In Focus: Fosston Lefse Fest Celebrates Scandinavian Culture & Food

With the holiday season here, plenty of communities are finding different ways to celebrate.

The city of Fosston held their annual “Light Up the Night” celebration last week and brought back the popular Lefse Fest to honor both the season and Scandinavian heritage.

The event, which the city has hosted for more than 10 years, brought back old favorites and introduced new ways to celebrate Scandinavian culture and the Norwegian staple food.

Along with the vendors showcasing their lefse-making skills and selling the fresh product, the East Polk Heritage Center held their inaugural Swedish Meatball Supper fundraiser. Using plenty of beloved ingredients, such as cream, butter, and potatoes, the fundraiser saw immense community support. Selling out in less than an hour, the Heritage Center raised about $1,000. With this success, the East Polk Heritage Center plans to hold another meatball fundraiser at next year’s Lefse Fest.

Along with this new fundraiser, some vendors were also putting a new twist on the recipe. Rachel Roggenbuck, the owner and backer of Living Life Sparkly Gluten-Free, makes the classic treat without the usual wheat flour.

Community members also had the chance to vote on their favorite lefse of the night after getting to taste test from all the vendors.