The central Iowa town of Story City is celebrating its Norwegian heritage, complete with horn-helmeted Vikings. The Scandinavian Days festival opens this morning with members of the Sons of Norway Lodge cooking up the traditional dish of potato cakes on a special stove that’s like a tabletop griddle.Karen Hermanson, executive director of the Story City Chamber of Commerce, says a variety of family activities are planned through the weekend including dancers, crafts, strolling musicians, a stunt bikes demonstration, an antique tractor show, fireworks and a ten-K run.The Story City area was first settled by Norwegian farmers in 1850 and the town was founded in 1857. While most people are familiar with reinactors at Civil War or Renaissance festivals, Hermanson says this Scandinavian Days fest features its own time-traveling characters from the Viking Age Club of Minneapolis.For more information on the 36th annual festival, surf to “www.storycity.net” or call (515) 733-4314.
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