Paint a Handmade Lefse Turner

Just in time for lefse season! Join artist and maker Abbey Nielsen to paint a handmade, local-wood lefse turner. Abbey makes the lefse turners herself and will give a brief presentation about the process. Then everyone will practice painting a design together. You can then either recreate the design you practiced or create something original for your own turner.

You will leave the class with a completed stick, ready for your next lefse party.

Fee includes all the materials needed.

Registration

General Registration: $75

Norway House Members: $70

Note: This class has been rescheduled to January 14, 5:00pm-8:00pm

Bacalao: A Unique Kristiansund Culinary Tradition

Learn to make the Portuguese-Norwegian hybrid stew Norwegians call Bacalao, first created in the coastal city of Kristiansund and now a popular festmåltid (celebration dish) beloved throughout Norway. Several generations in Kristiansund’s Nordmøre region have honed their skills and built lore around this Mediterranean-influenced cod-based stew.

Learn about the unique culture and history of Kristiansund and klippfisk (dried salted cod) that led to this unusually flavorful and colorful culinary tradition, experiment with different variations to find your favorite recipe, sample beverage pairings, and have some bacalao to take home (like any stew, it’s even better the next day!).

Instructor Joseph Grodahl is the executive director of the Giants of the Earth Heritage Center in Spring Grove, Minnesota. He is the son of a Kristiansund native and is very willing to tell you what an exceptional city it is.

Students of the class can purchase an additional pound of stew to take home for $15, paid directly to the instructor, as supplies allow.

What does it mean to grow up today? Young people are navigating a rapidly changing world filled with new opportunities—and unprecedented pressures.

Join us for an engaging conversation exploring the challenges facing today’s youth, from social media and technology to mental health, identity, relationships, education, and uncertainty about the future. Together, we’ll look beyond the headlines to better understand what young people are experiencing and how families, educators, communities, and leaders can support them.

Come listen, learn, and be part of the conversation about how we can help the next generation thrive.

Guest Speaker:

Kim Lear is a researcher, published writer, and corporate speaker. She is known for her ability to use a mix of data, storytelling, humor, and actionable takeaways to discuss the trends that most impact the bottom line of organizations. Kim Lear founded Inlay Insights, a generational research and public speaking firm. On behalf of Inlay Insights, Kim Lear partners with top universities and some of the best companies in the world giving them holistic and actionable perspectives on the new world of work and the needs of consumers today. Kim Lear’s work has been featured on NPR as well as national publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, USA Today and more.

The event is free but registration required.

Norwegian children's language teacher Kari Stern has a special class where students read, sing, dance, and do crafts in Norwegian.

Kari Stern leads a special session of Barnehage, a Norwegian language program for pre-schoolers. Two-to-four year olds and their parents or guardians read, sing, and play in Norwegian. Kari uses a children's book to set the theme and children get to hear, speak, read, and create art using the language. This month's book features ducklings having an adventure - who can resist?!

The price is per family, so if you have more than one two-to-four-year-old in the family, you may all attend for one price.

Kari teaches Barnehage, children's language class in Norwegian, each semester for 12 weeks at Norway House. Her special Saturday classes are an opportunity for children in Barnehage to have greater exposture to the language.

If you want your child to learn Norwegian, but were uncertain about classes, the Saturday Barnehage is wonderful opportunity to see how fun learning a language can be.

Make Salt Ornaments with Jordan Dye

Add a handmade touch to your holiday season at Gingerbread Wonderland! Join Jordan Dye for a fun, festive activity where kids and families can create their own salt-dough ornaments to take home. It’s a wonderful way to get creative and make special holiday memories together. This free activity takes place in the Kids’ Activities area in the Kaffebar.

Sign-up is encouraged, with space for up to 20 participants, but walk-ins are welcome as space allows!

Lefse with Heidi Eger

Join Heidi as she shares her great-grandmother’s foolproof lefse recipe. She will walk you through each step and explain the best practices for creating consistently good lefse. She’ll also share what to do when things don’t go perfectly and how to save the day–or at least the sheet of lefse.

