International energy company Statoil supports Norsk Hostfest, North America's largest Scandinavian Festival, for the second year in a row

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Aug 27, 2013, 11:13 ET

HOUSTON, Aug. 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Norsk Hostfest's annual five day festival, now in its 36^th year, will be held October 1-5 at the All Seasons Arena on the North Dakota State Fairgrounds in Minot, North Dakota. This is the second time Statoil has sponsored the festival, and first time as a presenting sponsor of three heritage building activities: Hostfest in the Schools, Scandinavian Youth Camp and the Tromso Hall Cultural Village.

The primary goal of Hostfest is the preservation of Scandinavian culture and heritage. The festival includes world-class entertainment and celebrates authentic cuisine and culture from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Authorities are anticipating over 60,000 in attendance from all over the world.

"We are so pleased to be back in North Dakota this year celebrating Nordic heritage. Statoil is proud to give support to talented young people in sport, culture and education, helping them to become the heroes of tomorrow. This festival helps inspire and stimulate innovation for individuals through culture and art, and further develops Nordic heritage in areas where we have operations," states Torstein Hole, Senior Vice President of Statoil's US Onshore business.

Statoil's three presenting sponsorship activities highlight young people's involvement in learning cultural heritage. The Hostfest in the Schools program brings Nordic artisans, storytellers and dancers into Minot and surrounding area classrooms to introduce Nordic heritage and culture, while the Scandinavian Youth Camps are held the weekend prior to the festival and offer day-long activities for children in grades two through eight. The Tromso Hall Cultural Village is the area of the festival where the most authentic Nordic activities for children occur.

"Whether people know a lot or a little about Scandinavian culture, this five-day event is a good time for individuals to connect with their heritage and learn something new about another culture," states David Reiten, President of Norsk Hostfest.

In North America, Statoil is established with US offices in Houston and Austin, Texas; Stamford, Connecticut; Anchorage, Alaska; Williston, North Dakota and Washington, DC, and Canadian offices in Calgary, Alberta and St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. The company also owns and operates the South Riding Point crude oil terminal in the Bahamas and has a representative office in Mexico City, Mexico.