There’s Something For Everyone At This Unique Scandinavian Festival In North Dakota
North Dakota’s culture is heavily influenced by Scandinavian countries, so it’s no surprise to hear there is fun Scandinavian festivals here. Every year on the first Sunday of October one of the state’s lovely small towns puts on an Uffda Day. Whether you are of Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish descent or not, you can find plenty to enjoy here. It’s an all day extravaganza of Scandinavia that you don’t want to miss!
The small town of Rutland, North Dakota (of "world's largest flipped hamburger" fame) has a population of only about 160, but they all come together to celebrate their annual Uffda Day on the first Sunday of October.
There is a little something for everyone here. An all day car show will be going on while kids can have fun in the free bounce castles. If you think you're skilled enough you can take part in the Norse-ski competition, the pedal pull challenge, or the nickel scramble.
Of course, what is a good festival without food? Uffda Day has plenty! Everything from Uffda Day tacos to a meal of scalloped potatoes and ham will be served in various places around town throughout the day.
And if you love Scandinavian treats and delicacies, you must go to this event. Fresh lefse is made all day and delicious things like krukake and sandbakkels are available to purchase. You'll definitely won't want to go home without some!
Of course, tons of pumpkins and gourds are out and ready to buy for you to enjoy for the remainder of fall. It's a super fun fall festival that celebrates a big chunk of North Dakota's ancestry, but anyone would have a blast at it. It's not to be missed!
Rutland, ND/Facebook
For a full schedule and more information about Uffda Day, click here. It will be taking place all around Rutland throughout October 7th, 2018.
If you want more Scandinavian fun in North Dakota that you can visit for free year round, then you have to check out the beautiful and unique Scandinavian Heritage Park.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
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Leah moved to North Dakota when she was 12 years old and has traveled from the Red River Valley to the badlands and many places in between. She loves small-town life and currently enjoys living on a small farm in the ND prairie. She's always had a passion for writing and has participated in novel writing challenges such as NaNoWriMo multiple times. Her favorite part about this job is recognizing small businesses that deserve a boost and seeing the positive affect her articles can have on their traffic, especially in rural areas that might have otherwise gone overlooked.
