Dear Minot:
This week will once again been a time of friendship, fellowship, traditions, and heritage in Minot. Yep, it’s Norsk Hostfest week.
The details of the Hostfest are well-documented and well-known to most people in the Minot region. Founded in 1978 by the late Chester Reiten and a group of friends to celebrate their Nordic heritage, Hostfest has grown into the largest Scandinavian festival in North America. Think about that for a moment – not the largest Scandinavian festival in North Dakota, or in the United States, but the largest one in North America. And it exists right here in our own community. Amazing.
This week, as they have for the past four decades, thousands of people have come to Minot to attend Hostfest, or to work at Hostfest or to perform there. They come from across North Dakota, from across the United States, and from around the world. This year’s regular festival activities begin today, and run through Saturday.
But this event, one of Minot’s trademarks, simply cannot be summed up through numbers alone. Yes, the event has an enormous economic impact on Minot and North Dakota and it is a yearly staple of our tourism success stories. But its impact on our community and on North Dakota goes far beyond statistics. Perhaps the Hostfest’s own mission statement says it best:
“Norsk Hostfest exists to celebrate Scandinavian heritage by promoting traditional family, culture, and community values for the benefit of future generations.”
It’s the “future” part of that mission statement that stands out to me. Chester Reiten and his group of forward-thinking friends who started this whole thing wanted to make sure the Scandinavian heritage lived on through the younger generations. Now, 44 years later, they have certainly accomplished that goal. But the baton has been passed to us now, and it’s our duty to ensure that these time-honored and treasured traditions aren’t set aside or forgotten.
Hostfest presents a golden opportunity every year for us to engage today’s younger generations and to show them their roots. Scandinavian traditions permeate through North Dakota, and Hostfest showcases ancient traditions and authentic Scandinavian cuisine, culture, and hand-crafted merchandise. Walking through the halls of Hostfest is often like walking back to a time when family, friendship, and preserving a way of life were the focus of everyday living. You can certainly witness all that in the Viking Village, where timeless traditions and ancient activities like axe crafting come to life.
Perhaps one of the most amazing things about Hostfest is this: It’s ours. It was created right here in Minot, by one of Minot’s most iconic residents. Hostfest has been embraced by generations of Minot residents, who saw the importance of retaining their cultural knowledge four decades ago. Not only did they recognize the value of an event dedicated to preserving Scandinavian culture, but in many cases they took it upon themselves to become part of the event through being a partner or a volunteer. They didn’t wait for someone else to help Hostfest grow and expand – they did it themselves.
That is another of the traditions that survives to this day that makes Hostfest unique.
The festival simply would not exist without the small army of volunteers who year after year ensure that the event runs as smoothly as possible. One of Hostfest’s enduring legacies is its ability to organize and mobilize the hundreds of volunteers needed every year to make sure the necessary details are taken care of in a timely manner.
This year’s festival is no exception. If you’re from the Minot area or if you are a regular visitor to Hostfest, I guarantee that you’ll run into many people you know who are performing volunteer duties this week. I have no doubt you’ll also meet up with family, friends, and co-workers while you’re at the festival. It happens every year, and it’s one of the more amazing aspects of Hostfest.
I urge you to join us at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds. I guarantee you won’t regret it.
You can find more about what’s happening at the City of Minot at minotnd.org, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. We’d also encourage you to sign up for our monthly electronic newsletter on our website.