Fest visitors leave impressions: guest post part I

The following copyright article by the late Pat Maloney appeared in the Decorah Newspapers following the 1989 Nordic Fest. Used with permission. 

The "lasting power" of Decorah's Nordic Fest was demonstrated Sunday by some interviews with "late" fest visitors.

Of 10 visiting couples who gave Decorah Newspapers impressions of their brief stay here, seven drove to Decorah Sunday, missing the first two days of the crowded activity schedule. Many locals consider Sunday the "winding down day" of the Fest, but it was still busy at mid-afternoon. 

But the tardy arrivals weren't all because of choice. Melvin and Louise Doty of Grinnell, attending their second Nordic Fest, reporting trying "for the last four or five years to get a motel reservation, and we finally came Saturday after getting in at the Cliff House on a cancellation. We've already made our reservation for next year's Fest." 

The Dotys, like most visitors, liked everything about the 1989 Fest that concluded late Sunday afternoon. Louise Doty is the Norwegian in the family, taking her husband to Norway in 1982 and visiting 11 first cousins. The listed their Fest favorites as "the parade, street music, the Nordic trio, sampling food demonstrations, the Wiscandia group, the gospel sing at the theater, story telling, and the First Lutheran Church dinner." 

Three sisters from Fargo, N.D. attended the Fest while visiting another sister living in Decorah, Irene Haugen. Attending their first Fest were Grace Gangnes, Frances Dahlen and Ardyce Grant, all of Fargo and of Norwegian descent. They liked "the excellent parade, especially the floats, the various street bands, the crafts and Farm Bureau women's chorus concert at the Methodist Church, and wish we were young enough to ride the train." They reported Fargo has similar food demonstrations at its annual Pioneer Village.

Marshall and Lenora Matejcek (she's the Norwegian) of Cedar Rapids enjoyed the "old Norwegian homes, craft booths, and storytellers, but we were disappointed that we missed some of the activities." Lenora's grandparents came from Norway.

Stop by next week for additional 1989 Nordic Fest visitor impressions!