A Key Early Win for National Recognition of Nordic Fest

An early Nordic Fest promotional postcard

For nearly 50 years, Nordic Fest has received national and international recognition for its many strengths in authenticity of its cultural celebration, as well as its affordable family fun that can be linked to its non-commercialism. That recognition is a testament to the Decorah community volunteer spirit that perpetuates Nordic Fest.

Such national recognition has been a part of Nordic Fest since its first year in 1967. That year, the National Organization of Travel Associations in Washington, DC, now called the U.S Travel Association, named Nordic Fest one of the Top 20 Tourism Events in the United States! 

This early significant national recognition was a key part of establishing the credibility of Nordic Fest and laying the foundation for its nearly 50 year history. 

This Top 20 distinction likely resulted from the right combination of efforts, which included:

• Extensive regional travel by Nordic Fest organizers to tourism shows that may have been more "standard" for event promotion in 1967 as electronic tools are today.
• Formal national media relations efforts by the Norwegian American Museum, building on their nationwide connections.
• Passionate publicity efforts by founder Phyllis Leseth, volunteer Jane Norris and others who wrote letters and made phone calls if budgets allowed to ensure coverage before, during and after the first Nordic Fest. 

What about Nordic Fest do you think is worthy of national and international recognition?

Before Nordic Fest Became the Summer Standard

As the 49th annual Nordic Fest approaches, it is difficult to remember a time when the event wasn't the Decorah summer standard for residents, volunteers, performers, and those returning home. For at least two generations of people connected to Decorah, they do not know their beloved town without Nordic Fest. 

Of course, this was not the case during original planning that started in 1966 for the 1967 event. This planning was centrally organized by members of the Decorah Jaycees and the Norwegian American Museum (which had not yet adopted its current name of Vesterheim). 

During a 1990 interview for one of teacher Ron Gesme's Firefox projects for his ninth grade students,  founders recalled experiencing reluctant Decorah residents as a challenge to Nordic Fest planning. The report reads:

The planning was not without difficulties. Many residents were reluctant to accept the idea of a major tourism event in their town. Many people weren't aware the Fest was a Jaycee project - they thought Luther College was putting it on. At first, it was hard to get willing supporters. The committee's work the first year was not without a "royal chewing out" from Decorah residents who were opposed to the idea.

One founder recalls receiving late night negative phone calls at home during planning from community women who did not identify themselves. This founder felt these callers may have been fearful of unknown negative effects of promoting tourism and celebrating heritage in their small community. 

Although Nordic Fest is now a summer standard for Decorah, getting to that point for recent generations was not without uphill efforts by those who organized the event in its early years. 

Do you like cured meats? Consider spekekjott.

Photo courtesy, https://www.flickr.com/photos/alpha, Creative Commons license

In 1980, renowned chef John Nelson visited Nordic Fest and demonstrated the art of making spekekjott, a Norwegian delicacy of cured and dried leg of lamb or mutton. His demonstrations took place in the Winneshiek Room of the former Decorah State Bank (now Bank of the West),

According to an article published in the Decorah Newspapers after Nordic Fest, Nelson said the the best time to make spekejott is late autumn. After curing the leg, it is hung in a dry and airy place until it is well dried. This take four to five months. Nelson said a cool, airy attic works well as a place to hang the leg, but should be kept from high heat or freezing. 

When ready, the leg will have shrunk to about half of its original weight. The outer fat should be removed and the meat cut into thin slices. Nelson gave the following recipes to those who would like to eat spekekjott in four or five months:

Recipe 1:

2 t brandy

1 t saltpeter 

2 pounds course salt

1/2 C molasses

1 C water

Rub meat with brandy. Make a thick brine of all other ingredients and place in a large flat pan with leg. Turn several times every day and scoop up brine with a spoon and drip over meat. Do this until most of the liquid has evaporated, which will likely take two to three weeks. Then hang to dry.

Recipe 2:

Mix 5 handfuls course salt

1 T saltpeter

2 T sugar

Work this well into a large leg of mutton or lamb. Place on a dish and as mixture dissolves, scoop it up with a spoon and rub into the meat at intervals until the juices stop running, which will be in two weeks or so. Hang to dry. Or, after 3-7 days, dry and have lightly smoked, then hang. 

Recipe 3:

2 T brandy

1 t saltpeter

2 pounds sale

1/2 C molasses

1 C water

Rub meat with brandy. Make a thick brine of all other ingredients and leave meat in brine for about one week. Turn several times every day. Then make a new brine of:

2 gallons water

4 pounds coarse sale

1 pound sugar

1 T saltpeter

Cook all ingredients together and cool. Leave in brine two weeks. Then hang to dry. Or leave in brine six days, smoke and let hang to dry.

Always use glass, crockery, stainless steel or enameled utensils. 

"More than anything we ever imagined."

Following the 1982 Nordic Fest, the Decorah Newspapers ran the following story written by Mary Timmerman about Erwin and Jean (Alfson) Anderson of Morris, Minnesota, pictured above, and their first visit to the event:

Erwin and Jean Anderson of Morris, Minnesota have heard about Nordic Fest for years and have always wondered what it would be like. Now they now. 

"It is so beautiful here and the Fest is more than anything we imagined," Jean said. She worried that she wouldn't be able to talk Erwin into driving the 400 or so miles to Decorah, but after this weekend, it won't be hard to convince him again.

"Needless to say, I'm impressed," said Erwin.

Jean had another reason for wanting to come to this area. You could say she was seeking out her roots.

"Both of my grandparents settled in the Ridgeway area so I'm curious to see where my family got started," she said.

Her maiden name is Alfson and she is related to some of the Sandersons who settled in this area. She and Erwin even took the shuttle bus to Luther Friday afternoon to check on the relative who works there, Harlan Sanderson.

Jean's father, Selmer Alfson is 97 and "as sharp as a tack." He lives in Cyprus, Minn. and is very self-sufficient, according to Jean. "He would have loved this," she added.

The Andersons found Decorah beautiful and were impressed with how a town its size could put on such a production. They found fest exhibits interesting and people friendly and helpful. They were particularly impressed with the camping facilities and those who worked at City Hall when they pulled in Friday morning/

It's nice to know that all the work that goes into putting on the Nordic Fest is truly appreciated. And people like the Andersons of Morris, Minn. are proof of that.