Holiday Issue November 2026: The Nordic Shop, Soundscapes, and Lutefisk Season
Holiday Issue November 2026
November is when the Nordic calendar turns toward light. The days grow short, the candles come out, and across the country the community gatherings shift from harvest to holiday. This issue: a Rochester couple's 52-year journey bringing the best of the Nordics to Minnesota, lutefisk dinner season, and the first Julefest celebrations from California to Washington.
Featured Story: The Nordic Shop — Fifty-Two Years of Nordic Craftsmanship in Rochester
In 1974, Louise and Walter Hanson opened a 1,200-square-foot store in downtown Rochester with a hand-painted plywood sign. Both were under 25. Fifty-two years later, The Nordic Shop is America's premier destination for Nordic design, carrying Dale of Norway, Oleana, and Royal Copenhagen, alongside goods from every Nordic country. This is a story about persistence, quality, and the kind of life that grows beyond what you planned.
This story premieres in today's newsletter. It publishes on the website next Saturday, November 7.
Read the full story: https://thenordicamerican.com/articles/the-nordic-shop-rochester-hanson-journey
Upcoming Events
Minnesota
Nov 5-7 — Nordic Soundscapes Festival: Søndergård leads Grieg & Sibelius — Minneapolis
Orchestra Hall | Thu-Sat, various times
Music Director Thomas Søndergård leads Grieg's Norwegian Dances and Sibelius' sweeping Symphony No. 2. The opening program of the Minnesota Orchestra's Nordic Soundscapes Festival.
Choose Your Price tickets with code NORDICPARTNER27.
https://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/campaigns/2627/nordic-soundscapes-festival
Nov 13-14 — Nordic Soundscapes Festival: Vänskä leads Kuusisto, Tarkiainen & Nielsen — Minneapolis
Orchestra Hall | Fri-Sat, various times
Conductor Laureate Osmo Vänskä leads violinist Stella Chen in Jaakko Kuusisto's Violin Concerto, Outi Tarkiainen's Songs of the Ice, and Nielsen's Symphony No. 6.
Choose Your Price tickets with code NORDICPARTNER27.
https://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/campaigns/2627/nordic-soundscapes-festival
Nov 15 — Lutfisk Dinner — Minneapolis
American Swedish Institute | Sat 1pm
Traditional Swedish lutfisk dinner at ASI. A seasonal classic.
https://asimn.org/events-calendar/lutfisk-dinner-2/
Nov 21 — Mindekirken Lutefisk Dinner — Minneapolis
Mindekirken | Sat 12:30pm, tickets required
Family-style dinner featuring lutefisk, meatballs, coleslaw, lefse, potatoes, coffee, and dessert. A Norwegian church tradition.
https://www.mindekirken.org/
Florida
Nov 14 — Nordic Christmas at Finland House — Lantana
Finland House Suomi Talo | Sat 6-10pm
Second annual Nordic Christmas celebration, presented in partnership with the American Finnish Tourist Club and the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce. An evening of Nordic holiday traditions, food, and community.
https://www.finlandhouse.org/events-1/nordic-christmas
Nov 20-22 — Scandinavian Christmas Market — Lake Worth
Annan Maja Heritage Hall, Finnish-American Village | Fri 12-8pm, Sat-Sun 12-6pm, FREE
Third annual Scandinavian Christmas market with local vendors, Nordic food, glögg, crafts, and children's activities. Free entry.
https://www.farh.org/uutisia/3rd-annual-scandinavian-christmas-market
West Coast
Nov 7 — Nordic Fest — Ferndale, WA
Ferndale Events Center | Sat 10am-4pm
25th annual Scandinavian cultural festival in Whatcom County, hosted by Daughters of Norway. Vendors, bakery, Norsk café, and all-day entertainment.
https://thenordicamerican.com/events/nordic-fest-whatcom-county
Nov 20-22 — Julefest: A Nordic Holiday Celebration — Seattle, WA
National Nordic Museum, Ballard | Fri-Sun
Seattle's favorite Nordic holiday market with handcrafted gifts, traditional Nordic foods, live music, dancing, photos with Santa, and a Santa Lucia procession. Free admission to the outdoor market.
https://nordicmuseum.org/events/julefest
Nov 27 — Solvang Julefest — Solvang, CA
Downtown Solvang | Month-long, through early January
A month-long Danish Christmas celebration transforming the village into a holiday wonderland with nightly light shows, candlelight tours, artisan markets, and traditional Danish holiday food. One of the most authentic Danish Christmas celebrations in the United States.
