Barneløpet children’s ski/walk event to be held at Decorah Prairie

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Area families are invited to participate in the annual Barneløpet, a non-competitive ski or walk event, which will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Decorah Community Prairie. Registration will begin at 9:40 a.m., and skiers must provide their own skis. Barneløpet is Norwegian for “kids race,” and Sons of Norway lodges all over the country sponsor Barneløpet events. The event is modeled after the Barnebirke, a children’s cross-county ski race held each year as a part of the American Birkebeiner in Hayward, Wisconsin.

Barneløpet is open to children ages 3-13 of all skill levels. Participants receive a ski bib at the starting line and a medal when they complete the course. Families are welcome to ski or walk along the course. Hot chocolate and homemade cookies will be served for everyone by the fireside.

“We will enjoy a walk in the prairie if there is no snow. The only cancelations will be in the case of severe cold or ice,” said program organizer Darlene Fossum-Martin. The public may check vesterheim.org or Vesterheim’s social media for possible cancelations.

The free event is a collaboration between Vesterheim and three Sons of Norway Lodges, including Valdres #503 in Decorah; Heimbygda #376 in Lanesboro, Minnesota; and Valheim #364 in Spring Grove, Minnesota. Barneløpet is offered at no cost thanks to support from Jon and Mary Hart of Decorah in memory of Kjell Arne Berntsen.

The Decorah Community Prairie can be accessed by car at the south end of Ohio Street, near Aase Haugen Homes. The trail will be in a loop, with the start and finish at the site of the butterfly garden.

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