Stages of Fun at Hostfest

Miserable weather has meant a rush of attendance for the Norsk Hostfest The festival is seeing huge crowds again this year - and there s just over a day remaining Shaun Sipma is live at the 32nd annual Hostfest - among those large crowds The free stages at Hostfest have always been big attractions And one reason there are such big crowds this year is the addition of that new stage - the Hostfest Theater - where some major shows play each day But all of the other free stages hold some hidden gems that fans enjoy Catherine Ross was checking them out today The King is in the building at the Hostfest and he s got quite a few fans out there asking if he ll be their teddy bear Tom Patton Elvis Impersonator Elvis has a lot of older fans out there you know over 20 But don t think Patton is trying to raise the dead he says it s just about making Presley s music come alive today Tom Patton Elvis Impersonator They just love Elvis and I bring back some of the memories of him That s all that we re about to bring back some of the memories and to make people smile But making people smile in a different way and even laugh out loud over in Reykjavik Hall are the Ringling 5 a group of nine Montana ranchers who say they ve managed to squeeze in a few performances in spite of harvest season Ken Arthun Ringling 5 We re trying combine grain and get ready for Hostfest and it was a real challenge this year These ranchers have been coming back for the past eight years they say it s the people that make it all worthwhile Ken Arthun Ringling 5 They first told me we d be tailor-made for Hostfest because we are Norwegian and we write a lot of songs that are rural We make fun of a bit of our Norwegian heritage with some of our funnier songs and we make fun of our rancher heritage It s real country music because it comes from the country And while Leah Durelle might not strike you as an old country soul upon first impression she s a veteran Hostfester and has performed for the past six years and today she celebrates her 18th birthday on the Oslo Hall stage Leah Durelle Singer Spending my birthdays here is actually a lot of fun I wait for this all year long the Hostfest The stuff on country music today it s country but it s not what country used to be And I love what country used to be with the fiddles and the steel guitars So whether you re a fan of that cowboy twang a teenage twist on country classics or want to get all shook up with the King there s plenty to suit your unique tastebuds on the stages of the Norsk Hostfest for KX News I m Catherine Ross Elvis Thank you