09/12/2025
Taste of Norway 2025 Features Lost Arts, Crafts and Gifts
Iola, WI: Watch Norwegian pastry making, lefse making, and Lost Arts artisans ply their crafts at the Annual Taste Of
Norway & Lost Arts Fair to be held Saturday, October 4, at the Iola Historical Society at 210 Depot Street just west of
downtown Iola. The Annual Fall Craft & Gift Show will be hosted on the grounds as well. Admission to both events is free.
The Taste of Norway demonstrations and sales start at 11:00 a.m., continuing as long as supplies last. The Fall Craft
Show vendors will open at 10:00 a.m. and continue until 2:00 p.m.
Proceeds from the event are being used to pay for the restoration of the historic Iola & Northern Railroad depot, built in
1894, along with other Iola Historical Society needs.
Taste of Norway provides visitors with tastes of Norwegian pastries as well as demonstrations on how they are made.
Historical society members and local residents experienced preparing Norwegian goodies, ranging from lefse, krumkaka,
sandbakkels, rosettes, fattigman, and will explain and demonstrate how to make them. The demonstrations run from 11:00
a.m., continuing as long as supplies last.
The pastries and other homemade baked goods -- will be available to purchase, while supplies last, at a cost of $8 a
dozen. Lefse will be sold at $8 a package. Coffee will be available for purchase as well.
Iola’s famous Crystal Café will also be selling food. Scandinavia’s Trout Bum Bakery will have baked goods for sale –
scones, cookies, pastries, breads.
The Iola Lions will be holding a brat fry, along with grilled hot dogs and brats, with an option to have the hot dog or brat
placed in lefse, rather than in a bun. Troop 631 (Iola) of the Boy Scouts of America will be selling soda and water. The
Taste of Norway food court will be located inside the Machine Shed. Troop 6290 (Iola) of the Girl Scouts will assist with
carrying food and cleaning off tables.
Taste Of Norway raffle tickets are being sold locally by Iola Historical Society members and will also be available on site
the day of the event. Raffle tickets are available for $3 each, or two tickets for $5. Prized include $500.00 first prize,
courtesy of BankFirst, Iola; 18 holes of golf at Glacier Wood with Golf Cart ($236 value) second prize; $100.00 third prize,
courtesy of Premier Community Bank, Iola. Additional prizes donated by area businesses and organizations will also be
drawn. The drawing will take place at 1:45 p.m., winners need not be present.
Lost Arts Fair
The popular Lost Arts Fair aspect of the event brings artisans to the Village showing how things used to be done. Lost arts
ranging from knitting, basket weaving, rosemaling, rug weaving, basket weaving, knitting and woodcarving, among others,
will be demonstrated. Some of the artisans have items for sale.
Children’s activities & Waupaca County Humane Society
“One-Room Schoolhouse Kid’s Activities” will take place in the replica vintage schoolhouse, sponsored by the Sons Of
Norway’s Norskeland Lodge 5-580 of Iola. Beginning at 10:30 a.m., craft projects and snacks will be part of the activities.
Kids and adults can try out the vintage corn sheller that will be in place in front of the schoolhouse.
Annual Fall Gift & Craft Show
The Annual Fall Gift & Craft Show, which runs from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., includes vendors selling rug runners,
handmade soaps; Norwegian items; jewelry; quilted items; handmade caramels, doll cloths; jams & jellies; and many
other items.
Tours of on-site historic buildings
Iola Historical Society docents will provide information on the historic buildings on the grounds, which include the Helvetia
Town Hall; a replica of Iola’s first fire station; replica of a one-room schoolhouse; a circa-1920s log cabin, originally used
locally by hunters; the original Iola & Northern Railway depot and a vintage caboose. All buildings will be open for tours,
except for the depot and caboose which are undergoing renovations..
The society’s museum will also be open during the event. The displays include the Wayne Towne Native American
artifacts exhibit; vintage Norwegian immigrant items; the Stromberg violin collection, and many other items of local history.
Also featured is a display dedicated to Lee Nelson, Iola’s “Humble Hero.” Nelson was a B-17 bomber pilot who flew
several dozen missions over France and Germany in World War II. His autobiography, published by the Iola Historical
Society, is available for sale at the event, along with other local history books.
There is also a developing exhibit for Chester L. Krause, world-renowned publisher and philanthropist, who passed away
in 2016.
The Machine Shed contains vintage farming and manufacturing equipment used locally, including the machine tools from
Iola’s R.I. Anderson Machine Shop. Also featured is the Bestul Sports Car, that was custom crafted in the 1950s by Iola
native Lee Bestul, as well as a 1903 Ford Model A runabout, a 1912 Sears car and a 1957 Chevy Bel Air hardtop.
Fire extinguisher check and vintage tractors
The Iola & Rural Fire Department will be holding its annual fire extinguisher check at the 1901 vintage Iola fire station at
the Iola Historic Village. The department has arranged with licensed fire systems supplier Fire Pro to provide, at a nominal
charge of $5 per unit, onsite fire extinguisher checks from 9 a.m. to noon. Department personnel will check and service
personal handheld fire extinguishers to be sure they are current for use and insurance purposes. The replica station
contains Iola’s first three pieces of mechanized firefighting apparatus, dating from 1913, 1926, and 1942.
Members of the Central Wisconsin Tractor Club will have classic tractors and related farm power sources on display.
