17. Mai on the Norway Block!
17. Mai (or Syttende Mai when it's spelled out) is like Norway's Fourth of July, but there are many traditions and events that make it very different. It celebrates the signing of the Norwegian Constitution in 1814, though independence from Sweden wasn't attained until the (mostly) peaceful dissolution in 1905.
We hope you’ll join us at the Syttende Mai Minnesota Banquet on May 17, and for the Block Party on May 19, 2024!
Click on the event to learn more and register.
Network with other Nordic-interested professionals in the Twin Cities metro.
The Honorable Hårek Elvenes, a member of the Storting (Norwegian Parliament), and StartUSA will be in attendance.
For 42 years, the Norwegian community in Minnesota has met on Constitution Day, May 17, to celebrate with great food, colorful flags, national songs, and captivating speakers. Norway House is proud to host the gathering again in our Sundet Aula.
This year, we’re proud to welcome The Honorable Hårek Elvenes, a distinguished member of the Norwegian Parliament (“Storting”), and Lori Ann Reinhall, Editor-in-Chief of The Norwegian American. They will discuss the role of the media in protecting freedom of speech and the press—an essential element of a vibrant democracy.
Peter Geye is the author of the award-winning novels Safe from the Sea, The Lighthouse Road, and Wintering, winner of the Minnesota Book Award, Northernmost, and, most recently, The Ski Jumpers.
Geye received his MFA from the University of New Orleans and his PhD from Western Michigan University, where he was editor of Third Coast. He currently teaches the year-long Novel Writing Project at the Loft Literary Center. Born and raised in Minneapolis, he continues to live there with his family.