Side Stage Acts
Accordion Man
A familiar face at Norsk Høstfest, Jerry Schlag has been playing accordion since the age of ten, getting his start with his father’s orchestra in the late 1950s. Over the years, he has performed across North Dakota at festivals, nightclubs, retirement homes, and community events, with nearly 100 shows a year. Jerry is a founding member of the Norsk Høstfest Accordion Club, has competed in and judged multiple accordion competitions, and was inducted into the Dakota Music Association Hall of Fame in 2006. He has recorded seven solo CDs and previously played with the JMB Band for over a decade.
Joining him at Høstfest are two of his former students and fellow club members, Karen Stevens and Marla Rose. Both discovered the accordion later in life under Jerry’s guidance and now regularly perform together at senior centers, churches, and special events. Their shared passion for the instrument and the joy it brings to their audiences make them a heartwarming addition to this year’s celebration.
Accordion Club
The Norsk Høstfest Accordion Club was founded by the late Tom Hemmesch in 1989 and has been a part of the Norsk Høsftfest since. This group gets together once a year to perform at the Norsk Høstfest twice daily during the festival, along with the nursing homes and assisted living places in Minot. Right now, we have around 125 members from all over the United States and Canada. Our music is old time two steps, polkas, waltzes, schottisches, and some country music.
The Country Gentlemen
The Country Gentlemen feature classic country, old standards, gospel greats and vintage rock from the 60’s & 70’s. Tim Klimpel, Gene Putnam and Larry Nelson are all multi-instrument musicians who are sure to keep your toes tapping and your hands clapping. The band are members of the Dakota Musicians Hall of Fame.
Crazy Fingers
Known for turning heads and tickling keys in the most unexpected ways, Crazy Fingers is bringing his one-of-a-kind piano antics to this year’s Norsk Høstfest. A longtime performer with decades of stories behind every note, he is best recognized for his playful style—often playing upside down, backwards, or with everything but his fingers. What started as a simple parlor trick has turned into a signature act that keeps crowds laughing and clapping along.
Crazy Fingers is a seasoned showman with serious chops. He has spent years bringing his unpredictable performances to fairs, senior centers, and small-town stages across the Midwest. His energy is contagious, his style unforgettable, and his ability to make a piano sing (and sometimes groan) always leaves the room smiling. This year, he is letting loose at Høstfest, and you will not want to miss a moment.
Daniel Starks
Daniel Starks is a fun and energetic musician from Ryder, ND. Together with his dad, this father-son duo brings to life a wide variety of music from across the years such as the songs of Elvis, Johnny Cash, Ricky Nelson, and of course The Beatles. Along with his own blend of soul-stirring gospel, Starks captivates concertgoers with his dynamic vocal range and his exceptional guitar play.
Beyond the stage, Daniel is a dedicated K-12 music teacher, shaping the next generation of musical talents with his passion and enthusiasm.
Daniel enjoys sharing his voice with audiences and has an entertaining stage presence that will be sure to have you laughing, singing, or dancing along!
Heart of Dakota Cloggers
Karen Hamilton and Jacque Harvey fell in love with clogging after taking classes through the Minot Community Learning Center. In 2019, Jacque and Karen opened The Clogging Place in Minot where they have been blessed to introduce the love of clogging to others, including Sheri Cormier, Amanda Olson, Susan Renfandt and Christine Roberts. Together, these six dancers make up the Heart of Dakota Cloggers.
Heart of Dakota Cloggers entertains audiences clogging to a variety of music, including oldies, country, bluegrass, and more. The group has performed for Frozen Fingers, an old-time and bluegrass music festival, Salute to Seniors, Dancing for Special Stars, and other local organizations.
The art of “making music with your feet” brings the group great joy, and it is their goal to share that joy with others.
Fiddling Lefty
A native of Belcourt, ND, Ryan Keplin has established his reputation as a distinctive left-handed fiddle player and entertainer, astonishing crowds wherever he plays. His spectacular shows feature a mixture of fiddle music and singing, leaving his audiences wanting to hear more each time.
Midwest Murder Podcast LIVE!
We’ve all heard the phrase ‘that kind of thing doesn’t happen in our town’, but here on Midwest Murder, we will shatter that false reality. In fact, it happens more often than we know, and sometimes the details of the most horrific crimes that happen in our neighborhoods are lost in the back pages of newspapers, forgotten on our news channels, and eventually erased over time.
This performance sponsored by The Title Team.
MoonCats
MoonCats have kept the fun in North Dakota’s music scene for all ages since 2018. After countless shows, three full length albums, and tours across the region and country, this tuned-in trio prides itself on singalong originals and an occasional cover. Using a mix of American roots instruments, Slinger, Danny, and Sky paint a picture of the plains and sing of the times. Enjoy their mix of new and old time music on banjo, washboard, upright bass, mandolin,guitar, harmonica, and more LIVE with MoonCats!
Ole Olsson's Oldtime Orkestra
Project Constellation
Ragnarokkr
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.
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.
