Nordicfest tries to find a way to survive

A matter of months after celebrating its silver anniversary, Libby Nordicfest finds itself at a crossroads. If the Scandinavian-themed festival cannot find several volunteers to fill key positions by Jan. 15, then the few remaining organizers say the event will fade into memory.

Gone … a sword-wielding Knute marching in the parade.

Gone … the majestic International Fjord Horse Show.

Gone … Rod Erickson strumming his guitar on a September afternoon.

Gone … “Viking on a Stick,” juried craft show, Swedish meatballs and the fish boil.

Lisa Oedewaldt and Ally Frost are two volunteers trying to keep those and other Nordicfest traditions afloat. In the coming days, they hope to hear from community members who would offer to volunteer their time and efforts. The red-letter date is Jan. 15 – on that evening at 6 p.m., a community meeting will be staged at the Venture Inn.

“Eight is what we need to run it,” Frost said when asked the minimum number of volunteers needed to keep the festival going. “More would be better. But eight would put one person in each of the major positions.”

Organizers are looking to fill the positions for vice president, secretary, craft show, parade, outdoor entertainment, royalty and info booth, souvenirs and fund-raising.

 “Anybody interested has to be at that meeting,” Frost said in reference to Jan. 15. “Contact us now or be at that meeting. We will be voting in board members to hit the ground running in February. … It’s either vote in new board members or it’s goodbye.”

Nordicfest has experienced challenges in recent years. Many volunteers had been in their respective positions for two decades. In fact, some even “retired” two years ago but continued to help because replacements could not be found.

“People are moving on to other things or have decided that they’re done after 20 years,” Frost said.

In addition, current volunteers tried to take on more duties. Oedewaldt, for example, doubled and tripled her responsibilities to help out the festival that she first visited as a child.

For Nordicfest to survive – and perhaps to help the longevity of other local festivals as well – combining efforts could be the answer.

“It could be combined into a central date where the businesses are only hit once through the whole summer season,” Oedewaldt said, referring to such an event as a heritage festival. “Now, you’re hit by a different entity every month. There are not a lot of Norwegians here anymore, not a lot of loggers anymore. You could have a huge craft show and it could be a lot more successful than the little ones that struggle every year.”

Other festivals and events in Libby include Logger Days, Ignite the Nites and the Kootenai River Rodeo, along with various events that revolve around concerts and music.

Oedewaldt said one idea currently on the table involves a possible alliance with the Memorial Center to help with the Nordicfest’s entertainment. Those details are still under discussion.

One key component of the puzzle could be the willingness of younger volunteers to become involved.

“We want to find something for all ages. We want to get the 80-year-olds but also the 30-year-olds,” Frost said. “We need to try to find something in the middle.”

When asked why they continue to be involved, both Frost and Oedewaldt expressed a degree of satisfaction for keeping a Libby tradition alive.

“The big thing for me is to see that my helping has kept it here,” Frost said.

“You become a part of an historical piece of Libby,” Oedewaldt added.

Oedewaldt said she’s been approached by people who expressed their sadness to see that Nordicfest had been cancelled – which isn’t the case just yet.

“I tell them, ‘we still don’t know yet … we’re still trying to get volunteers,’” Oedewaldt said. “I’ve had people tell me that they don’t know what Libby’s going to like in September without Nordicfest.”

Frost said something needs to happen in the next couple of weeks.

“If it happens this year, it’ll be amazing,” she said.