Dates: | September 24-28, 2024 | |
Location: | North Dakota State Fairgrounds 2005 E Burdick Expressway Minot, ND 58701 |
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Hosts: | Carolyn and Anton Hol |
The 2024 Norsk Høstfest Rally officially started Tuesday afternoon, but on Monday, Sept. 23, 8 coaches and 14 members arrived at the ND State Fairgrounds. The last two coaches and four members arrived on the 24th. We had members from Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Florida, Colorado, Virginia, and three from Iowa. The rally was hosted by Anton and Carolyn Hol (NC Region VP's).
The group that arrived early took advantage of the daily morning coffee and donuts at the RV Hospitality building on Tuesday. We all greeted the two coaches arriving that morning.
The rally began on Tuesday evening. The group was shuttled to the Rockin' Horse restaurant outside the campgrounds for an RV Social sponsored by Høstfest. A taco bar was provided and door prize drawings were held with one of our members winning a door prize! Entertainment was the "The Replacements".
Wednesday through Friday the Høstfest was open from 9 - 9. Attendees could come and go during the day or evening as they pleased. Norsk Høstfest is a grand celebration of Scandinavian culture and heritage. This event is made possible by the dedication of over 600 volunteers and the generous support of the Minot community. There are five halls besides the Great Hall where you can explore the traditions of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland. You can experience a delightful array of activities, from lively Nordic cuisine and exquisite Scandinavian arts and crafts. Each hall offered a unique experience, featuring handmade goods, savory flavors, and enchanting bands and singing groups.
On Wednesday at 1:00 pm, as part of our VIP camping package, we all attended the Great Hall performance of "The Texas Tenors/Gaelic Storm". Some of us had also purchased tickets for the "Church of Cash" in the Great Hall for the 7 p.m. performance.
As a group, we went to the Scandinavian Heritage Park and spent 3 hours learning about the Scandinavian heritage. The volunteers in the information center, the Gol Stave Church, and Heritage House were excellent in sharing their history.
Friday morning, our group met at the RV Hospitality building for a "farewell" enjoying breakfast pizza along with the donuts and coffee that were provided there. A couple of the coaches were leaving that day. It was also Jerry's birthday, but he "neglected" to tell us until later in the day!
Most of us pulled out of the fairgrounds Saturday morning, headed for home or other stops on our journey. However, four coaches stayed to attend the 5:00 p.m. "Garrison Keillor" performance in the Great Hall.
The NC Region VPs and attendees posted photos of the rally on the Born Free RV Happy Campers USA Facebook page.
Submitted by Carolyn and Anton Hol