Ole Olsson’s Oldtime Orkestra is comprised of Art Bjorngjeld, accordion and fiddle; Paul Wilson, accordion and fiddle; Char Bostrom, fiddle; Frances Olson, fiddle; and Mary Abendroth, pump organ. They specialize in playing oldtime dance music and encourage all attendees that would like to dance to attend their sets!

They play for festivals and lutefisk feeds all around Minnesota and even make it out of the state once in awhile in their old ‘yalopy’ to perform in far flung places, all in their quest to spread the joy of Scandinavian folk music and perhaps find perfectly formed lefse.

Today’s Ragnarökkr (Vikings with Guitars), will entertain you with selections of your favorite music that you can dance and sing along with.  We play a wide variety of music to provide musical selections that cover many genres of different generations and ages.  You will be sure to enjoy The Vikings with Guitars music and witty banter.

Ragnarök is the cataclysmic battle between the forces of chaos and those of order in Norse mythology, ending the world and killing most of the Gods and their adversaries, leading to the birth of a new world.  Ragnarökkr (“Twilight of the Gods”) is the pivotal event that ends the mythic cycle beginning with the birth of the Gods of Asgard (the Aesir), and the creation of the Nine Realms of Norse cosmology. The Gods established order and restrained the forces of chaos, but at Ragnarök, these forces break free, and even though the Gods know the battle is great, they march into battle to save the world they have created.  It is Ragnarökkr (Vikings with Guitars), who are known as Warriors who play music while they descend into battle to save the world.

A welcome sight to area audiences, the Replacements bring upbeat hearts and fun personalities to the stage. The Replacements perform a large variety of music including 50’s and 60’s music, country, country gospel, dance music and, when in season, Christmas.

The group consists of Marlene Grabow as soprano/alto, Jim Mayfield as bass, Jerry Martin as tenor, Karen Rath as vocals and keyboard, and Larry Nelson as bass, rhythm guitar and melody.

The Replacements have performed in the surrounding areas at Frozen Fingers Festival, local churches and for other programs throughout the area.

This cheerful group likes to spread the happiness and fun they have while performing and their goal is to put a smile on everyone’s face.

Shelby Huston is a passionate old-time fiddle player from North Dakota who’s been playing music most of her life, often performing alongside her dad, Kevin Huston. The two share a deep love for old-time tunes and can be found playing at festivals and community gatherings all across the region.

Shelby’s love for fiddling has taken her to the stage at events like Norsk Høstfest, where she’s played alongside performers like Williams and Ree, and to the winner’s circle at contests like the International Music Camp Old-Time Fiddle Contest three times and the Minnesota State Old-Time Fiddle Championship. Since 2022, she’s also been on the teaching and judging side of things at the International Music Camp’s Old-Time Fiddle Workshop.

When she’s not fiddling with her dad or teaching young players, Shelby keeps busy as Director of Orchestras at Horace High School in West Fargo and gives private violin lessons. She’s also been part of the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra since 2017.

Shelby’s heart is in the old tunes, and she’s all about keeping the tradition alive, and making it fun, for the next generation.

 

Western Plains Children’s Choir performs traditional songs every day throughout the festival. They exist for the purpose of providing children the opportunity to develop lifelong singing and musicianship skills.  We provide a supportive learning environment within which members develop individually as well as communally.  Singers in our choirs make lasting friendships and have fun while building music reading skills, vocal skills, musical artistry, choral diction, performance expertise, and a love of beautiful choral singing.

 

One of Minot, North Dakota’s most seasoned comedians joins the Norsk Høstfest stage for the very first time- you won’t want to miss him!

 

Teho. is a Finnish power-fiddle duo that explodes musical boundaries while having roots deeply in the tradition. Teho’s fiddlers grew up in Central Ostrobothnia, Finland – an area known for its extremely virile and rich folk music life.

Their music combines fluently Finnish traditional fiddling, Norwegian Halling, Swedish Polska, Bebop, Western Swing, and contemporary folk music. Improvisation also plays a big part of the duo’s sound. Tero Hyväluoma and Esko Järvelä are both top-notch names in the Nordic folk music field and cross-over freelancers without genre boundaries. They have played together for years in various different bands and projects, including one of the most well known Finnish folk bands, Frigg. Teho.’s debut album was nominated for a Finnish Grammy (Emma Awards) in 2018.