Suburban Norwegians celebrate their heritage in Palatine

The sounds of the traditional folk song "Per Spelmann" were in the air Sunday as families from across the suburbs gathered in Palatine for the 25th annual Norwegian Heritage Fest.

The festival, held at the AYUA Ukrainian Center, was sponsored by the Skjold Lodge, Sons of Norway and featured traditional Norwegian food, arts and crafts, and entertainment.

"This is our annual heritage fest for both Norwegians and the neighborhood. We promote genealogy and all kinds of crafts," said Solveig Reinhartsen Bender, the culture chairwoman of the Sons of Norway.

Vendors dressed in traditional Norwegian clothing gave demonstrations of krumkake and lefse baking, examples of rosemaling, Norwegian knife making and Norwegian folk crafts. In the children's area, young visitors had a chance to make their own paper Viking long boats.

Friends of the Viking Ship provided information concerning the preservation of the 1893 Viking Ship, a Norwegian ship on display during the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.