Altogether it has hosted cultural touchstones from Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Greenland, Åland, Faroe Islands, German-speaking Europe and the Netherlands.
[2] The festival was founded in 1978 by former North Dakota senator and mayor of Minot, Chester Reiten (1923-2013), and a group of friends who shared his interest in celebrating their Nordic heritage.
The festival is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that raises funds to preserve, improve and share Scandinavian culture, heritage and educational programs.
The Hall of Fame is a means of honoring those persons of Scandinavian descent in North America who have achieved greatness in their fields of endeavor and/or whose efforts have contributed significantly to the betterment of mankind.
[6] Other honors include the selection of the annual Miss Norsk Høstfest[7] and naming of the Chester Award,[8] which recognizes festival excellence in five categories: artisan, exhibitor, food concessionaire, volunteer and chairman.