are at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Vesterheim Museum Store: Open daily with special hours on Friday and Saturday from 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Sweaters, jewelry, folk art, cooking supplies, books, and more.
Entertainment
Friday
Folk Art Demonstrations 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. in the Heritage Park, Museum Building, and Vesterheim Commons
10 a.m.-11 a.m. Author Carol Hagen Reading What’s in the Rommegrot? and How Many Kransekaker?
Bethania Church
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Eden Ehm Heritage Park
11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. Activities with Skjaldborg Vikings: Battle Technique Demonstrations
Encampment in Heritage Park Amphitheater
2 p.m.-4 p.m. Author Carol Hagen Book Signing What’s in the Rommegrot? and How Many Kransekaker?
Museum Store
1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Kulokk Norwegian Cow Calling with Peggy Larson
Heritage Park Amphitheater
1 p.m.-2 p.m. Lynx Lynx Concert
Bethania Church
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Scandinavian Hymn Sing
Bethania Church
4:00 p.m.-4:45 p.m. Eden Ehm Hardanger Fiddle Mini Concert – “Harding What? Everything you always wanted to know about the Hardanger Fiddle but were afraid to ask.”
Bethania Church
Saturday
Folk Art Demonstrations 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. in the Heritage Park, Museum Building, and Vesterheim Commons
2 p.m., and 4 p.m. Activities with Skjaldborg Vikings: Battle Technique Demonstrations
Encampment in the Heritage Park Amphitheater
2 p.m. – 3 p.m. Eden Ehm Norwegian House, Museum
12 p.m-1:30 p.m. MSFA Fiddlers Music Jam
Heritage Park Amphitheater
12:30-1:00 p.m. and 3:45-4:15 p.m. Nordic Folk Tales Storytelling with Hege Nilsen
Bethania Church
1 p.m.-2 p.m. Rochester Flute Choir Concert
Bethania Church
1:45 p.m. and 3 p.m. Kulokk Norwegian Cow Calling with Peggy Larson
Heritage Park Amphitheater
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Lynx Lynx Concert
Bethania Church
4:15 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Eden Ehm Hardanger Fiddle Mini Concert – “Stories on Strings: The Hardanger Fiddle’s Folklore”
Bethania Church
Entertainers
Eden Ehm
Professional Hardanger Fiddler from Decorah, IA, presents two mini-concerts, and plays in various locations in the Vesterheim Campus. Supported by Dawn Svenson Holland and Josh Holland, dedicated in memory of Gary and DiAnn Svenson.
Lynx Lynx
Vidar Skrede and Patrik Ahlberg join their Scandinavian fiddle forces together in this Norwegian-Swedish folk music duo playing original and traditional Nordic tunes on fiddles, Hardanger fiddles, guitars, and mandolin.
Carol Hagen
Author, Carol Hagen enjoys reading aloud her children’s books, What’s in the Rommegrot?! and How Many Kransekaker?! to audiences of all ages. A retired clinical social worker, Carol lives in Decorah with her husband, Eddy and cat, Savannah, and enjoys visits with her children, Hannah (Adam) and Haaken, and granddaughters Cora and Maeve.
MSFA Fiddlers
Mary Pat Kleven, president of the Minnesota State Fiddlers Association (MSFA), will lead an open jam of Scandinavian-American and Upper Midwest fiddle tunes. All acoustic musicians are welcome, sheet music and chords provided.
Peggy Larson
Hear the beautiful musical tradition of kulokk, Norwegian cow calling, which began with young farm girls in the mountains of Norway. Peggy has traveled through Norway interviewing singers and farmers to collect stories and melodies. She currently leads the Earthnotes women’s world musical chorus and Portland Avenue Sanctuary Choir and is also the cantor for the Meditative services at Pilgrim Lutheran Church in St. Paul, MN.
Skjaldborg
This group from Elk Horn, IA, presents their Viking encampment and entertains throughout the day with full Viking combat demonstrations.
Skjaldborg means “fortress of shields.” Supported by Viking State Bank & Trust.
Rochester Flute Choir
A 12-member ensemble performs a concert of works by Norwegian composers Edvard Grieg and Ole Bull. Supported by Dawn Svenson Holland and Josh Holland, dedicated in memory of Gary and DiAnn Svenson.
Hege Nilsen
Living and working in Kafjord, a village in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway, Hege celebrates her Coastal Sámi culture by making traditional handcrafts and through storytelling. She works with a community of Sámi artists and teaches handcraft classes.
Hymn Sing
Led by Rev. Rolf Svanoe and Kimberly Svanoe, everyone is invited to gather in Bethania Church to sing their favorite Scandinavian hymns.
