NORWEGIAN HERITAGE FESTIVAL

STOUGHTON, WISCONSIN

May 16-18, 2025

Celebrate Norwegian Heritage at the Syttende Mai Festival!

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.

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

FESTIVAL TRADITIONS

Royalty

Our Official Event Ambassadors! Each year new Syttende Mai Royalty is chosen for their outstanding community service and dedication to sharing their pride in Stoughton's Norwegian heritage with both residents and visitors.

Commemorative Coin

Every year the Syttende Mai Cultural Committee issues a collectible, commemorative coin as a keepsake. They’re a remembrance of the festival, and they honor both Stoughton’s and Norway’s heritage.

Norwegian Dancers

The community is proud to present the Stoughton Norwegian Dancers, a dance troupe who delight audiences with their intricate footwork, athleticism, and enthusiasm for traditional Norwegian culture.

“Today, Stoughton’s Norwegian memories focus on a unique and exciting yearly celebration. But Syttende Mai is not just a glorification of the Norwegian heritage. It is a large-scale reminder of the richness of our pasts, of the immense value of all ethnic and national backgrounds to the history of our community, state, and nation.”

From “ A Brief History of the Stoughton Syttende Mai Celebration” by Stoughton Middle School Students, 1983

Need more information about Syttende Mai? Click here to contact the organizers directly. We look forward to seeing you at the event!