Icelandic Communities Association (ICA)

The Icelandic Communities Association (ICA) was originally known as the Mountain Celebration Committee. The committee was established in 1899 to celebrate Icelandic heritage and to celebrate Iceland’s independence. In 2003, the name was changed from the Mountain Celebration Committee to the Icelandic Communities Association.

On August 2, 1874, a new constitution was introduced for Iceland’s independence and was known as ‘The Day of the Icelanders.’ Read more about why we celebrate HERE.

The immigrants to the new world continued to celebrate this event. The local American Legion organized and sponsored the celebration for countless years. In 1999, the Mountain Celebration Committee sponsored the 100th Anniversary of the annual August 2nd Celebration also known as “The Deuce of August.” In 1978, the community celebrated 100 years of Icelanders living in North Dakota. Four news articles are located HERE.

Seven Icelandic settlement communities in our area and their churches were part of the Icelandic Evangelical Lutheran Synod of America. The people from these seven communities and many people from around the state are instrumental in the success of the celebration and other ICA activities.

·      Gardar (the church established 1880)

·      Mountain (the Vikur church - established 1880)

·      Hallson (near Cavalier, ND - established 1881)

·      Vidalin (near the towns of Akra and Hensel – established 1886)

·      Fjalla (between Mountain and Milton towns – established 1887)

·      Thingvalla (Eyford, located between Mountain and Gardar - established 1892)

·      Svold (Peter’s church established 1897)

The goal of the ICA is to celebrate our Icelandic heritage and culture and the main focus and purpose is to promote and organize the annual three-day ‘Deuce of August’ celebration. The celebration always takes place each year on the weekend before the first Monday in August. This is the oldest ethnic festival in the state of North Dakota and the largest Icelandic ethnic event in the United States.

The ICA also takes part in numerous events and activities throughout the year. Members of the ICA meet and greet countless Icelandic tour groups. Icelandic artists have visited area schools to share their expertise with students. The ICA is a supporter of this program in coordination with the North Dakota Council on the Arts.

Highlights of the annual celebration include the following:

·      Parade
       Heritage Program featuring speakers and dignitaries from Iceland and North America
       Choir Concerts from various choirs from Iceland
·      Genealogy Center
·      Church Luncheon at the oldest Icelandic Church in America – Vikur Lutheran Church
·      “Pitchfork Fondue”
·      3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
·      Car Show
·      Old Timers Dance
·      Street Dance
·      ATV and Tractor Pulls
·      International Fellowship Dinner
·      Bingo
·      Souvenir Booth
·      Kids Games
·      Guided Tours of other Icelandic Churches, Cemeteries, Borg Memorial Home, homesteads,
                        and the farms of our ancestors who emigrated from Iceland.
·      Family and Class Reunions

The genealogy center helps attendees search for ancestors from Iceland or any other location around our world. Considerable numbers of Icelandic visitors attend and the genealogy center has placed considerable emphasis on connecting the Icelandic tourists with their relatives in North America. George Freeman and Pam Furstenau, the two main researchers, work throughout the year to find living relatives for the Icelandic visitors with their ‘Cousins Across the Ocean’ project. Many reunions and surprises have happened when visitors connect with their extended Icelandic-North American families. They meet in Mountain or at the Icelandic celebration,
Islendingadagurinn, in Gimli the following week. This has become a very enriching and exciting experience for all who look to the center for their family ties.

The ICA newsletter - Fjalla Blað, is published three to four times annually. It boasts a circulation of approximately one thousand, including readership in Canada & Iceland as well as throughout the United States. It can also be found on our website:  www.august2nd.com

Our chapter is proud to have as its member, Sir Magnus Olafson, who has been awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon. He is instrumental in many relationships with Iceland. His knowledge of our Icelandic ancestors and the Icelandic immigrants to our region is phenomenal and is a great resource for our association. Additionally, three of our newest community members, Björk Eiríksdóttir Olafson and her two children Linda and Einar, are recent immigrants from Iceland (2004). This has given us a renewed connection to our ties with Iceland. 

In 1999, during the 100-year anniversary of our celebration, the chapter hosted the President of Iceland, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, the first Icelandic president to visit North Dakota. Since then, the ICA has been honored to entertain countless dignitaries and visitors from Iceland.

Each year, the ICA honors someone to be the Parade Grand Marshal. A listing of past Grand Marshals can be viewed by clicking HERE.

Bylaws of the Icelandic Communities Association were adopted February 13, 2003. 

This article was featured in the Icelandic National League papers of 2009.