Bring your questions (it’s ok to ask about using potato flakes) and be ready for a hands-on class that will give you plenty of practice. You will leave class with a couple of sheets of lefse to take home.

Registration

General Registration: $45

Norway House Members: $40

Read with Raggedy Ann

Norway House Member Patti Flekke reads Holiday & Gingerbread Themed books

Step into a world of stories and holiday magic at Norway House’s Gingerbread Wonderland! Join Raggedy Ann, played by Norway House member Patti Flekke, for a cozy storytime filled with delightful children’s books and festive fun. Perfect for little ones ages 3–7, but readers of all ages are welcome! This free event takes place in the Kids’ Activities area in the Kaffebar.

Sign-up is encouraged, with space for up to 20 participants, but walk-ins are welcome as space allows!

Lefse with Heidi Eger

Join Heidi as she shares her great-grandmother’s foolproof lefse recipe. She will walk you through each step and explain the best practices for creating consistently good lefse. She’ll also share what to do when things don’t go perfectly and how to save the day–or at least the sheet of lefse.

Bring your questions (it’s ok to ask about using potato flakes) and be ready for a hands-on class that will give you plenty of practice. You will leave class with a couple of sheets of lefse to take home.

Registration

General Registration: $45

Norway House Members: $40

Lefse with Heidi Eger

Join Heidi as she shares her great-grandmother’s foolproof lefse recipe. She will walk you through each step and explain the best practices for creating consistently good lefse. She’ll also share what to do when things don’t go perfectly and how to save the day–or at least the sheet of lefse.

Bring your questions (it’s ok to ask about using potato flakes) and be ready for a hands-on class that will give you plenty of practice. You will leave class with a couple of sheets of lefse to take home.

Registration

General Registration: $45

Norway House Members: $40

Vinterfest: Celebrating our Going Viking Honorees

Bundle up and join your Norway House community for Vinterfest — our beloved annual winter celebration where friends and members gather to share good food, warm company, and festive Nordic-inspired smorgasbord. Wander through a dazzling Gingerbread Wonderland, savor a Nordic-inspired smorgasbord, enjoy a musical performance by VocalEssence, and settle in for a koselig (cozy) evening among friends.

The heart of the evening is our Going Viking Awards ceremony, when we honor individuals and organizations who embody the adventuresome, bold spirit of the Vikings — people who embody a spirit of bold adventure, purposeful ambition, and courageous action. Presented annually by Norway House's Founders' Council. As Minnesota author Tom C. Veblen puts it, "going viking" means to be adventuresome, to explore, discover, and pursue bold and important undertakings with daring.

Going Viking 2026 Honorees

Kjell Bergh

Born and raised in Kristiansund, Norway, Kjell Bergh arrived in the U.S. as a young journalist, spent 13 months traveling the country on odd jobs and freelance writing for Norwegian publications, and stopped in Minneapolis on his way to Szeattle. He never left. He went from temporary worker to sole owner of Borton Volvo, built Borton Travel, served as Honorary Consul of Tanzania, and sat on the boards of institutions including Gillette Children’s Hospital and the Nobel Peace Prize Forum. For more than 45 years he has been a champion of ties between Minnesota and Norway, from helping plan King Olav’s 1968 visit to hosting visiting Norwegian dignitaries.

Gracia Grindal

Professor of Rhetoric Emerita at Luther Seminary, Gracia Grindal is a poet, hymn writer, and historian who has devoted her career to Norwegian-American life. After graduating from Augsburg College in 1965, she stayed in Norway for a year working in two Oslo nursing homes to learn the language, and she has since spent more than two years there on sabbaticals studying Nordic hymnody. She has written or translated dozens of books, including histories of Norwegian-American women such as Elisabeth Fedde and Thea Rønning and the congregation history Mindekirken: Against the Current. She has also produced the Hovland opera Fange og Fri about Hans Nielsen Hauge, served as president of Mindekirken, and served on the Norwegian American Historical Association board.

