August 10, 2004

Høstfest great place for reunions

Planning a reunion takes a lot of time, and time is a valuable commodity in today's busy world. Some people have discovered how to enjoy reunions with friends and family without investing a lot of time in planning. They schedule their reunion at Norsk Høstfest!

This year Norsk Høstfest Association encourages Chamber of Commerce members to follow that lead. Invite your friends and family members to join you at Norsk Høstfest Oct. 5-9. It's the perfect reunion! Norsk Høstfest provides the entertainment, the food, and everything you need for a memorable event. All you have to do is invite your guests.

"Having people at your house makes you want to take in more of Høstfest too," said Norma Baranick, Minot. She and her husband, Dan, were hosts to five brothers and their spouses last year. The Fugelstad brothers, who were raised in Minnesota and now live in several different states, chose Høstfest as their reunion spot after John (Tork) Fugelstad recommended it.

Dan and Tork became friends while students at North Dakota State University and maintained that friendship through the years as they worked as pharmacists affiliated with Osco Drug. Tork had attended the festival in the past with the Baranicks. After attending with him last year, his brothers gave his recommendation a thumbs up.

"Norsk Høstfest is a marvelous experience," asserted Dr. Vercel Fugelstad. "You certainly can't do everything in a day or even two for that matter. It's great visiting too. We ran into so many people we knew, even people from other states."

Renny Fugelstad, a potter, was especially impressed with the artists and craftspeople in the Viking Marketplace and the Touchstone Energy Center Artisan Village.

Norma enjoys the festival's costumery. For several years, she wore her grandmother's bunad in the daily Bunad Show. A few years ago, she donated the authentic Norwegian costume with its exquisite hardanger to Høstfest, where it is displayed throughout the year in the Høstfest office.

To host the Fugelstad clan, the Baranicks opened up their lake cabin, their home, and spilled over into a relative's home in Minot. Not everyone has the space to accommodate large groups, but private housing can assist in finding homes where friends and relatives can stay. More than 1,000 Minot residents open their homes during the festival.

"We've had people stay with us other years too, some of them artists and vendors with the festival, and we've enjoyed all of them," Norma said. "It's interesting to have people stay with you."

Inviting friends and family to Høstfest is also a good way to promote Minot. Invite your guests now, then sit back and let Høstfest take care of the rest.