Suburban Norwegian-Americans celebrate heritage with food, music, and crafts

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Taste of Norway Hostfest, an annual fall festival, was held Sunday, Nov. 3 at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Montgomery by Sons of Norway Polar Star Lodge 5-472. The social and cultural group meets on the first Sunday of each month at the church.

Smørbror, homemade open-faced sandwiches, were among Norwegian-style foods offered at Hostfest Taste of Norway fall festival Sunday at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Montgomery. Sons of Norway Polar Star Lodge 5-472 sponsors the annual event with Norwegian food, music and crafts. Al Benson/The Voice

At noon, lunch was served and a craft market opened. Barb Johnson of Yorkville, Polar Star cultural director, demonstrated cooking lesfse, potato flatbread. Others demonstrated baking krumkake, a waffle cookie; rosemaling, folk painting on wood; hardanger, Norwegian-style embroidery; and Scandinavian jewelry and knitted items that were available for purchase.

Music was provided by violinists Greg Johnson of Yorkville and T.J. Johnson, Riverside. Cole Johnson of Yorkville provided piano accompaniment.

Nancy Andersen of St. Charles serves her homemade cake at Hostfest Taste of Norway fall festival Sunday at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Montgomery. Sons of Norway Polar Star Lodge 5-472, a Norwegian-American cultural group, sponsors the annual fest featuring Norwegian food, music and crafts. Al Benson/The Voice

The lunch menu included homemade traditional Norwegian food including smørbror, open-faced sandwiches; lefse and desserts. Desserts included bløtkake, cream cakes; fruit soup; lingonberry bars, almond bars, Cake Kringla, ice cream with lingonberries and Kardamom rolls, cake and cookies.

Polar Star Lodge 5-472 is a member of Sons of Norway, a Minneapolis, Minn.-based non-profit founded in 1895 to promote Norwegian culture and heritage and offer financial products and services to its members. The organization offers activities like language classes, cooking classes and sports programs to celebrate members’ Norwegian heritage.

The organization has over 330 locally-governed lodges in the United States, Canada, and Norway. Members celebrate their Norwegian heritage at their local lodge and participate in district lodge activities and events.

For more information, call (630) 553-7389 or visit polarstarlodge.com/5.html for more information.

—Al Benson

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