Story City is ready to celebrate its Norwegian heritage with a few days filled with Kringla, dancing, and community.
The 60th annual Scandinavian Days are set for June 6-7.
Story City’s community celebration began in 1965
The Story City community and the downtown merchants collaborated in the spring of 1965 to plan the first organized festival around the Norwegian Constitution Day. The national holiday in Norway is celebrated on May 17 each year.
Known in Norway as “syttende mai,” or 17th of May, it became the date and time for which Story City’s annual “Scandinavian” celebration was formed. The inaugural festival was held from May 14 to 17 anchored by the various church groups in town, who were encouraged to hold bake sales in some of the downtown stores.
In 2025, the celebration kicks off Thursday, June 5, with Judge Story Theater Troupe’s production of “Spongebob the Musical,” which will start at 7 p.m. at Roland-Story High School auditorium. The show will run through Sunday.
What’s happening at the 60th Scandinavian Days?
The Scandinavian Days opening ceremony will start at 5 p.m. Friday at Roland-Story stadium, with elementary school students performing traditional dancing at 5:30. The Story City Fire Department will serve pork loin sandwiches and hot dogs until 7 p.m.
Fireworks will start at 10 p.m. Organizers recommend viewing the show from the North Park area.
A 5K fun run will kick off Saturday’s festivities at 7:30 a.m. Registration is available at www.scandi5k.com.
A variety of activities will be held Saturday, June 7, with food trucks available in the swimming pool parking lot starting at 10 a.m. The annual Scandinavian parade will start at 10 a.m.
A variety of games and activities will be featured in North Park for most of the day.
Kringla and Kumla eating contests will be held at 1:30 p.m., outside the community center at 503 Elm. Contests are open to youth and adults.
For a full list of events, see the event page on Facebook.
Rona Faaborg covers business and the arts for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at rfaaborg@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Story City’s 60th Scandinavian Days celebrates the town’s extensive Norwegian history
Reporting by Ronna Faaborg, Ames Tribune / Ames Tribune
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