Norsk Hostfest {thoughts from an outsider}

I’d probably be a more successful blogger if I narrowed my writings down to one specific topic.  But, like my life, my career and my choice of ice cream flavors…I just cannot seem to pick just one thing that I like best.  Life if just too interesting, not to discuss and write and dream about.  So, I guess that’s how it’ll continue to be around here.  A grab bag of stories and odd moments, of life and art and work, all rolled together.

 

One reason I simply cannot bring myself to write only about work or daily devotionals is that Practically Canada is such a bizarre and fascinating place.

It’s no secret that Minot is on the small and isolated side of the city scale.  But once a year they put on a festival that is the crown jewel of Practically Canadian living:  Norsk Hostfest.  Practically Canada is chock full of residents sharing Scandinavian heritage.   During Hostfest these folks, as well as other Scandinavians from around the globe {seriously, the globe} flock to the North Dakota State Fair grounds here in Minot for five days of Scandimonium celebration.

 

What is Hostfest?  That’s a very reasonable question.

 

It’s a five day festival that encompasses the entire state fair grounds complex.  Inside are vendors selling handmade items using old-fashioned Scandinavian techniques, Scandinavian food {Lutefisk anyone?}, cultural music, entertainment, and nightly concerts.  It’s kind of like a fair, but held indoors and everything has to do with Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, or Iceland.  There are imports for sale and Norweigen wool sweaters and viking drinking horns.There are free stages with entertainers from those countries {magicians from Sweden, tenors from Norway, etc.}, cultural cooking demonstrations, and speakers.  Bigger concerts take place at night and feature well known artists like Bill Engvall, Josh Turner and Jennifer Nettles–they perform in the Great Hall of Vikings {#obviously.}

 

There is a lot to see and do.  A lot is even very fun.  But the whole event {at least to an outsider} has a very Dwight Schrute-ish quality to it.  You know how, on the Office he talks about his weird German farm traditions like they are completely normal and everyone else is crazy because they’ve never heard of it?  That’s kind of how Hostfest feels.

With highlighted games like “Ring the Trolls Antlers” and “Knock the Fleas Off the Black Plague Rat” you  can really help feeling like Belsnickel is around every corner ready to ask if you’ve been “Impish or admirable.”

There are people who walk around in a Dala Horse costume.  Yes, that’s people in there.

There are men in traditional dress roaming the halls playing the accordion.  And wooden trolls to have your photo with.

There are tons of people and hoards of married couples come in matching his and hers Nordic sweaters.  {#wantonesobad}

But, for me {and Derek} the prize of prized is Viking Village, where people exhibit viking craftsmanship {blacksmithing, silver hammering, wood carving, weaving…}  Everyone is dressed in period costume.  Outside they do demonstrations of viking battle techinques.  This year we were lucky enough to catch a demonstration of viking games.  Simple, family friendly games like these.

 

Tug of war.  Put two people in a loop of rope.  Have them wear it around their waist.  Then they get down on their hands and knees and start crawling away from one another.  Whoever gets dragged across the line loses.

If that’s too tame, have the participants wear the rope around their necks.  {Notice the sweater in the spectator section.}

Or what about this one.  Sandwich a person between two people.  He wins if he can get out of the sandwich.

Or there’s this game {which we didn’t see in person, but I’ve saw featured in an ad for the Hostfest Pre-Event}.

It’s crazy.  It sounds crazy.  But it is fun.  Like I said, people come from all over.  Lots camp out in their RV’s for the week, in the parking lot, so they don’t miss a moment.  There are about 1,000 RV lots available.  Tickets to the festival plus camping fees will cost you upwards of $700.  And although that includes free coffee and a polka jam session with Minot’s accordion club, I’m not sure it’s worth it. It’s fun…but maybe not that fun.

 

Until next year, Hostfest…