Melissa Hortman (posthumous)

Melissa Hortman spent two decades in the Minnesota House, serving as Speaker from 2019 to 2025 and championing clean energy, infrastructure, and police accountability reform, including a bipartisan bill passed in the weeks after George Floyd’s murder. A lawyer who began her career representing families facing housing discrimination, she took on fights others avoided, built coalitions across party lines, and advocated for Norway House’s inclusion in state bonding bills ahead of its 2022 campus expansion. She and her husband, Mark, were killed in June 2025 in a politically motivated attack, and the award honors a lifetime of courageous public service. Her family will accept the award on her behalf at Vinterfest on December 1.

Also joining us is Tom Veblen, author of Going Viking, who will also be recognized that evening.

And of course, no Vinterfest is complete without our Norwegian sweater competition! Break out your best classic or contemporary sweater — your loudest snowflake pattern, or your most treasured hand-me-dow, and see who takes home bragging rights for the season.

So sweater-up and join us this December as we come together as one community to eat, celebrate, and applaud this year's Going Viking honorees. Skål to the season!

Schedule
5:00 PM – Welcome & Silent Auction
6:00 PM – Dinner & Entertainment by Edina Chamber Choir
7:00 PM – Going Viking Awards ceremony
8:00 PM – Norwegian sweater competition

Make crispy krumkake cookies in holiday flavors: Spiced chocolate and Gingerbread, along with the traditional style.

Learn to make krumkake, the crispy batter cookie that is popular in Norway. You will make traditional krumkake, with a hint of cardamom along with new, boldy flavored versions: Spiced choclate and gingerbread.

You will sample some suggested ways to fill the krumkake and practice making them in different shapes for different types of desserts.

Please bring a tin or container so you can bring some home with you from class.

Wheat and dairy are used in making krumkake.

This class is taught by Heidi Eger, Norway House's popular lefse instructor.

Level Up Your Lefse with Heidi Eger

This class is for lefse-makers who want to fine tune their basic skills, then venture onto multiple lefse recipes and techniques. It's hands-on with plenty of sampling and comparing.

In this full day class, we’ll focus on the basics for the morning. Instructor Heidi Eger will walk you through the all the steps and equipment. Build your confidence rolling and cooking on Heidi’s Great-Grandmother's recipe and then try other recipes in the afternoon. Roll and sample: Lefse made with Red Potato, Yukon Gold Potato, Instant Potato, and Sweet Potato along with a batch made with cream instead of butter.

"A Christmas Wish" by Lori Evert

Celebrate the magic of the season with a special storytime at Norway House’s Gingerbread Wonderland!

Join author and illustrator Lori Evert and her husband, Per, as they share their Norwegian-themed children’s books, including the beloved holiday classic A Christmas Wish. Bring the little ones for a cozy hour of storytelling and festive fun in the Kids’ Activities area in the Kaffebar. Perfect for families and young readers!

Sign-up is encouraged, with space for up to 20 participants, but walk-ins are welcome as space allows!

Lefse with Heidi Eger

Join Heidi as she shares her great-grandmother’s foolproof lefse recipe. She will walk you through each step and explain the best practices for creating consistently good lefse. She’ll also share what to do when things don’t go perfectly and how to save the day–or at least the sheet of lefse.

Bring your questions (it’s ok to ask about using potato flakes) and be ready for a hands-on class that will give you plenty of practice. You will leave class with a couple of sheets of lefse to take home.

Registration

General Registration: $45

Norway House Members: $40

Norway House Barnehage: Reading & Crafts with Kari Stern

Bring the little ones to Norway House’s Gingerbread Wonderland for a fun-filled hour of Norwegian stories and creative crafts! Join Kari Stern for a special Barnehagen-inspired activity where children can enjoy storytelling, get crafty, and celebrate Nordic traditions in a festive holiday setting. Designed for children ages 3–7, but all are welcome! The free event takes place in the Kids’ Activities area in the Kaffebar.

