Best. Fest. Ever?

Members of the Nordic Fest Board

(Comment by decorahnews.com's Paul Scott):

There was a lot of nervousness in Decorah when it was announced the 2017 RAGBRAI route would run through Decorah--during the 2017 Nordic Fest.  Some worried whether the community could handle two events at the same time.  Others worried that Decorah would be too popular with RAGBRAI riders, forcing police to kick bike riders out of town Friday afternoon.

An official review of this year's Nordic Fest will be held this fall, but the preliminary consensus is that having RAGBRAI visit Decorah during Nordic Fest added to the Fest, rather than detracting from it.

True, there were a few Friday afternoon stragglers, but almost all of the RAGBRAI riders got a taste of Decorah and then moved on.  True, a few booths ran short on food, but the money non-profit groups raised from their RAGBRAI/Nordic Fest booths will be substantially greater this year--helping all the groups involved.

Finally, organizers hit the jackpot when temperatures were in the 70s and low 80s during the Fest, which meant large crowds for Saturday morning's parade.

All in all, Decorah hit a home run.

Nordic Fest Board President Laurie Meinholz

RAGBRAI riders head out of Decorah Friday