Veterheim Museum – Decorah, IA – Free Admission and Film Screening
Visit Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, for Free Second Saturday on July 11, with free admission and activities for everyone.
At 11:00 a.m., there will be a screening of two original documentaries, “Knit With Love” and “From Nesna With Love,” with an introduction by Shari Lamke, President and General Manager of Pioneer PBS, Granite Falls, Minnesota.
“Knit with Love” is about filmmaker Dana Conroy’s journey from Alabama to Norway to Vesterheim to discover why knitting was so important to her great-great-grandmother. Along the way she learns about her family, the latest trends in knitting, and how to make yarn the old-fashioned way.
In Pioneer PBS’s newest production, “From Nesna with Love,” also by filmmaker Dana Conroy, what began as a search for the history of a single pair of boots becomes a heartfelt exploration of heritage, craftsmanship, and the enduring connection between Norway and the American Midwest.
From 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., all ages are invited to make their own paper Norwegian flag in the Museum Building.
Pupusas Wendy Food Truck will be onsite from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Stop by to purchase lunch and eat on Vesterheim’s patio.
The Museum Building is open from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. with a guided tour of the historic buildings in Heritage Park at 1:30 p.m.
A special exhibit at Vesterheim offers more family fun! Check out “Emigrating to America” in Hanson Vesterheim Commons and play the interactive game that goes along with it. The game leads visitors through a series of decisions as they pretend to immigrate to the U.S. from Norway. Visitors can discover who they are when they leave Norway and what happens along their travels to a new home.
Vesterheim offers Free Second Saturdays every month with free museum admission and a community activity, supported by a grant from McElroy Trust with additional gifts from The Depot Outlet and Black Hills Energy.
Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds to engage in the conversation of the American immigrant journey through the lens of the Norwegian-American experience. Vesterheim offers innovative and interactive exhibits, classes, and programs, both at the dynamic campus and park in scenic Decorah, Iowa, and online at vesterheim.org and Vesterheim social media. For more information on exhibits, classes, programs, tours, membership opportunities, and ways to donate and volunteer, connect at vesterheim.org, (563) 382-9681, and Vesterheim, 520 W. Water St., P.O. Box 379, Decorah, IA, 52101-0379.
