Borgund Lodge got off to a good start in 1973 when 339 Norwegians gathered to organize our Sons of Norway lodge. Over the years, Borgund Lodge has typically hosted a Lille Norge Fest in November each year. The Norwegian festival offers unique treats, food, and entertainment that brings smiles to the faces of those who attend this annual celebration of Scandinavian heritage. This year the Lille Norge Fest will be held on Saturday, November 23, 2024, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The annual Lille Norge Fest, or "Little Norwegian Festival," is held in the appropriately-named "Viking Hall" at the Canyon Lake Activity Center to celebrate and promote Scandinavian culture. The celebration of Scandinavian heritage marks the beginning of the holiday season for those that attend. The event, which typically is held the Saturday before Thanksgiving, highlights an array of food and treats that are unique to Scandinavian culture. It is a homecoming for people with Scandinavian background to come enjoy krumkake, rosettes, lefse, and other cultural treats. Adding to the event are volunteers who will be wearing their bunads, or Norwegian folk costumes.
Volunteers spend days preparing various Scandinavian and other treats to sell to the community at the festival. Some of the most popular treats are krumkaka and rosettes. Krumkaka is a sweet and light pastry that is like a cross between an ice cream cone and a sugar cookie. A rosette is a deep-fried batter made with a handheld iron and dusted lightly with sugar. In addition, lefse is also very popular. It is a potato-based bread that bears resemblance to a pita and is typically sprinkled with butter and sugar (white or brown).
This year we are also offering cultural demonstrations during our morning festival along with various vendors selling Scandinavian-related items so that attendees can experience and take home the Scandinavian culture. While enjoying the entertainment during our festival, you can also sit down and enjoy our food line featuring steamburgers, polse, a piece of lefse, pie, fruit soup, rice pudding, or other treats with a cup of coffee on our food line. All are welcome to attend this cultural festival.
In addition to this event, next year will be a big year for Norwegians. We will be celebrating 200 years of migration from Norway to America. The first Norwegian immigrant ship left Norway on July 4, 1825, and that event will be reenacted with a replica ship leaving Norway next July 4 and arriving in the United States in October. Both Norway and the United States are holding events all throughout 2025 commemorating the 200 years of migration. This past year Anniken Ramberg Krutnes, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to the U.S., visited our lodge members in Rapid City. Our lodge is looking forward to offering programs monthly next year showing what our Norwegian ancestors went through in making this migration.
