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. 

Nordic Fest is...

On Thursday, July 22, 1982, the Decorah Journal published its annual Nordic Fest edition, just prior to the 16th event. 

The front page welcomed everyone to Nordic Fest with an introduction from an unknown author that reads as follows:

Nordic Fest is...
A time when everyone is Norwegian. 
Music, dancing, arts and food.
A joyous opening ceremony at Courthouse Square that makes you feel proud to live here.
Seeing friends and neighbors in colorful costumes.
Seeing old friends and neighbors you haven't seen.
Campers, hundreds of them.
Food smells that make your mouth water.
House tours, farm tours, bus tours and troll tours.
Puppet show, Pokey Pete, animal barn and movies for the kids.
Antiques, crafts and bunad show.
Horseshoes, rock throw, Evelopet and bucket brigade.
Vesterheim, rosemaling and Norwegian American craft workers. 
Needle workers, quilters and cooks. 
Church suppers, food booths and demonstrations. 
Friendly faces at the information booth.
Watching a parade where you know everyone - even the horses.
Activities at Luther and a visit to the Porter House Museum
Street dancing, fireworks and torchlight parade.
Lots of company.
Nordic Dancers, the Kilties and the Christenson Family Singers.
Cut laws, trimmed shrubs and beautiful flower gardens all over town.
Special guests from Norway. 
Like going home and feeling like you never left.
Velkommen til Nordic Fest! 

How would you finish the sentence...."Nordic Fest is.....?" 

Nordic Fest: Creative Inspiration

A scan of original logo developed for the first Nordic Fest and used for many years

The experience of enjoying Nordic Fest has served as creative inspiration for many over the years, as seen in this example poem written by Valdorf T. Moe of Decorah. The poem was published with the 1989 official Nordic Fest program:

Our little town will burst its seams

In realization of its dreams.

From all four corners of the Nation,

Come crowds filled with anticipation.

Norwegian coloring is there,

With eyes of blue and flaxen hair.

Arts and crafts are on display,

For all to see, day after day.

Folk dances on the Court House Square,

Cause eager crowds to gather there. 

Scandinavian pastries hold full sway,

With Smorgasbords served every day.

Time well filled with simple pleasure,

Our cup oe'rflowing without measure.

Those, whose fathers sailed the sea,

Are proud of their ancestry.

Our friend, whose origin was Killarney,

Speaks broken Norse with Irish blarney.

So three short days go all too soon,

The Street Singers will still their tune.

So as we watch our friends depart,

We know that they have won our heart.

Then we will wait for future years,

To welcome all, again, "with cheers."

And they, in turn, will hold as blessed,

The days they spent at Nordic Fest.

Thank you, Valdorf for sharing your gift of writing and your love of this event with the Nordic Fest 26 years ago! 

Nordic Fest Parade History Tidbits

A Color Guard from Decorah area Veterans' organizations leads off the 2014 Nordic Fest parade. Photo courtesy of Marilee Reinertson Torres, http://i-mrt.blogspot.com/ 

The Nordic Fest Grand Parade has traditionally been the event with the highest attendance each year, with people lining up chairs the night prior and filling both sides of the street as more than 100 entries make their way from one end of Water Street to another. #Nordicfest50 research done to date has revealed some interesting aspects of the history of parades during Nordic Fest:

• A Children's Parade has been a part of each Nordic Fest to date, in accordance with the Norwegian tradition of hosting such activities during holidays that dates back to 1820, most commonly associated with the Syttende Mai Norwegian Constitution Day. Although originally held on the Friday of Nordic Fest, the Children's Parade is currently incorporated into the Grand Parade. 

• A Children's Parade from Rock Island Park to the Courthouse Square just before Opening Ceremonies officially started the first Nordic Fest on Thursday, July 27, 1967.

• Early parades had themes associated with them prior to when each Nordic Fest year had its own overall theme. For example, the 1968 parade, themed "This Is Norway" featured mobile displays depicting cities or areas in each of Norway's five districts. 

• A couple of early parades actually started at near Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum and headed towards the Winneshiek County Fairgrounds, the opposite of today's standard direction. As parade participation grew, staging entries at the open and available Fairgrounds became the best way to accommodate everyone. 

What are your favorite Nordic Fest parade memories?