Local archive
Community Water Street
Vesterheim has opened a Book of Condolence at Hanson Vesterheim Commons in Decorah following the reported passing of King Harald V of Norway on Aug. 28, 2026. The book is available during regular business hours through Sept. 13, and a digital option is available through the Royal Court of Norway.
Education Luther College
Luther College will announce the inaugural recipient of its Hamlet Peterson Distinguished Professorship in Exercise Science during Opening Convocation at 9:40 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall. The professorship honors longtime Luther coach and educator Hamlet E. Peterson and is funded by an estate gift from Jack F. Hustad and Regent Emerita Helen Peterson Hustad.
Community
The Decorah Water Department will begin its routine fall hydrant flushing program on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, with weekday work scheduled across the city from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Residents may see temporary water discoloration or experience slight pressure drops during the two- to three-week project.
Community
Seed Savers Exchange has released an archived episode of its “Sowing Connections” podcast featuring Neil Lockhart, a longtime gardener and seed lister who has grown, exchanged and helped preserve thousands of tomato varieties.
Culture Luther College
Adults with special needs are invited to a free G2G Summer Celebration on Aug. 27 at Whalen Cabin near Phelps Park, with registration required by Aug. 24.
Culture
Vesterheim will host “Cultural Connections: Contemporary Rosemaling” online October 4, 2026, featuring artist Tara’s botanical designs and a demonstration of modern rosemaling techniques.
Community
Vesterheim will host a free online book-group discussion of Henrik Ibsen’s 1888 drama <em>Lady From the Sea</em> on November 11, 2026, from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Central time. Registration is required.
Culture
Vesterheim will host a free online discussion of Henrik Ibsen’s 1884 play The Wild Duck on October 28, 2026, from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Central time. Registration is required.
Education Luther College
New York Times bestselling author David Epstein will speak at Luther College in Decorah at 7 p.m. Sept. 24, 2026, about why broad-based education can prepare graduates for complex and rapidly changing careers.
Education Luther College
Vesterheim will welcome Luther College families to its Decorah campus on September 19, 2026, with free admission for Luther students, faculty, staff and museum members, plus two guided tours.
Education Luther College
Luther College alum Andrew Ellingsen has been appointed director of the Richard L. and Judith A. Torgerson Center for Nordic Studies. Ellingsen brings more than five years of leadership at Vesterheim, nearly two decades of elementary music teaching and longstanding ties to Decorah’s Norwegian-American heritage community.
Culture
Twenty-two tomato varieties competed across three categories at Seed Savers Exchange’s 2026 Tomato Tasting, with winners selected by attendees. The event also received support from Decorah Bank & Trust Co., Mountain Rose Herbs and Streamworks.
Community
Seed Savers Exchange’s third “Sowing Connections” episode explores how seeds, agriculture, food policy, markets and marketing influence what people eat, while highlighting the importance of preserving agricultural diversity.
Education Luther College
Luther College visual communication professor Aaron Lurth has published “Small Luxuries: Film Cameras,” a 128-page book exploring camera technology, historic brands, famous models and the cultural history of photography.
Culture
Vesterheim will offer free museum admission and family activities on Saturday, Aug. 8, including a rosemaling-pattern activity from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sport Luther College
WinnMed says Megan Slattery, D.O., will join its medical team at the end of August 2026, providing family medicine, obstetric and hospitalist care for patients in the Decorah area.
Education Luther College
Luther College’s spring 2026 graduating class included three students from Decorah, with Andrew Bradley Chamberlain earning cum laude honors, Elizabeth Clement graduating cum laude and Dylan Joseph Muhlbauer receiving magna cum laude recognition.
Community
Vesterheim’s 2026 calendar lists five Free Second Saturday events, beginning Aug. 8 and continuing monthly through Dec. 12.
Education Luther College
Luther College has named Rose Baldwin its associate director of programming and outreach. She began work on campus July 27 and will manage the Center for Faith and Life box office and event operations as the college prepares for upcoming performances, Homecoming and Family Weekend.
Traffic & Construction Luther College
A section of the Pulpit Rock trail is temporarily closed for repairs, while Decorah Parks and Recreation lists summer activities including a movie in the park, a special-needs celebration, Trail Night and Nordic Fest’s Gnomes in the Park scavenger hunt.
Education Upper Iowa River
Luther College in Decorah has announced its 2026-27 Center Stage Series, featuring seven public performances, a subscriber bonus concert by Cantus, school matinees and a special April event marking 50 years of the Center for Faith and Life.
Traffic & Construction
Construction of the Decorah Community School District’s new elementary school remains on schedule after precast concrete wall panels and initial structural steel were installed. The project still awaits final approval from the Iowa State Fire Marshal’s Office, but district officials do not currently expect the review to delay the planned 2027-28 opening.
Community
Seed Savers Exchange has completed a 2025–30 strategic plan that shifts emphasis from rapid collection growth to long-term stewardship, including seed regeneration, refreshed supplies, better documentation and broader access.
Sport
Seed Savers Exchange’s 2025 ADAPT program invited gardeners to grow rare varieties, document their traits and share results with other growers. The program’s amaranth trials generated hundreds of images, comments and ratings while introducing participants to a crop many had never grown before.
Culture
Seed Savers Exchange says it became the first U.S. nonprofit genebank to undergo a comprehensive external assessment by the Crop Trust, a review that affirmed its community-based model while identifying three priorities for improving seed conservation.
Community
Seed Savers Exchange has launched an endowment with a $1 million founding gift from longtime seed advocate Amy Goldman Fowler, setting an initial goal of $5 million within five years.
Business & Openings
Seed Savers Exchange says donor support helped its farm team improve production efficiency, achieve a 90% crop success rate across 86 varieties in 2025 and preserve more rare seeds. Permanent fencing is planned for high-production areas in 2026.
Culture
Seed Savers Exchange has added Peg O’ My Heart, a family tomato preserved by Virginia gardener Peg Davis, to its 2025 From the Collection catalog after growing 88 plants at Heritage Farm.
Education Luther College
Luther College has named Diego Rodriguez its new director of student activities and leadership. Rodriguez brings more than 20 years of experience from higher education, NASA and student affairs, including recent work supporting more than 40 clubs and student organizations at the University of Iowa.
Traffic & Construction
Vesterheim will present “In Trunks, Hands, and Hearts: What Norwegian Immigrants Brought to the United States” on August 13, 2026, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Rochester, Minnesota. The free Kristianian Lodge meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.
