Nordicfest board: has event run its course?

The board of directors of Libby Nordicfest is asking the community if it’s “time to wind it down.” After 30 years and a steady decline in participation during the past decade, especially among younger people, the future of the festival is in question.

At a meeting with board members and press on Tuesday evening, board president Les Nelson read a prepared statement and fielded questions about the past, present and future of Libby’s Nordicfest. Is it time to end the festival? Would a change of focus better serve the community?

Nelson explained that Libby Nordicfest Inc., the nonprofit group that operates the event, is in excellent financial condition. Although there were a few lean years recently, the past several years have been very good.

“We would emphasize that, structurally, Nordicfest is solid,” according to the statement. “We have a sizable investment with the Montana Foundation and a modest bank account with all of our bills paid. Our bylaws were recently updated and filed with the Secretary of State, our 501(c)3 is current, all tax reports have been filed, we are fully insured, we have an active board in place and we own an extensive list of property (tents, chairs, power panels, etc.).”

The primary concern expressed by members of the board was whether or not the community wanted the festival to continue. With other events and a more ethnically diverse population, does the Libby Nordicfest provide value to the community?

Libby resident Ed Stamy reflected on these concerns.

“In some respects it seems like its kind of run its course,” he said. “But it’s also a great celebration each year. It would be nice to keep it going and find a way to revamp it to better serve the community.”

Phyllis Mackey was part of the original board of the festival, serving terms as both vice president and president of the organization. She emphasized her commitment to the festival.

“I will definitely support another Nordicfest for sure,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be strictly Scandinavian, though.”

Mackey said the festival needs more participation and new ideas.

“We need some young blood. It’s somebody else’s turn,” she said.

The concern about interest in the festival was brought into sharp focus this year when long-time participant Pacific Northwest Fjord Support Group backed out at the last minute due to inadequate registration. The group had held competitions in Libby’s Nordicfest during the preceding 27 years.

Former board member Michelle Mercer said the event “needs to be bigger and better, with new ideas. People are getting tired of the same old things happening year after year.”

“Nordicfest is an asset to the community and I believe that keeping tradition is important, but I do believe they need to bring new things in order to better serve the community,” Mercer added.

Mercer suggested making it easier for organizations to participate. Under current rules, only nonprofits are allowed to participate as food and craft vendors. Opening those booth registration spots up to local businesses could help increase participation as well as provide new things.

The board members listed the parade, juried craft show and food booths as the major draws at the event, but interest has waned in some events, such as the Nordicfest royalty coronation.

“For the past several years interest in the coronation event has declined significantly and we have received three or fewer applicants for Junior Royalty even when it included a substantial scholarship,” according to the board’s published statement. “In two of those years we received no male applicants at all.”

Nordicfest board members also discussed the possibility of moving away from the Scandinavian ethnic focus and expanding into a broader “Libby Heritage Festival” that celebrates multiple cultures and backgrounds.

Gerry Fennessy, who has volunteered with the festival for the past 25 years, said expanding the focus of the festival is “a great idea.”

“You’ve got to have new ideas all the time and involve more people,” Fennessy said.

Fennessy, who was crowned Nordicfest Queen in 1989, also affirmed her support for the festival.

“I would say to stay with it,” she said.

During the summer months, Libby plays host to a number of festivals and events. That busy calendar may contribute to the decline in Nordicfest participation, Nordicfest board members speculated, as it falls in the second weekend of September each year.

The board is asking for ideas from the community as the future of Nordicfest is determined.