Sign-up is encouraged, with space for up to 20 participants, but walk-ins are welcome as space allows!

Paint a Handmade Lefse Turner

Just in time for lefse season! Join artist and maker Abbey Nielsen to paint a handmade, local-wood lefse turner. Abbey makes the lefse turners herself and will give a brief presentation about the process. Then everyone will practice painting a design together. You can then either recreate the design you practiced or create something original for your own turner.

You will leave the class with a completed stick, ready for your next lefse party.

Fee includes all the materials needed.

Registration

General Registration: $75

Norway House Members: $70

Skinnfell Hat Ornament with Heidi Eger

Skinnfell is the Nordic folk art of sewing with stamped sheepskins. Whole sheepskins would be used to make bedding and smaller pieces would be used for clothing and decor.

In this class, you will make a stamp and sew a little winter hat ornament to add Nordic flair to your home. Choose from a variety of stamps for your decoration and learn two different stitches.

All materials are supplied and included in the class fee.

Skinnfell Sheep Ornament with Heidi Eger

Skinnfell is the Nordic folk art of sewing with stamped sheepskins. Whole sheepskins would be used to make bedding and smaller pieces would be used for clothing and decor. In this class, make a cute little stuffed sheep out of sheepskin. Cut out some of the pieces, stamp the belly piece and then sew it all together! An appealing stocking stuffer or keep for yourself.

All materials are provided and are included in the class fee.

Norwegian children's language teacher Kari Stern has a special class where students read, sing, dance, and do crafts in Norwegian.

Kari Stern leads a special session of Barnehage, a Norwegian language program for pre-schoolers. Two-to-four year olds and their parents or guardians read, sing, and play in Norwegian. Kari uses a children's book to set the theme and children get to hear, speak, read, and create art using the language. This month's book features ducklings having an adventure - who can resist?!

The price is per family, so if you have more than one two-to-four-year-old in the family, you may all attend for one price.

Kari teaches Barnehage, children's language class in Norwegian, each semester for 12 weeks at Norway House. Her special Saturday classes are an opportunity for children in Barnehage to have greater exposture to the language.

If you want your child to learn Norwegian, but were uncertain about classes, the Saturday Barnehage is wonderful opportunity to see how fun learning a language can be.

Franklin Library Reading & Crafts with Christina Smith

Celebrate the holiday season with stories and creativity at Norway House’s Gingerbread Wonderland!

Join Christina Smith for a special Franklin Library storytime and craft activity where little ones can enjoy engaging stories and create something of their own. Designed for children ages 3–7, but everyone is welcome! This free event takes place in the Kids’ Activities area near the Kaffebar.

Sign-up is encouraged, with space for up to 20 participants, but walk-ins are welcome as space allows!

Host a Lefse Class Party

Keep the holiday spirit going! Have a private lefse class with up to 12 people. Together you will learn to make the dough, roll it out, and fry it. Working in small teams, you will bake enough lefse that each person will have several sheets to take home.

Instructor Heidi Eger will walk you through each step and will give you lots of tips and coaching so everyone is successful. It’s easy entertaining for the party organizer – we do the set up and the clean up. You just bring your friends and family and have a good time.

Registration

General Registration: $480

Norway House Members: $450

Troll Stories in the Saga Center

Step into the magical world of trolls at Norway House! Join Jennifer Weiss and Zara Coakley in the Saga Center for a cozy hour of troll stories, imaginative crafts, and Nordic-inspired fun. Perfect for little adventurers and curious minds, this enchanting gathering invites you to listen, create, and let your imagination run wild.

Space is limited to 20 participants, so be sure to sign up! Walk-ins are welcome if space allows.

Host a Lefse Class Party

Keep the holiday spirit going! Have a private lefse class with up to 12 people. Together you will learn to make the dough, roll it out, and fry it. Working in small teams, you will bake enough lefse that each person will have several sheets to take home.

