May 17, 1814 — the date the Norwegian constitution was signed at Eidsvoll, declaring Norway an independent nation. It’s Norway’s biggest national holiday, celebrated with children’s parades, flags, bunad (traditional dress), and ice cream. And in Minnesota, home to more people of Norwegian descent than anywhere outside Norway, Syttende Mai is kept alive with a fervor that would impress anyone in Oslo.
The 45-year banquet
In Minneapolis, the Syttende Mai Minnesota Banquet has been running for 45 years. Held at Norway House on East Franklin Avenue — in the Sundet Aula, a Norwegian-style event space — the banquet brings the community together over traditional food, Norwegian flags, national songs, and speakers. The 2026 banquet, held on May 16, featured Colonel Christoffer Thomas Knutsen, Norway’s Military Attaché and Assistant Defense Attaché to the US and Canada.
The banquet is organized by Norway House, which also serves as the hub for Norwegian cultural activity in Minnesota year-round. It’s a formal affair — flags, national dress, speeches — but it’s also a reunion. Many of the same families have been attending for decades.
Spring Grove: the first Norwegian settlement
About two hours southeast of Minneapolis, the town of Spring Grove holds what may be Minnesota’s most authentic Syttende Mai celebration. Spring Grove was the first Norwegian settlement in Minnesota, established in the 1850s, and the town has been celebrating Syttende Mai annually since 1973.
The celebration spans a full weekend, with a parade, Norwegian music and dance, ethnic food, a 5K run, artisan vendors, and royalty ceremonies. The town’s website describes it as emphasizing “the pride in our Norwegian ancestry through the ageless traditions of art, dance, food, clothing and congregation.”
At Mindekirken
Mindekirken — the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church in Minneapolis — holds its own Syttende Mai celebration, combining a worship service with a community festival. Mindekirken is one of the few churches in the United States that still holds services in Norwegian, and Syttende Mai is one of its biggest days of the year, with Norwegian music, food, and outdoor activities.
The church also hosts a Tuesday Open House year-round — a weekly Norwegian-American community gathering that’s been running for years. It’s a quieter way to connect with Norwegian culture if you can’t make it to the May 17 celebrations.
Other celebrations
Beyond these main events, Syttende Mai is celebrated in communities across Minnesota. The town of Milan, which bills itself as the “Norwegian capital of the US,” hosts a Taste of Syttende Mai with a parade, Scandinavian music from Skålmusik, children’s activities, and Norwegian foods. The celebration there is held around May 16–17.
Across the Upper Midwest, the pattern repeats — Stoughton and Westby in Wisconsin, Park Ridge in Illinois — all towns with strong Norwegian heritage that keep May 17 alive with parades, food, and community gatherings. It’s a reminder that Norwegian-American culture isn’t a museum piece. It’s a living tradition, renewed every spring.