Packed with Performers!
In addition to world-class entertainment, Norsk Høstfest also showcases authentic Scandinavian entertainment. The festival features traditional Scandinavian folk music and dance performances, as well as polka, fiddling, and comedy acts.
You can see performances from Fiddling Lefty, Dalakopa, Mollie B, Accordion Clubs, and Children’s Choirs, there’s even a Children’s Stage for the little ones. (Children under 12 get in FREE!)
The five stages throughout the festival are packed with performers from 9 am to 7 pm! For those of you who like to stay out late, we have late-night performers after the evening Great Hall Concerts from 10 pm to midnight! At Norsk Høstfest you will be sure to get your money’s worth of entertainment.
Our full entertainment schedule will be coming out soon. Subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of the page to get the schedule sent straight to your inbox.
Become an entertainer!
Do you have a hidden talent for playing the accordion? Norsk Høstfest is always looking for new and exciting entertainment. With our five stages and even on-the-go musicians roaming the halls, we fill every inch of the ND State Fair Center with entertainment!
Mollie B, the multi-instrumentalist, award-winning vocalist, and host of the Mollie B Polka Party TV show, has been performing music all her life. She started her career performing as a child. Mollie now performs nation-wide to live audiences, as well as on TV and the big screen.
Williams and Ree, Aka The Indian and The WhiteGuy, are a music and comedy phenomenon. This long running duo eschews political correctness and conformity and spins comedy gold from the union of a Plains Indian (Terry Ree) and a Western Angloid (Bruce Williams).
This quartet is made up of Dick and Brenda Johnson from the Turtle Mountains in north central North Dakota; Carl Kannianen from the Stanley area; and Kevin Ternes from Minot. All four are home grown self-taught musicians who play everything from country music to gospel to rock n’ roll.
The Waddington family has spent many years touring the U.S. and Canada, performing gospel music. Music has been in their blood since early childhood. They have been featured guests on many national and international broadcasts, live shows, festivals, and even television performances.
Koo Koo Kanga Roo was created in 2008 by college friends Bryan and Neil. They redefined the concept of a band by incorporating crowd, participation, comedy, and dance music. The duo tours extensively, released albums, music videos, and have gained popularity in the children’s music genre.
The Western Plains Children’s Choir began over 30 years ago in cooperation with the Western Plains Opera Company. They serve a community of young people in Minot and the surrounding areas. The choir consists of three different age groups, ranging from grades three through twelve.
Kyle and Dave, also known as the Norwegian Bachelor Farms, have been delighting audiences for over two decades with their upbeat blend of Scandinavian music, humor, and storytelling. Past credits include Midsommar Music Festival, Nordic Fest, Norsk Høstfest, Norwegian National League Parade, and Scandinavian Day.
Kristian Bugge and Sonnich Lydom are the group Gangspil. These lively musicians perform old dance tunes and songs from every corner of their Scandinavian home country: from rural islands like Læsø to the metropolis of Copenhagen and even a few of their own compositions, they represent the best of Danish folk music.
Ragnarök is the cataclysmic battle between chaos and order in Norse mythology, ending the world and most of the Gods, leading to a new world’s birth. Today’s Ragnarökkr (Vikings with Guitars) is a musical group entertaining with diverse music, witty banter, and enjoyable selections from different genres and generations.
Norwegian band Tidløs, formed in 2009, will release their fourth album this autumn, blending modern and traditional instruments to preserve hymns and folk tunes. They’ve toured widely in Norway, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and the USA, creating a timeless sound that connects the past and present.
Andrew Emmel grew up in (very) small town ND, listening to his grandfather’s Hank Williams records. Later in life he finally decided to pick up a guitar and has been playing both locally, and regionally for over a decade. While his musical interest vary wildly, he really only likes one kind of music, good.
The Oslo Chamber Choir, made up of 24 professional singers and their director Håkon Nystedt (grandson of the Norwegian choral composer, Knut Nystedt) will be Artists in Residence at Minot State University. They will also be guests of Minot’s Norsk Høstfest on September 30.
An accordion, Irish pipes and a nyckelharpa walk into a bar…and the music was really good…no joke!
The McNordiques blend Celtic, French and Scandinavian music in a way that shines through to make your toes wiggle with joy. The McNordiques are Tom Klein (uilleann pipes), Dan Newton (accordion) and Renee Vaughan (nyckelharpa). Together, it’s a unique sound…one you are not likely to hear anywhere else!
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.
Students with Rinat Mouzafarov’s Institute of Dance & Ballet Theatre will be performing on the Oslo Hall stage during all four days of Norsk Høstfest!
Mouzafarov’s dancers have a long history with Hostfest, having performed at the festival since 1995. Their Ski Fantasy performance has been a popular part of Hostfest entertainment, and the dance will be back as part of a larger showcase by the institute this year.
North Dakota native Chad Filley is a Scandinavian storyteller, high school history teacher, and standup comedian. After years of researching museum archives and newspaper articles, Chad has put together a one-of-a-kind storytelling program performing the stories of immigrants and their descendants in first-person accounts. These stories are compelling and often humorous. He even tells a couple of Scandinavian jokes and even a story or two about his Norwegian grandmother, Lily Filley.
