I wanna toot my horn briefly but then blow the horn loudly for Scandinavian festivals as well as the regular lodge meetings of Sons of Norway and Daughters of Norway.
Here’s my toot. I rolled lefse and sold my stuff at the new Fjord Folk Fest that happened last month in Minot, North Dakota. Jill Schramm, a reporter for the Minot Daily News, stopped by and we chatted. And for the August 24, 2026, edition of the paper, she wrote the story below to go with the photo above, which was printed on the front and back pages.
Gary Legwold of Minneapolis prepares dough for making lefse while visiting with guests at his booth on the final day of Fjord Folk Fest Saturday, Aug. 22. Legwold learned the art of making lefse, the Norwegian potato bread, after his grandmother died and no one else in the family was interested in carrying on the tradition. He since has traveled to various states to interview lefse makers and has authored three books about lefse, as well as two books on lutefisk. He recently returned from Norway, where he met with lefse makers in researching his next book.
JILL SCHRAMM/MDN
https://www.minotdailynews.com/news/local-news/2026/08/festivities-conclude-at-fjord-folk-fest/
Thumbs Up for Minot and Amber Grause
And now I want to blow the horn for Minot, Amber Grause, and the lodge meeting quiet heroes.
For more than four decades the Norsk Hostfest was the biggest Scandinavian festival in the US, maybe the world. It was “Scandimonium,” drawing thousands — many arriving in buses — who came for the culture, food and the big-name entertainment. But after a decade of losing money, the Hostfest ended last year, and Minot was crushed by the loss. And so was I and many other vendors, who loved offering products to folks who knew their stuff when it came to quality Scandinavian goods.
Enter Amber Grause. She was Miss Norsk Hostfest in 2007, and moved on to a full life that includes her husband, four children and a business in the events industry. She was not going to let die all the good things that were part of the Norsk Hostfest. So in five months, she put together the Fjord Folk Fest. Lots of help, to be sure, but she was driving the bus. She shortened the event from four days to two, lowered the admission fee from $45 to $15 a day, limited vendors to only those who sold Scandinavian stuff, and went with excellent local entertainment rather than bringing in the big-hitters.
Bottom line, the Fjord Folk Fest was a huge success. The parting lot at the Minot Municipal Auditorium was packed, folks were dancing and singing and eating and buying morning to night. I am so impressed with how Minot, a town of 40,000 or so people, rallied to the cause and realized how important this cultural celebration was to them and to us.
I tip my hat to Amber Grause. She is one person who made a difference. These events as well as the steady drumbeat of Sons of Norway and Daughters of Norway regular lodge meetings are the spine of Scandinavian culture here is the US.
I spoke last Thursday at the Sons of Norway Kristiania lodge meeting in Rochester. It is a vibrant lodge, and we had lots of laughs. I look at these gatherings as trees planted by a stream, providing Scandinavian shade and beauty — and preventing erosion of culture. When a tree is gone, there is a hole and it is missed as the riverbank washes away.
So, hats off to you, Amber Grause, Minot, and workers wanting to do things right at lodge meetings all over. Keep on rolling!