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Taste of Norway

Iola Historical Society sponsors Lost Arts Fair

Watch Norwegian pastry making, lefse making, and Lost Arts artisans ply their crafts at the Taste Of Norway and Lost Arts Fair Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Iola Historical Society at 210 Depot St.

The event is free, and runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the society’s Historic Iola Village complex.

Proceeds from the event are being used to pay for the restoration of the historic Iola and 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.

Iola Historical Society members experienced in preparing Norwegian goodies, ranging from lefse, smultrenger (fry cakes), krumkaka, sandbakkels, rosettes, and fattigman, will explain and demonstrate how to make them.

The demonstrations run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Cooking demonstrations on how to make lefse and Norwegian pastries will be staggered over the Taste of Norway time-frame.

The pastries – lefse, fry cakes, cookie, and other homemade baked goods – will be available to purchase, while supplies last, in dozen and half-dozen increments.

Taste Of Norway samples with coffee will also be available for $1.50.

Iola’s Crystal Café will also be selling pies by the slice as well as whole pies, pulled pork sandwiches, and homemade chips and dip. Iola’s bakery, Taste of Elegance, will have specialty breads for sale.

The Iola Lions will be holding a brat fry, along with grilled hot dogs from Pine Grove Meats of Iola, with an option to have the hot dog placed in lefse, rather than a bun.

The Lions will provide at their food booth a donation drop-box for collecting used eyeglasses and hearing aids.

Troop 631 (Iola) of the Boy Scouts of America will be selling soda and water.

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.

The price per raffle ticket is $2, or three tickets for $5. Prizes included a $500 first prize, 2016 Green Bay Packers team-signed football is the second prize, and $100 is third prize, plus more than 30 other prizes donated by area businesses and organizations. The drawing will take place at 2:45 p.m. Winners need not be present.

Lost Arts Fair
The Lost Arts Fair aspect of the event brings artisans to the Vvllage showing how things used to be done.

Lost arts ranging from jewelry making, rosemaling, rugweaving, and tin-type photography, among others, will be demonstrated.

Some of the artisans have items for sale.

Children’s activities, 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 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.

The Waupaca County Humane Society will also have animals for children and adults to pet and adopt.

Gift and Craft Show
The Iola-Scandinavia Chamber of Commerce’s 18th annual Fall Gift & Craft Show, which runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., includes vendors selling wool mittens, scarves, runners, mats; handmade soaps; Norwegian wear; jewelry; embroidery; decorations for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas; soy candles; quilted items; handmade caramels, doll cloths; metal garden-art sculptures; framed pictures and prints from local photographers, and many other items.

Vendors interested in exhibiting can pick up an application at the Iola Car Show office at 160 N. Chet Krause Dr. Spots that are 10 feet by 10 feet are $30 each and are located under two large tents next to The Machine Shed at 222 Depot Street.

Tours of 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.

While the depot and caboose are currently undergoing restoration, the depot will be open to the public, but the caboose will not be.

The society’s museum will also be open during the event.

The displays include the recently completed Wayne Town Native American artifacts exhibit; vintage Norwegian immigrant items; the Stromberg violin collection, and many other items of local history.

Also featured is a display about Lee Nelson, Iola’s Humble Hero.

Nelson was a B-17 bomber pilot who flew missions over France and Germany in World War II, and 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 recent acquisition and dedication of machines from Iola’s R.I. Anderson Machine Shop.

The Machine Shed is where the Taste of Norway food court will be located.

Docents will be in each of the buildings to provide historical information and answer questions.

Fire extinguishers, vintage tractors
The Iola and 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, on-site fire extinguisher checks from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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 on display.

Visitors can also take a walk along the new Iola Lions River Walk that follows the Little Wolf River from North Main Street to Townline Road and is accessible mid-point behind the Machine Shed.

The historic Iola Mills, built in 1860, is located at the east end of the trail.

For more information on the event, go to www.iolahistoricalsociety, www.ischamber.com, or visit Iola-Scandinavia Chamber on Facebook.

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