Syttende Mai

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First prize winner in the Wisconsin State Rosemåling Exhibit for 2023, by Kathy Julseth.

First prize winner in the Wisconsin State Rosemåling Exhibit for 2023, by Kathy Julseth.

media release: Stoughton's Syttende Mai festival is a weekend-long celebration of Norwegian heritage featuring fun activities and cultural experiences for the whole family. Come join us for three days of parades, amazing food and drink, arts and music, athletic competitions, and kids’ activities steeped in centuries of Norwegian culture.

The city-wide festival takes place every year on the weekend closest to Norway’s May 17th Constitution Day, also known as Syttende Mai. From the late 1800s to the early 1900s, Stoughton enjoyed an influx of Norwegians, and at one time, as many as 75 percent of its residents spoke Norwegian. These immigrants celebrated Syttende Mai unofficially, but it became an annual, city-wide tradition in the 1950s. The Syttende Mai Festival has been organized by the Stoughton Chamber of Commerce since 1953.