Trolls in the streets, meatballs on sticks, and Vikings fighting in full steel combat gear are normal sights during Norsk Høstfest; North America’s largest Scandinavian festival. Every September for the past 40 years tens of thousands of people from all over the world travel to Minot, North Dakota to experience an epic display of Scandinavian culture.
I absolutely love traveling for specific experiences, and this one is going straight to the top of my list. Visiting Iceland this past year gave me a new appreciation for Scandinavian culture, and I’m not the only one. New airlines are making it easier than ever to visit Nordic countries, and they are quickly becoming travel hotspots.
Norsk Høstfest celebrates them all. Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden are all represented by food, art and entertainment. There are so many fun things to do, but whatever you pick, make sure not to miss these top five!
Top 5 Experiences at Norsk Høstfest
1. En To Tre
Among all the booths of comfort food is a fine dining restaurant serving a 6 course Nordic dinner, prepared by prominent Norwegian chef Kent Arntzen. The dinner sells out every year and after looking at the menu I can see why! All 6 courses feature traditional ingredients elevated into something truly memorable. Scandinavian favorites like smoked salmon, fish soup and sautéed duck all make appearances throughout the meal.
En To Tre Dinner
2. Høstfest University
This is one of the coolest parts of the festival. It’s normal to watch demonstrations but rarely do the artisans actually teach classes to the festival goers. At Høstfest University masters of their craft teach Scandinavian folk art. Participants get the materials and instructions to make their own souvenirs to take home. I would be signing up to make Viking Era Arrows and a needle felt Tomte. Tomte’s are found in Scandinavian folklore. They are said to be mischievous domestic sprites that provide protection for your home and belongings. Not to mention they are cute and fuzzy!
An adorable Tomte!
3. Author’s Corner
It’s a rare treat to hear authors speak about their books and personal experiences. Norsk Høstfest brings together famous authors who specialize in Nordic culture for live readings and book signings. The long list of authors includes Lauraine Snelling, the writer behind a popular series of novels.
4. The Music
No “no-name” bands here! A festival this big draws the real talent. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of traditional music and dancing but also stay for the headliners. The Beach Boys, Michael Bolton and Alabama are just a few of the acts at this year’s festival.
5. Fashion
On the way home from Iceland my suitcase was packed with comfy knit sweaters, mittens and hats. I knew I loved them but I had no idea about the cultural traditions behind the intricate patterns. Norsk Høstfest pulls together outfits from each country for a spectacular show. Models walk the runway in traditional folk costumes while the MC entertains the audience with the origins and meaning behind each garment.
This is a festival not to be missed.The rise in popularity of Scandinavian culture in America has found its mecca at Norsk Høstfest. Held in a place where the original settlers from these lands called home, it is the ultimate gathering for all of us interested in Nordic culture. I plan to visit next year, until then it will just have to hold a place on my travel bucket list!
Skål! (Cheers!)
Hailey
For more info, check out- Norsk Høstfest
Post sponsored by Norsk Hostfest
This festival looks like lots and lots of fun. Love the culture and the food and everything about it. Such a great post. Really enjoy your travel tips content also 🙂
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it 🙂
I love festivals! Especially ones that teach you about different cultures 🙂
Me too! They are a great way to experience lots of different things.
This festival sounds like a lot of fun! And it’s in North Dakota, which is a state I have never been to! I like the last bit about the Icelandic sweaters and mittens! I know EXACTLY what you are talking about too! While I didn’t buy any of that stuff while I was there (I had a suit case packed full of ris buffs, and pretty much all of their chocolate), I did purchase a small ‘ugly monster’ type stuffed animal with that type of knitting from Thingvellir National Park.
Norsk Høstfest sounds like a fest we want to to attend. 6 course Nordic dinner sounds yummy and the variety is awesome. We would love hear all the amazing experiences at the Authors corner . Being Authors ourselves, we just love this space and love to exchange thoughts with like minded people! Thanks for introducing this fest to us and it goes on our bucket list, till we make it!
I love folk art! The Høstfest University part would definitely be my favorite. Looks like a fun time.
Norsk Høstfest sounds like a really great festival! I would love to attend this and I have the perfect sweater to wear that I picked up on my trip to Iceland a few years ago!
Arn’t Icelandic sweaters the best? They are pricy but totally worth it.
Never been a festival guy but reading your post is kinda giving me second thoughts on that. If only every festival had a 6 course Nordic dinner 😉
This is such an interesting festival.. I first time heard of this festival… must be fun and mysterious…
Festivals always offer a great time. I would want to be able to experience this Scandinavian festival in North Dakota, but I live way too far away. I can just imagine how awesome it would be to be able to sample the cuisine, immerse in the culture and learn more about the history all in one place!
Your trip sounded amazing. I would love to visit one day especially to meet some of my favourite authors and attend some of those festivals. Your pictures were great by the way.
-Young Writers Pro
This sounds so fun. We have a similar festival in Austin called the Sherwood Forest Festival. Never thought about going that far north but definitely may reconsider.
Excellent! Really enjoyed the articles!
That sounds like so much fun. I’d definitely indulge in the 6-course menu. Norwegian Airlines have really opened up this part of the world to USA at affordable rates, but if it’s still too hard to get there then Norsk Hostfest is the next best thing. 🙂
What a lovely experience for you, I wish I can visit this place too one day. I also liked traveling for specific things or experience, even if it only mean ticking 1 of my bucket list. heheh!
What a great review of the event. It sounds so fun! The Scandinavian culture is so rich and interesting. we have a small community here in Seattle full of amazing restaurants and things to do! Thank you for sharing, I had no idea this existed.
This inspired me to visit the Nordic countries and seeing as how I live in Spain, it’s not that too far off! Thanks for the inspiration!
This is a very interesting post. The bookworm in me loved reading about Author’s Corner the most. Lovely photos!
WOW! What a fantastic festival – I so wish I lived near there to go. You’ve convinced me to put it on my Travel Bucket List and I’m determined to go sometime in the future. I absolutely love everything about it. Lately, I’ve been really interested in Scandinavian home decor, but fashion is speaking to me too. Pinning your post and will reference later – Thank you so much for sharing!!
Mischievous domestic sprites aside it’s the idea of a 6 course Nordic dinner that has my ears pricking up, actually even the idea of a Scandinavian meatball will get me there. Thanks for the read Hailey!
I think my favorite part of experiencing other countries and cultures is always the food. Food can bring us together in so many ways and share so many stories about a culture at the same time!
This sounds like so much fun!! I love going to these types of festivals celebrating other cultures and traditions. It’s like going on a mini vacation 😉
That looks like a really fun festival. I’ve always been interested in the culture, the music is very beautiful even thou I don’t know what they are saying.
Sounds like a lot of fun. i’ve never been to this kind of festival.
Great reading, thanks Hailey!
Love your Blog!
Great post!
Thank you Jordan!