By Christy Wolyniak, contributor

Young and old squeezed through the halls of the Nordic Heritage Museum for the annual Yulefest last weekend. Fiddle music and delicious smells wafted through the halls, welcoming the many quest into the holiday spirit.

The Nordic Café transformed the museum auditorium into a hall of feasting and mingling.

Live entertainment from the TinnFelen Hardanger Fiddle Ensemble played folk fiddle songs of Norway.
Tasty foods were served such as Scandinavian open-faced sandwiches, some being herring and boiled egg while others were egg salad or meatball. There were small potato and traditional lefse, filled with cinnamon and sugar. Tabletops were covered with tiny treats and holiday cookies, and if you were one of the lucky winners, your $2 raffle ticket might have won you tickets to Iceland.

In every room, some interesting and mouth-watering food was being prepared. Danish Ebleskiver –small, round waffle-like balls dipped in powdered sugar and jam lured people in while olunteers tenderly turned the batter with a long stick in an Ebleskiver griddle until they became fluffy round shapes.

An elderly man sat behind the long table of Ebleskiver makers as he took one for himself. “We eat the mistakes,” he joked.

The Bodega brewed up local beers from Odin Brewery and other drinks for the 21-and-over crowd. A personal favorite was traditional holiday drink known as glöggThis hot, mulled-spiced wine was perfect on a frigid winter day. Live entertainment such as Scandinavian singing group, Sus sang songs for ‘drinking, dancing, and dallying’ as the Yulefest brochure stated.

Homemade holiday crafts and gifts laced three levels of the museum, turning the halls into a bustling marketplace. Women tried on soft cardigans as they twisted and turned in front of a mirror. One vendor came out from behind her table to model some thick woven blue socks for a possible customer.

Children called to each other to run to see their favorite crafts from vendors such as wooden puzzles and knives and other homemade holiday toys too awesome to pass up. Parents were dragging their eager buyers away from intricate snowflake ornaments as they attempted to make their exit.

On their way out, families could purchase dozens of Scandinavian treats by the bag at the ‘Goodies to Go’ table.

Tucked away in Kaffestuga in the Dream of America Exhibit, accordion players entertained small pockets of couples and families munching on delicate treats and sipping hot drinks. Scandinavian or not, Yulefest got a jumpstart on the holiday season, and none seemed to mind the fact that Thanksgiving has yet to be celebrated.