Syttende Mai is Norwegian for seventeenth of May.

In the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, Norwegians gathered on May 17, 1814, in the small village of Eidsvoll to ratify their own constitution, which established Norway as an independent country. Norwegians throughout the world continue to celebrate May 17 as Syttende Mai, the Norwegian Constitution Day.

In Stoughton, the Syttende Mai festival is held on the weekend closest to May 17. 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. In 1967, the Stoughton Chamber of Commerce took over the festival, and has planned the event each year since.

As many as 20,000 people attend the Syttende Mai festival each year to celebrate Norway’s National Day and Stoughton’s deep Norwegian roots. Today, Syttende Mai serves as a way to preserve the city’s Norwegian heritage and share its culture with a new generation.

Friday • 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Saturday • 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Sunday • 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Entrance to the three-day weekend festival is $5. Children 5 and under are free.

Visitors receive a Booster Button to wear as their all-access pass to the Stoughton festival’s weekend of fun. This Booster Button is required for entry to all Syttende Mai events. Single event tickets are not available for purchase.

When you purchase your Booster Button, you support the Stoughton festival and ensure that the Syttende Mai celebration is a continued success. Proceeds support the festival’s parades, trophies and prizes, shuttle buses, brochures, performances, and of course, our coveted Stoughton Norwegian Dancer performances. It does all of this and so much more.

With so much to do and see, the $5 Booster Button is a bargain.  

You can buy your $5 festival Booster Button at the Blue Information Booths at these locations:

  • Stoughton Opera House • 381 E. Main Street

  • S. Division and Main Streets • near McGlynn Pharmacy, 100 E. Main Street

  • Livsreise • 277 W. Main Street

Booster Buttons are available at the entrance to these official festival locations:

  • Chorus Public House • 154 W. Main St. (Scandinavian Arts, Crafts, and Music)

Booster Buttons are available at retail shops in Stoughton.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF SYTTENDE MAI!

Find buttons and coins at:  Asleson's Hardware, Cheesers, Fosdal's Bakery, Jung Garden Center, McGlynn Pharmacy, One Community Bank, Quality Inn and Suites, Stoughton Floral, Stoughton Lumber, Stoughton Utilities, and The UPS Store.

All visitors to the Stoughton festival must purchase the $5 Booster Button to access Syttende Mai weekend events. This is the all-access pass to the festival and no one will be admitted to the events without the Booster Button. Individual event tickets will not be sold.

The Commemorative Coin is a keepsake of each year’s Syttende Mai festival in Stoughton, Wisconsin. Visitors and locals collect the coin each year because it’s a lasting memento of that year’s festival that features an illustration of Stoughton’s Norwegian heritage. This year's button features the Stoughton Bunad on the American side and the Viking Compass on the Norwegian side.  The coin is $12.

Find buttons and coins at:  Asleson's Hardware, Cheesers, Fosdal's Bakery, Jung Garden Center, McGlynn Pharmacy, One Community Bank, Quality Inn and Suites, Stoughton Floral, Stoughton Lumber, Stoughton Utilities, and The UPS Store.

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Shuttle Buses Parking at Stoughton High School (600 Lincoln Dr).

Busses run every 30 minutes:

9:30-6pm Saturday

10:30 - 5pm Sunday

On street parking with a two-hour limit is available on Main Street and adjacent side streets.

Public Parking lots listed here are also available. Check the signs at each lot for rules about parking.

NORTH SIDE OF MAIN ST.

Senior Center Public Parking Lot: enter from S. Page Street, lot is behind the Senior Center

W. Washington Street Public Parking Lot: enter from S. Water Street, W. Washington Street, or S. Division Street

4th and E. Main St. Public Parking: enter on S. 4th Street or E. Main Street

ADA Parking: City Hall Parking Lot at 381 E. Main Street. The Festival shuttle stops at this location approximately on Saturday and Sunday approximately every 20 to 30 minutes.

 

SOUTH SIDE OF MAIN ST.

Public Parking Library Lot: enter from S. Fourth Street, adjacent to the Stoughton Library

Public Parking Jefferson St.: 425 E. Jefferson Street at the corner of 6th Street

600 Lincoln Dr

Park your car at Stoughton High School and utilize the shuttle service with their multiple stops throughout festival grounds.

Saturday • 9:30 - 6 pm, Sunday • 10:30am - 5 pm

Let us make some suggestions!

If you’ve never attended a Syttende Mai festival plan your visit by reviewing the complete schedule of events and choosing events that are a must see for you. Expect to park at a distance from downtown and walk to the event, or park at the Stoughton High School parking lot, and take the shuttle.

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Purchase your festival Booster Button to gain entry to some of the festival favorites around town. Buttons will get you access to the Quilt Show, Stoughton High School Norwegian Dancers, and many more!

The festival takes place across Stoughton’s entire Arts & Entertainment District from S. Page Street on the west side of town to the east side at about Fifth Street (about a half mile), north to the River Bluff School Campus, and south to Mandt Park (about 0.7 miles).

  • W. Washington and S. Division Streets

  • S. Fourth and 400 Mandt Parkway • Mandt Park

  • S. Division and W. Jefferson Streets

 

  • Kwik Trip West • 517 W. Main Street

  • One Community Bank • 207 S. Forrest Street (in the drive-through)

  • Viking Brew Pub • 211 E. Main Street

  • Anderson Plaza (South) Parking Lot • S. Division near W. Jefferson Street

Looking for more?