It’s hard to find a weekend when there isn’t a festival or fair of some kind going on in Minnesota. We attended the Nordic Fest in Victoria last weekend, and September 7-8, 2019 will go down in our calendars as “fun” days.
On Saturday the 7th we were entertained by music and dancing of Scandinavia. Norwegians, Swedes, Danes, Finns and Icelanders celebrated their heritage in Victoria, a city in the southwest corner of the Twin Cities metro area. It was our first time at the festival, but it won’t be the last! It was fun to see hundreds of people celebrating their heritage. Great enthusiasm and wonderful crafts were everywhere.
“It reminds me of a festival that would be happening in the Nordic countries,” said Carolyn Spargo, entertainment coordinator. “It’s exciting to hear all the different music that is represented from all the different countries.”
There were two performances going on at the same time throughout the event. Bands ranged from the Finnish group Laulu Aiki to the Swedish performers Twin Cities Nyckelharpa to the Danish entertainers OK Then.
We even caught part of the Lutefisk Toss Championship! Three teams representing Norway, Denmark and Sweden competed. I believe Norway won, but all had fun. Each team threw the frozen (?) lutefisk blocks into a distant pail – Swedes with cream sauce and Norway threw using butter – you get it, right?!
Great costumes and good food and crafts made it a special day. You must try the meatball sundae with lingonberry sauce!
Ok, Sunday the 8th wasn’t part of the Nordic Fest but it was part of our “fun” weekend as we proudly watched our granddaughter’s team from Winona State win the Minnesota State Rugby tournament held in Otsego. They successfully shut out all the other teams from making any scores, including the Twin Cities UMN team they played for the championship!
John and Sharlene Hensrud – info@homesmsp.com