https://solvangusa.com/things-to-do/solvang-julefest/
Wisconsin
Nov 14 — Annual Lutefisk Dinner — DeForest, WI
Christ Lutheran Church | Sat
Annual Norwegian lutefisk dinner held since 1963, hosted by Sons of Norway Idun Lodge 74 (Madison). A Wisconsin Nordic tradition.
https://www.christlutherandeforest.org/outreach/lutefisk-meatball-dinner-2023/
Nov 20-22 — Holiday Folk Fair International — West Allis
Wisconsin State Fair Park | Fri-Sun
A multi-day cultural festival celebrating the traditions of Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden. The Nordic Council coordinates cultural exhibit booths for each country alongside food, music, and folk dancing.
https://folkfair.org/admission/
https://www.nordiccouncil.com/
Save the Date: December Holiday Markets & Lucia Celebrations
Dec 4-6 — Julmarknad Handcraft Market & Festival — Minneapolis, MN
ASI's annual holiday market with 60+ local artisans, live music, Scandinavian foods, and the Turnblad Mansion holiday exhibition.
Dec 5 — A Nordic Holiday Weekend Across America
Five events across America on the same weekend:
SWEA Florida Julmarknad and Lucia Celebration — Boca Raton, FL. Swedish Christmas market with crafts, food, glögg, and the Lucia procession.
SWEA San Francisco Swedish Christmas Fair — San Francisco, CA. The largest and oldest Swedish Christmas fair on the West Coast, running since 1984. Includes a Lucia procession.
Norwegian Christmas at Vesterheim — Decorah, IA. Free admission, live music, holiday treats, folk art, and a Juletrefest at the nation's premier Norwegian-American museum.
Old-Fashioned Christmas at Norskedalen — Coon Valley, WI. Norwegian Christmas with food, crafts, heritage demonstrations, horse-drawn wagon rides, and Santa.
Home for the Holidays at Old World Wisconsin — Eagle, WI. Victorian holiday traditions with a 14-foot Julebock (giant straw goat), Nordic crafts, and living history exhibits.
Dec 6 — Utepils Brewing's Julemarket (10th Annual) — Minneapolis, MN
Weekend holiday market with 25-30+ Nordic artisans, craft beer, and food trucks. Free to attend.
Dec 6 — Luciadagen at Gammelgården — Scandia, MN
Lucia program in the 1856 Gammelkyrka (Old Church) with readings and songs. Dress warmly — the church has no heat. Swedish treats and Scandia Butik shopping after.
Dec 12-13 — Lucia Weekend Across America
Seven Lucia celebrations from coast to coast:
Dec 12 — Lucia Celebration & Lucia Choir — Minneapolis, MN. ASI Lucia Choir, 75 youth singers in white with candle crowns.
Dec 12 — Lucia Celebration of Light — Santa Cruz, CA. Candlelit Lucia procession with the Zaida Singers.
Dec 12 — Sanford St. Lucia Festival — Sanford, FL. Celebrating Seminole County's Swedish heritage dating back to 1871.
Dec 13 — SAHSWI Lucia Celebration — Fox Point, WI. Traditional Swedish St. Lucia celebration with coffee and ginger snaps.
Dec 13 — Lucia Celebration at The Swedish Club — Seattle, WA. Collaboration with the UW Scandinavian Department.
Dec 13 — Sankta Lucia Celebration — Duluth, MN. Lucia processional with 20 children, Scandinavian buffet brunch, and choral music.
Dec 13 — Swedish American Club of Sarasota Lucia — Sarasota, FL. Lucia procession with candles and Swedish Christmas songs.
→ Browse all events at https://thenordicamerican.com/events
Community Spotlight: The Nordic Soundscapes Partnership
This month's spotlight is on a partnership that spans the Twin Cities Nordic community. The Minnesota Orchestra's Nordic Soundscapes Festival brings the orchestral music of Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Sweden to Orchestra Hall across two November programs. We learned about this partnership through the Danish American Center's newsletter — DAC is a community partner for the festival and helped bring it to our attention. The Minnesota Orchestra has graciously allowed us to share the partner discount code with our readers: NORDICPARTNER27 for Choose Your Price tickets to any Nordic Soundscapes concert.
This is what a vibrant Nordic community looks like: a world-class orchestra programming Grieg, Sibelius, and Nielsen, while a neighborhood Danish cultural center ensures the community can attend. The festival runs Nov 5-7 and Nov 13-14.
→ Learn more about the Danish American Center: https://thenordicamerican.com/directory/organizations/danish-american-center-dac
See you in December for Lucia season.
Cheers,
Patrick
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