Instructor Heidi Eger will walk you through each step and will give you lots of tips and coaching so everyone is successful. It’s easy entertaining for the party organizer – we do the set up and the clean up. You just bring your friends and family and have a good time.

Registration

General Registration: $480

Norway House Members: $450

Host a Lefse Class Party

Keep the holiday spirit going! Have a private lefse class with up to 12 people. Together you will learn to make the dough, roll it out, and fry it. Working in small teams, you will bake enough lefse that each person will have several sheets to take home.

Instructor Heidi Eger will walk you through each step and will give you lots of tips and coaching so everyone is successful. It’s easy entertaining for the party organizer – we do the set up and the clean up. You just bring your friends and family and have a good time.

Registration

General Registration: $480

Norway House Members: $450

Make a Family Tree in the Saga Center

Join Norway House’s Haugo Bibliotek team for a fun, family-friendly activity creating your very own family tree! Little ones can get creative while learning about family connections and celebrating the people who make their family special. Designed for ages 3–7, but all are welcome!

Space is limited to 20 participants, so sign up to save your spot. Walk-ins are welcome as space allows.

Bacalao: A Unique Kristiansund Culinary Tradition

Learn to make the Portuguese-Norwegian hybrid stew Norwegians call Bacalao, first created in the coastal city of Kristiansund and now a popular festmåltid (celebration dish) beloved throughout Norway. Several generations in Kristiansund’s Nordmøre region have honed their skills and built lore around this Mediterranean-influenced cod-based stew.

Learn about the unique culture and history of Kristiansund and klippfisk (dried salted cod) that led to this unusually flavorful and colorful culinary tradition, experiment with different variations to find your favorite recipe, sample beverage pairings, and have some bacalao to take home (like any stew, it’s even better the next day!).

Instructor Joseph Grodahl is the executive director of the Giants of the Earth Heritage Center in Spring Grove, Minnesota. He is the son of a Kristiansund native and is very willing to tell you what an exceptional city it is.

Students of the class can purchase an additional pound of stew to take home for $15, paid directly to the instructor, as supplies allow.

Winter Pysanky with a Nordic Twist

Learn to make pysanky, the ornate decorated eggs from Eastern Europe and the Baltic countries, with Nordic-inspired designs. The artwork is created by repeatedly outline designs in beeswax and dying the eggs. The dyes will be in autumnal colors so you will have a unique decoration for the season. Renata Fossett will walk you through the steps so you will end the class with a completed egg.

In this class you will choose from a selection of designs, then learn to do the following:

•Use a kistka, the tool for holding melted beeswax and writing on the egg.

•Dye in a sequence of colors as you build the design.

•Build up designs with repeated use of beeswax and color.

You can take your completed egg home with you, along with a hanger for display, or you can leave your egg with the teacher. She will varnish the egg for you and you can pick it up at Norway House later that week.

All supplies are provided in class.

Renata was introduced to the art of pysanky in 1981 by Ukrainian artist Luba Perchyshyn, who lived in Northeast Minneapolis. She has been writing pysanky ever since.

Registration

General Registration: $50

Norway House Members: $45

Two to four-year-olds, along with their adults, learn Norwegian through activities and fun.

The theme for this semester is ANIMALS!  We will be learning about all kinds of animals, from our pets, to farm animals, and wild animals in Norway and around the world, all through play, songs, games and crafts.

This class runs for 14 weeks, on Thursday mornings, starting on February 4 and ending on May 13. There is no class on April 22. Each class is for an hour.

Registration is for the semester (14 classes):

General registration: $375 for the first child, $90 for each additional child from the same family

Norway House Member: $350 for the first child, $75 for each additional child from the same family

If you're interested in taking just a single class, we recommend our Saturday Barnehage classes, which are designed for single-lesson learning.

—

Kari Stern is a long-time children's language teacher. She also leads the Saturday Barnehage classes on the fourth Saturday of each month.