A Norsk Høstfest Experience

Across the Fence #361


We recently went on a four-day bus tour to Minot, North Dakota, where we attended Norsk Høstfest, the largest Scandinavian festival in North America. Being of Norwegian ancestry, a Norwegian folk art wood carver, and loving all things Scandinavian–even lutefisk, a visit to Høstfest was a must at some point in my life. I imagine many of you have also attended over the years.

Marjorie and Elnor Haugen, relatives from Coon Valley, had been to Høstfest before and had decided to go again this year. They encouraged Linda and me to go along. We signed up last spring, and soon discovered that several other people we know from the Westby area would also be going; Jennings and Lois Bjornstad, Tip and Eleanor Bagstad, Janet Johnson, and Sandra Peterson, would be on the same bus as us. Other friends were leaving with a different tour group a day before us, so the Westby area was well represented at the festival.

This was the first bus tour for Linda and me, and we had a great time. It’s nice to sit back, relax, enjoy the scenery, and let the bus driver worry about where to go. We were part of Glenn’s Motorcoach Tours out of Rochester, Minnesota.

At 3:30 on Wednesday morning, we sleepily boarded our bus at the pickup point in La Crosse. I envy people who can sleep on a bus or plane. It would certainly make the trip pass faster. After several stops in Minnesota to pick up other passengers, and some rest stops, we finally arrived at our hotel in Bismark, North Dakota, twelve and a half hours later.

The next morning we were back on the bus by 8:00 a.m. for the almost two-hour trip to Minot. Due to the devastating flood earlier this year, many places where people had stayed in previous years, were still closed. We drove through parts of Minot, near the Høstfest grounds, where entire neighborhoods will have to be torn down. The destruction from the flooding was very evident.

I had no idea what to expect from Høstfest, but knew it was a large event. As we entered the grounds, I was surprised by how many tour buses and RV Campers I saw. The campers alone, must have numbered a thousand or more, and surrounded the huge arena. Høstfest is to Minot, what the World Dairy Expo is to Madison.

The Great Hall of the Vikings, where the headliner shows take place, holds 10,000 people. We saw the Trace Atkins show on Thursday and the Judds on Friday. There were also six free stages in the arena where you could enjoy continuous entertainment throughout the day and evening.

The Oak Ridge Boys have been performing at Høstfest for many years. Linda and I went to their concert at the Madison Coliseum many years ago when I was doing the advertising for shows that appeared there. We always had excellent seats for any shows. The Oaks still sound good after all these years. Everyone laughed when Joe Bonsall said, “We used to think this was an old crowd at Høstfest, but now we’ve caught up to you.”

Another must-see show was Williams and Ree, also known as “the Indian and the White Guy.” They kept everyone in stitches for over an hour. Bjøro Haaland, Norway’s Country Gentleman, was also a crowd favorite with his country western songs.

The arena fest grounds is huge, and divided into many areas, where you can find wood carving, rosemaling, crafts, clothes, jewelry, books, and just about every kind of Scandinavian food you can imagine–yes, even lutefisk.

If you get separated from someone, you might not see them again until you board the bus at 8:30 in the evening for the trip back to the hotel. This is one of those stories that’s just begging to be told! About half an hour after arriving at Høstfest for our second day, I ran into Janet Johnson. She wondered if I had seen Sandra (Peterson) go by. I hadn’t seen her since we got off the bus. That afternoon we ran into Janet again. She had found Sandra back in the morning, but now they had become separated again. Later, we found out they both had cell phones but had neglected to get each other’s number. Janet had finally called Sandra’s husband back in Cashton, to get her number so she could call her. After several attempts to reach Sandra, they finally connected and were re-united! As I said, it’s a huge place, with thousands of people and it’s easy to turn around and find you’ve lost someone. I wonder if Janet could have checked for Sandra at the Lost and Found booth?! If you go to Høstfest, be sure to carry a cell phone and type in the numbers of people in your traveling party. Thanks Janet and Sandra for giving me permission to share this wonderful story.

One of the great parts of Høstfest is meeting and talking with people from all over the country, Canada, and Scandinavian countries. I ran into two people from Westby… Westby, Montana, and we compared notes on our hometowns. I also ran into people, who when they found out who I was, said they read my column every week. That was nice to hear.

If you want a fun experience, put Høstfest on your calendar for next year, and bring your cell phone.

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