Renee Vaughan and Laura MacKenzie
Renee Vaughan & Laura MacKenzie bring the heart of traditional Nordic music to Norsk Høstfest, performing tunes and playing instruments with roots that go back centuries. Their sound features the rich, resonant nyckelharpa—the national folk instrument of Sweden—alongside the säckpipa, a small Swedish bagpipe, and the wooden flute, known for its warm, earthy tone.
Their performance highlights the signature rhythms and dance tunes of the Nordic countries, especially the many polska variations with distinctive regional styles found throughout Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland. Many villages developed their own unique folk tunes and folk dances, creating a rich tapestry of local tradition. Renee and Laura also share stories and background that connect the music to its people and places. It’s a chance to experience Nordic folk music as it’s been passed down through generations—rooted in the old country and carried into the present with respect, energy, and heart.
The Replacements
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.
Ryan Charles Cihlar
Born and raised in Door County, Wisconsin, amongst lighthouses and cherry trees, Ryan began his musical journey as a 10 year old, studying the saxophone and piano. Later shifting his focus to the drums, Ryan has built a successful career as a multi-instrumentalist, also playing the ukulele and singing in the regional duo Cherry Dirt.
After several trips to Italy, France, Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Bulgaria and Greece, Ryan fell in love with classical music and the elegant sounds of the Old World. These trips inspired Ryan to pick up the vintage accordion that he inherited from his grandfather, who brought it home from Germany during his tenure in World War II. Since then, Ryan has devoted himself to learning and revitalizing the sounds of this fascinating instrument that has all but disappeared from mainstream music. Today, Ryan provides a blissful escape to those who wish to experience the same music that has been so transformative in his own life.
Shelby Huston
Shelby earned her Bachelor of Music degree in Instrumental Music Education from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, in 2021, where she studied violin under the instruction of Dr. Sonja Bosca-Harasim. During her time at Concordia, she showcased both her leadership and musical talent, serving as concertmaster of the Concordia Orchestra in 2020 and 2021.
Continuing her academic journey at Concordia, Shelby completed her Master of Music in Music Education in 2023. Since 2021, she has been the Director of Orchestras at West Fargo Horace High School in North Dakota and taught as a string professor at Valley City State University in 2024.
Shelby has also contributed as Guest Faculty at the North Star Chamber Camp at Concordia College in 2024, coaching string ensembles and teaching fiddling classes to young musicians. She remains an active member of the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra since 2017 and teaches private violin lessons in her spare time.
A passionate and accomplished old-time fiddle player, Shelby has earned numerous accolades, including three championships at the International Music Camp Old-Time Fiddle Contest and a win at the Minnesota State Old-Time Fiddle Championship, among other honors. Since 2022, she has taught fiddle classes and served as an adjudicator at the International Music Camp Old-Time Fiddle Workshop.
Her performance experience includes appearances at the Norsk Høstfest, where she has shared the stage with notable entertainers like Williams and Ree. She regularly performs fiddle music at banquets, weddings, and community events, and volunteers her musical talents at churches and nursing homes throughout North Dakota.
The Waddington Brothers
The Waddington Brothers, a band of four brothers from rural North Dakota, perform what they live: music that is real to them, that takes listeners on a journey through the heart of the American West.
This group shares their music as a well-polished craft: one that’s been cultivated by four siblings who have been playing and singing together their entire lives. While their performing experience together traces back to 2004, the band officially came together as The Waddington Brothers in 2019. Their musical inspiration today is drawn from many pools of influences. Their sound might be described as a mixture of traditional bluegrass, gospel music, and Western strains reminiscent of The Sons of the Pioneers. Even more accurately, though, it can be described as something brand new—something powerfully different—a breath of fresh air to their audiences, that could only be created by four brothers with such an authentic synergy and blend. And it’s been proven: in 2023 at the annual SPBGMA (Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America) Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, The Waddington Brothers took first place in the International Bluegrass Band Competition.
Western Plains Children's Choir
Western Plains Children’s Choirs 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.
The Western Senators
One of Canada’s most awarded country music performers, Brian Sklar has built a reputation as a world-class entertainer in Canada, the United States and Europe. Saskatchewan’s Grammy Nominated Polka Band, The Western Senators originated in Calgary, Alberta in 1973. After watching a western conference playoff game between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Saskatchewan won…) a group of musicians, originally from Saskatchewan went down the basement and commenced to playing Cleveland-style polka music. Several bottles of CC later, it was decided that since the music sounded so good, the group should record an album.
All Concerts
The Great Hall
Great Hall entertainment offers something for everyone. By day, guests can enjoy afternoon concerts showcasing musical or comedic talents. These family-friendly shows provide a delightful introduction to diverse forms of music and art.
Side Stage Concerts
find a wide array of different entertainment and acts all throughout the festival halls! With everything from traditional Scandinavian folk music, to dance, to comedy acts, there is something for everyone to enjoy during the festival.
Performances
Experience a vibrant showcase of Scandinavian culture with music, storytelling, and captivating stage acts that bring Nordic traditions to life. From mesmerizing ballet performances and live podcast sessions to traditional folk dancing and engaging theatrical displays, there’s something for everyone to enjoy!
Norsk Høstfest exists to celebrate Scandinavian Heritage by promoting and preserving its culture and community values for the benefit of future generations.
Norway
Finland
Norway
Sweden
Denmark
