A World Record at the 2015 Nordic Fest

Participants practice for the World's Largest Schottische hosted by the Foot-Notes at the 49th Nordic Fest in 2015.
Photo courtesy of Perry Straw. Used with permission.

Nordic Fest is full of 50 years of beautiful history. 

In 2015, the Foot-Notes celebrated their 25th anniversary and received the Nordic Fest flag in recognition of their many contributions to the event. Their Scandinavian and Scandinavian-American Old Time Dance Music highlights many a Nordic Fest.

The celebration continued when the Foot-Notes and Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum announced plans to attempt the World's Largest Schottische on Saturday, July 25 during their traditional Nordic Fest street dance. 

The Foot-Notes composed an original tune for this special celebration that is still available on CD Baby here. 

Event-Brite registrations poured in. Volunteers gathered onsite registrations. Counting, counting and more counting took place. In the end, the Foot-Notes and their Nordic Fest guests broke the record for the World's Largest Schottische on Saturday, July 25, with 1,881 dancers joining the event!

Bailey Mulholland produced a video overview of this special moment in Nordic Fest history that may be viewed here. 

Tracing roots in rugged Norway: a 1988 snapshot

Logo courtesy http://www.nagcnl.org/

A common theme in #nordicfest50 research so far is how many people attending Nordic Fest are interested in connecting with their family Norwegian heritage.  The Norwegian American Genealogical Center and Naeseth Library (NAGC) provides critical expertise for those looking for authentic family history details and has assisted at many Nordic Fests,  The NAGC, which has been an independent nonprofit since 2007, celebrated 40 years of impact in 2014, having first been established in 1974 in Madison, Wis. by librarian Gerhard Naeseth. From 1974 to 2007, the NAGC was part of Vesterheim. Today, the NAGC has over 2,000 "incredibly loyal and supportive members in all states of the U.S.," according to David Wright, Jr., Director of Development, Marketing and Membership for the NAGC. The following copyright 1988 Decorah Newspapers article illustrates the NAGC impact at Nordic Fest. Used with permission. 

Whether you're interested simply in learning more about the country that nurtured so much of the life and culture celebrated at Nordic Fest or you are intent on tracing your specific roots in Norway, on Friday and Saturday afternoons, July 29-30, the air-conditioned comfort of the Viking Theatre II is the place to be.

At 1:15 p.m. both days, Rasmus Sunde of Vik i Sogn, Norway, will narrate a slide presentation with Norwegian folk music on emigration from Sogn to the U.S., called "Sognefjord." 

Arnfinn Kjelland from Lesja, Norway, will follow at 1:50 p.m. with a lecture featuring Lesja and Dovre, called "Gubransdal, the Heart of Norway," and Gerhard Naeseth, director of Vesterheim's genealogical center, will wind things up each afternoon at 2:30 p.m. with his presentation, "Hunting for Norwegian Ancestors." Naeseth will repeat his presentation Sunday morning at 11:30 a.m.

When they aren't lecturing, you will be able to find these and other genealogical specialists at the Norwegian-American genealogy station on the third floor of the Vesterheim Center. Naeseth and his assistant Blaine Hedberg, from the museum's genealogical center in Madison, Wis., will be available to answer your questions, and help you climb down your family tree toward your Old World roots. Kjelland and Sunde will serve as consultants from Norway.

Also at the genealogy station, Paul and Elisabeth Hurd of Sheldon, Iowa will be "Finding Iowans in the 1900 Census." The genealogy station will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.  

Nordic Fest 50 Book Presales Coming Soon!

As you may have seen in the Decorah Newspapers, the pre-sales for the limited edition Nordic Fest: 50 Years Strong book detailing the wonderful history will be announced soon. 

A team of amazing volunteers are currently working hard on setting up details like online pre-orders, a place in Decorah where you can drop your check off to pre-order the book, as well as possibilities for a more permanent home for the Nordic Fest archives, which book proceeds will help support.

The Nordic Fest: 50 Years Strong book includes a much more formal organizational structure than this weekly blog. Only a few items are duplicated across the blog and the print book. 

If you would like to be added to the book pre-sale announcement list, please send an email to nordic fest 50 at gmail dot com. 

Scandinavian star-gazing at Nordic Fest

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Creative Commons license photograph copyright: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tom_hall_nz/

Norwegian and other Scandinavian entertainers have consistently brought joy and authenticity to Nordic Fest crowds. Many of these entertainers came to Decorah thanks to the broad and deep connections of Vesterheim. 
The following copyright article and illustrative example of this appeared in the Decorah Newspapers before the 1988 Nordic Fest.  Used with permission. 

