Destination Stoughton- A Norwegian weekend of fun!
October 29-31, 2021  
 
Our “featured” event: The Wisconsin State Rosemaling Association's Holiday Bazaar: Saturday, October 30 from 9 AM – 2 PM. This is your opportunity to purchase rosemaled items and learn more about this group’s activities, classes, competitions and sales. A wide variety of quality items will be offered – you won’t want to miss this shopping opportunity. Location: Stoughton Fire Department's Training Room, 401 East Main Street, Stoughton, WI
 
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Friday, October 29-

• Livsreise- Norwegian Heritage Center- 277 W. Main Street. Open from 9:30-4:30. Free admission.  we currently have an exhibition of paintings on loan to us from the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, IA. These works were all created  by the Norwegian immigrant painter, Herbjørn Gausta. Born, in Telemark, Norway, Herbjørn Gausta came with his family as a young man to southeast Minnesota. While studying at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, it quickly became clear that he should abandon his idea of becoming a teacher and pursue his talent for art. This exhibition includes examples, drawn from the collection of the Vesterheim Norwegian-American museum of each type of artwork to give you a more complete picture of his life, creativity, and artistic ability of Herbjørn Gausta. This exhibition includes examples, drawn from the collection of the Vesterheim Norwegian-American museum of each type of artwork, plus a large altar piece, to give you a more complete picture of his life, creativity, and artistic ability of Herbjørn Gausta. This exhibit will be in place until April 2022.

• Nordic Nook - 176 W. Main Street. We'll be celebrating our Anniversary Weekend. Stop by to visit the Christmas Shop Grand Opening! 10am-5pm

• Stoughton Opera House- 381 E. Main Street- www.stoughtonoperahouse.com, 608.877.4400. Pat Godwin- 7:30 PM, $20- Pat Godwin is a clever and prolific comedy songwriter and one of the funniest live comedians in the business. He is completely in the moment on stage, while weaving in and out of original songs, improvised material and bits. Pat worked for 6 years as a part of The Morning Zoo at WMMR in Philadelphia. He was a frequent guest and contributor to both Howard Stern’s radio and TV shows. Pat got major airplay on terrestrial and satellite radio with his album, Under The Bed, that contained the hits, Gangsta Folk, Gone Bad, and First Date. Pat appeared on NBC’s Last Comic Standing, The Tonight Show, and is currently a full-time member of the nationally syndicated Bob & Tom Show. Paddy G's songs First Date & Nobody Has Pubes, Anymore, won first prize in The International Songwriting Competition in the Comedy/Novelty category. www.patgodwin.com. Ticketing link: https://stoughtonoperahouse.showare.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=440

• Sons of Norway Lefse Classes- Sons of Norway- Mandt Lodge will host two lefse classes on Saturday, October 30 at Mandt Lodge. The lodge is located at 317 S. Page Street, Stoughton. The registration fee for the class is $20 and youth ages 12 and under are $10. Lefse making class options: Saturday, October 30 from 9:00 am- 11:00 or 12:30-2:30. Mandt Lodge members will share recipes and techniques for making lefse how our lodge makes it! Volunteers will walk participants through the mixing, baking, cooling and packaging process we use at Mandt. Of course, sampling your work is encouraged and lefse will be sent home with participants. Mandt Lodge will provide equipment and supplies. Registrations are capped at 25 per class and will close when full. Registrations and payment needed to secure your spot and received by October 20.

• Livsreise- Norwegian Heritage Center- 277 W. Main Street. Open from 9:30-4:30. Free admission.  Livsreise is pleased to welcome back Dr. Jared Schmidt, who previously presented here at Livsreise in March of 2019 Currently, Jared is a member of the adjunct faculty at both Tillamook Bay Community College (Tillamook, OR) and Southwestern Oregon Community College (Coos Bay, OR). His virtual presentation “Dracula’s “Nordic Cousins: Vampiric traditions and representations across media” will be held from 1:00 – 2:00 PM. When you hear the word, “vampire,” what comes to mind? Is it a suave, aristocratic gentleman inspired by Bela Lugosi? Perhaps the otherworldly face of Nosferatu’s Count Orlok haunts in the shadows inching up your staircase? O do they sparkle in the sunlight like Twilight’s Edward Cullen? How about a reindeer? Just in time for Halloween, this presentation will introduce audience members to a handful of Count Dracula’s Nordic cousins. Folklorist Dr. Jared L. Schmidt will lead a survey across time and storytelling mediums about a handful of select vampires (and vampires-adjacent beings). Examples covered will include the ghost-like draugr that loomed in Viking nightmares, to Norwegian Expressionist painter Edvard Munch’s chilling “Vampire,” and the 1952 Finnish film, “The White Reindeer.” Along the journey, you will hopefully learn not only about the undead in Nordic folklore and artistic traditions, but what these vampiric-beings say about the values of the cultures whose spines they sent shivers down. And perhaps you will learn a trick or two about how to protect yourself from Dracula’s blood-sucking Norse family members! In our small gallery here at Livsreise, we currently have an exhibition of paintings on loan to us from the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, IA. See full description in Friday’s events.

• Stoughton Opera House- 381 E. Main Street- www.stoughtonoperahouse.com, 608.877.4400. Harp Twins - Camille and Kennerly, 7:30 pm, $20- Young harpists Camille and Kennerly Kitt, known as the Harp Twins, have achieved extraordinary success by taking Electric Harps and Concert Grand Harps to unprecedented levels and smashing boundaries between different genres of music. The duo has amassed over 1.5 million fans across their social media sites and over 100 million views on their YouTube music videos, making Camille and Kennerly the most followed and recognizable harp duo in the world. Mixing their virtuoso harp skills with their stunningly complex arrangements of rock, metal, and soundtrack hits - as well as Celtic Nordic inspired original songs - the Harp Twins deliver exciting, comedic, and interactive performances audiences cannot forget! www.harptwins.com. Ticketing link: https://stoughtonoperahouse.showare.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=377

• Nordic Nook - 176 W. Main Street. We'll be celebrating our Anniversary Weekend. Stop by to visit the Christmas Shop Grand Opening! 10am-5pm

• Stoughton High School Norwegian Dancers and Chamber Activities: Community Building - 320 North Street

• Stoughton Chamber Activities: Downtown Trick or Treating from 3-5 PM. Stores participating in trick or treating will have a sign displayed. The costume contest is at 1 PM in the Community Building. Halloween Costume Contest- Open to ages 0-12. Held in the Community Building