Norsk Høstfest in need of volunteers

Hard to believe it, but the 2019 Norsk Høstfest is less than a month away. The annual festival celebrates Scandinavian culture and heritage of the five Nordic countries. It has grown to be the largest Scandinavian festival in North America, with tens of thousands of people attending from all over the world.

With that many guest a lot of hands are needed to put it on.

For more than 40 years Norsk Høstfest has been a tradition in the Magic City, but the festival doesn't happen on its own.

"We run on volunteers. We have about 4,000 volunteers every year that really keep the heart of the festival going,” said Deb Sisco the Volunteer Chairman.

This year the festival needs to fill a few key positions.

"We run four hour shifts the four days of the festival but that is not really where everything happens. We start September 9th with decorating and we are looking for someone that would like to come and head that up for us,” said Sisco.

"The decorator really gets to transform the festival into what we know it to be. We do have photos and things like that really showcase how it has been done in the past. But a designer gets to fully take on that role and call it their own,” said Marketing Director Leann Mellum.

It takes hour and hours to set up and run the Høstfest.

"When people come to see it on the four days that they are there. They don't recognize all the decorations that have had to move in. If you go to the fairgrounds before that it is not there. All of the cloth has to be hung, all of the signs have to be hung. Those booths have to be set up and manned,” said Sisco.

Sisco says volunteering at Høstfest is a rewarding job.

"It gets you into it. You meet a lot of people. A lot of people that you may have never crossed paths in the past. Some have really sparked some very good interest. I know there are a few stories of marriages coming out of Hostfest,” said Deb Sisco.

Learning the culture, meeting new people and having fun is all in a day's work at the Høstfest.

There are plenty of positions open to volunteer at the Høstfest . You can sign up for a four-hour shift selling tickets, wiping tables, manning booths. You can be the decorator or the sign manager.

A Høstfest volunteer will get benefits, like free Høstfest admission, a $50 ticket to any show that is not sold out. Go to our website to learn how to sign up to be a volunteer.