This July 29-31, Fest-goers will be able to see a small constellation of stars uncharted in any astronomical description of the summer sky, because this year Vesterheim joins Nordic Fest, Inc. in bringing to the festival the renowned Birgitte Grimstad and the Rauland Music and Dance Group, together representing some of the best in Scandinavian entertainment. 

Born in Denmark but living now in Norway, Grimstad has earned an international reputation with her repertoire of medieval ballads and folk songs from Scandinavia, France, Germany, Israel, the U.S. and Canada and contemporary selections by Scandinavian composers and American poet-folk singers. Critics praise her musicality, wit, stage presence and mastery of many languages.

When music festivals, concert tours and radio and TV appearances aren't taking up her time, Grimstad is actively involved with the peace movement and works tirelessly to improve circumstances for musicians in Norway.

She is a gifted voice teacher who believes the human voice has become the most undervalued of instruments and, convinced that the modern world is losing its capacity for spontaneous, everyday song, she has become a spokesperson for its deep psychological benefits, even if you're just singing in the shower or whistling while you work.

Appearing with Grimstad on all three days of the fest will be the Rauland Music and Dance Group, 20 Norwegians in early West Telemark costume performing traditional early dances and later old-time dances, songs and music (fiddle, flute and accordion). A number of these spirited and rather gymnastic performers participate in national competitions and are among the top performers in traditional dance in Norway.

Grimstad and the Rauland Group will give concerts at 7:30 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday nights in the Decorah Junior High School Auditorium and again at 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon at Luther's Center for Faith and Life.  

Out of town visitors enjoy the low prices

The following copyright article appeared in the Decorah Newspapers 

following the 1997 Nordic Fest. Used with permission.

When Diane Davis of Indianapolis passed through Northeast Iowa while returning home from visiting relatives in North Dakota last year, she learned about Decorah's Nordic Fest. 

Davis, who has a Norwegian background, decided that 1997 would be the year she and her parents and three children would attend the Fest.

"There's just so much to see we're going to have to come back next year," Davis excitedly said moments after competing in the just-for-fun lutefisk eating contest Saturday.

And Davis was just as appreciative that prices were low enough that families could sample food and all the activities without going broke.

Another out-of-town visitor favoring the low prices and numerous activities is Douglas Gabrielson of Rockford, Ill. 

"I like to come every year," Gabrielson said, adding that he is half Norwegian.

Gabrielson, who serves as lay minister at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Rockford, said that he would make the four-hour drive to Nordic Fest even without the annual lutefisk eating contest, an event he has won or placed second in previous years

Vesterheim

At the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, Kare Herfindal of Voss, Norway was enjoying his third Nordic Fest. 

"I like the atmosphere around the Fest and I like the students I meet in my classes I teach before and after the Fest," said Herfindal, who demonstrated bentwood box making ad Kolrosing. 

"I especially like the way people here take care of their Norwegian heritage and traditions from Norway. For Norwegians, it's important that we contribute to that," he continued.

Deborah Mills of Decorah, who displayed her Viking-style woodcarving remarked on her second year at Vesterheim: "It's an incredibly enthusiastic crowd. I feel fortunate to be invited to exhibit. It gives me artistic encouragement to keep going."

Mills lived in Norway for 4 1/2 years so she enjoyed refreshing her Norwegian with many Norwegian-speaking visitors to her display. 

Eight-year-old woodworker Ole Odden, whose parents, Phillip Odden and Elsie Bigton, have a Norwegian woodcarving and furniture business in Barronett, Wis., was one of the youngest demonstrators at Vesterheim. 

"He's been to Nordic Fest every year since he was six months old," Bigton said. "He said Decorah is almost like heaven to him."

First-time fester Jeremy Cook of Dayton, Ohio was led on a tour of Vesterheim by his girlfriend, Sarah Dietz of Decorah.

"It's neat. I've never seen anything like it," Cook said of Nordic Fest in general.

Despite having grown up with it, Dietz hasn't tired of the event.

"I like looking around. I do it every year. I like meeting new people," she said.

Dietz and Cook said they both enjoyed the Nordic Dancers' performance.

'A great fest' 

Ann Denholm of Fort Calhoun, Neb., participating in the bunad show with her 8-month-old daughter Sonja, said, "Since we found this festival, we've come every year. Both my husband and I are of Norwegian heritage. It's a great fest. The local people do a great job, it's just too bad they're working and can't have time to enjoy it more."