DECORAH —Visit Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, for Free Second Saturday on September 12, to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States with free admission, international treats, a craft activity, a guided tour, free books, special exhibitions, and live music!
The Museum Building is open from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., and activities are from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. in both Hanson Vesterheim Commons and the Museum Building.
Free Second Saturday is supported by a grant from McElroy Trust with additional gifts from The Depot Outlet and Black Hills Energy. In September, additional support is provided by The Oneota Valley Literary Foundation for the book giveaway, food, and music.
Immigrants from around the world have brought their food traditions with them to the United States. Sample some tasty international food treats and be creative with an art project – making an artful pretend smørbrød, or open-face Scandinavian sandwich, using recyclables and your imagination.
Music is another celebrated tradition that immigrants brought to America, and the Hardanger fiddle (hardingfele) is the national folk instrument of Norway. Dr. Tyler Hendrickson will play the Hardanger fiddle in the Museum Building! Dr. Hendrickson began his journey into Nordic fiddling in 2017 after attending a Vesterheim workshop with Vidar Skrede. He has worked with fiddlers from the United States and Norway and is an active member of the Hardanger Fiddle Association of the Americas. He founded the Lower Iowa Nordic Ensemble (LINE) in Iowa City, Iowa and serves as the Adjunct Instructor of Violin & Viola at Kirkwood Community College. He plays on a fiddle commissioned from Vesterheim Gold Medalist Karen Rebholz!
Thanks to the Oneota Valley Literary Foundation, children’s books about immigrant contributions to the U.S. will be available free for visitors to take home.
At 1:30 p.m., join a guided tour of the historic buildings in Vesterheim Heritage Park.
Free Second Saturday is a great time to visit the special exhibits at Vesterheim. Open now is “Nordic Echoes: Tradition in Contemporary Art,” “Lars Fletre: Resistance, Resilience, and Artistry,” and “Emigrating to America,” where families can play the interactive game that leads visitors through a series of decisions as they pretend to immigrate to the U.S. from Norway. Visitors can discover who they are when they leave Norway and what happens along their travels to a new home.
Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds to engage in the conversation of the American immigrant journey through the lens of the Norwegian-American experience. Vesterheim offers innovative and interactive exhibits, classes, and programs, both at the dynamic campus and park in scenic Decorah, Iowa, and online at vesterheim.org and Vesterheim social media. For more information on exhibits, classes, programs, tours, membership opportunities, and ways to donate and volunteer, connect at vesterheim.org, (563) 382-9681, and Vesterheim, 520 W. Water St., P.O. Box 379, Decorah, IA, 52101-0379.