Past Events › Annual Events

Ring in the season with Vesterheim at a Norwegian Christmas Celebration on December 2, from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. This lively day of events includes Scandinavian holiday traditions, crafts, music, a movie, treats, and more. Free admission for kids! Highlights this year: • This event is a great opportunity to see Vesterheim’s special exhibitions, including Spoons: Carving. Community, Rocks and Hard Places: Emigration through the Lens of Knud Knudsen, and, Koselig, which explores this Norwegian word, often translated as cozy with a sense of warm-hearted contentment—perfect…

Are you ready for a parade? Vesterheim welcomes you to a Syttende Mai celebration with a traditional Children’s Parade, a performance by Decorah’s Nordic Dancers, and other activities.

Syttende Mai is the day Norway ratified its constitution in 1814 at Eidsvoll.

THANK YOU for making this a successful auction! We are very grateful to everyone who so generously bid, donated artistic creations and treasures, and shared this opportunity with family, friends, and community to support Vesterheim's Folk Art School! 35 items sold $17,262 total proceeds 98 bidders with 661 bids Thank you for your interest and participation and we hope that you will be part of the 2019 Folk Art Benefit Auction. Auction items and final bids are available to view…

Vesterheim’s annual Folk-Art Banquet puts the “folk” into folk arts! While we often focus our attention on the material objects of folk-art traditions, it’s really the people who bring those traditions to life. And there’s no livelier gathering of folk artists (and those who appreciate Norwegian folk art) than the Folk-Art Banquet! In addition to the usual scrumptious food and gorgeous setting, this year’s banquet will also feature Hardanger fiddle playing as well as demonstrations by students from the after-school…

Update: THANK YOU for making this a successful auction! We are very grateful to everyone who so generously bid, donated your artistic creations and treasures, and shared this opportunity with family, friends, and community to support Vesterheim's Folk Art School! There were 111 bidders and 61 items sold, which grossed $17,936. Find final bids on pieces here  www.biddingforgood.com/VEST-AUCTION. Contact Marcia McKelvey at 563-382-9681, or mmckelvey@vesterheim.org, with auction questions. Thank you for your interest and participation, and we hope that you…

We've got everything you need for a fantastic virtual Syttende Mai celebration!

Vesterheim’s Norwegian Christmas Countdown is Live! Teams from across the United States are experiencing holiday traditions, being creative, decorating, enjoying being outdoors, getting koselig, and having fun! Join now to collaborate on “missions” in person with your household or “pod,” or invite your friends and family to join together as a team online. Team members can play from anywhere. Play any or all of three weekly “games,” which run through December 25, 2020. Earn points for a chance to win…

Vesterheim’s Norwegian Christmas Countdown is Live! Teams from across the United States are experiencing holiday traditions, being creative, decorating, enjoying being outdoors, getting koselig, and having fun! Join now to collaborate on “missions” in person with your household or “pod,” or invite your friends and family to join together as a team online. Team members can play from anywhere. Play any or all of three weekly “games,” which run through December 25, 2020. Earn points for a chance to win…