Icelandic Hekla Club

A non-profit 501(c)(3) celebrating all things Icelandic, based in Minneapolis & St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

The Icelandic Hekla Club takes its name from one of the most well-known and active volcanoes in Iceland. Located on the south side of the island, standing 4,882 feet (1,491 metres) above sea level, it is known to have erupted some 20 - 30 times since settlement in 874, with the most recent being February 2000. The name is Icelandic for “a short-hooded cloak," referring to the nearly perpetual cloud cover over its summit.

Logo by Michele Ode

HeklaClub-PressKit_2025-Feb27.pptx.pdf

Upcoming SPECIAL EVENTS

Stop in and say hæ at the Hekla table!

For September 3 event https://asimn.org/events-calendar/lille-fredag-happy-hour-3/

For October 1 event https://asimn.org/events-calendar/lille-fredag-happy-hour-4/

2026 - 2027 Schedule of Events

All items are also listed on our Google Calendar located on this website at Hekla Club Online Google Calendar

In-person membership meetings are held at

the Danish American Center, Danebo Lounge.

We offer both in-person and Zoom membership meetings.

2026 - 2027 MEMBERSHIP YEAR

Thursday, September 3, 6 - 8 pm, American Swedish Institute - Lille Fredag Happy Hour for Nordic young adults mid-20s to mid 30s. https://asimn.org/events-calendar/lille-fredag-happy-hour-3/

Saturday, September 12, 10 am - 5 pm - Nordic Music Fest, Victoria, MN; Hekla will have a staffed table.

Saturday, September 19, 10:30 am - Membership Meeting, Welcome & Organizational Meeting including Pub Triva Quiz.

Thursday, October 1, 6 - 8 pm, American Swedish Institute - Lille Fredag Happy Hour for Nordic young adults mid-20s to mid 30s. https://asimn.org/events-calendar/lille-fredag-happy-hour-4/

Sunday, October 4 - Sunday, October 18 - LEIF (Leifur Eiríksson International Fest), primarily Mindekirken, Norway House and DAC. https://www.leifmn.org/

Tuesday, October 6, 10:30 am at Mindekirken - LEIF Tuesday Open House luncheon and program ($15). Hekla Club member, Doug Rutford, will be speaking about his father's book, Icelandic Churches in North America. https://www.leifmn.org/event-details-registration/tuesday-open-house-icelandic-settlements-in-north-america

Saturday, October 17, 10:30 a.m. Membership Meeting - Hekla member, Isaac Muscanto on his Snorri Alumni Internship at the Hofsós Emigration Center this past summer.

Saturday, November 21 , 10:30 a.m., Membership Meeting - Susan Snow and Sonia Srichai on the story, lyrics and music of Iceland´s National Anthem.

Saturday, December 5, 11:00 - 2:00 pm, in-person Jólabarnaball, PLEASE NOTE NEW DAY. Jólabarnaball is by invitation only. DAC Dining Room and Danebo Lounge. PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN THE DAY OF THE WEEK.

Saturday, January 16, 10:30 a.m., Membership Meeting - TBD

Saturday, February 20, 10:30 a.m., Membership Meeting - TBD

Saturday, March 20, 10:30 a.m., Membership Meeting - TBD

Sunday, April 25, 2027, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Samkoma, Danish American Center

Saturday, May 15, 10:30 a.m., Annual Meeting; election of officers, determination of donations.

2026 Hekla Club Donation recipients:

$2,000 to the Val Bjornson Icelandic Exchange Scholarship between the University of Minnesota and Háskóli Íslands

$150–Congratulatory ad for Lögberg-Heimskringla on the 140th anniversary of publishing the newspaper

$500–Donation to Vesturfarasetrið (The Icelandic Emigration Center in Hofsós) for needed repairs and the 30 anniversary of their founding.

Congratulations !

Become a member or renew your membership for 2025 - 2026. Check out the Membership page for information and registration.

Following in the steps of several Icelandic women's groups in the area, the Icelandic Hekla Club was founded on January 30, 1925 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is the oldest, continuously meeting Icelandic organization in the United States. In 2024, it is proud to begin celebrating 100 years of bringing people and Iceland together.

The Icelandic Hekla Club is organized exclusively for educational, cultural, and charitable purposes. The purposes of this corporation include, among others:

To educate the public through the promotion of Icelandic educational and cultural opportunities.
To cooperate and/or participate, wherever possible, in activities that support and promote Icelandic social, educational, and cultural themes.
To promote fellowship among members and involve the Icelandic community cooperative endeavors that support connections between Minnesota and Iceland
To provide a means of reaching those of Icelandic descent and those interested in Iceland.
Additionally the Icelandic Hekla Club works to support the Val Bjornson Icelandic Exchange Scholarship between the University of Minnesota and Haskóli Íslands (University of Iceland).

The Icelandic Hekla Club enjoys Public Charity non-profit status 509 (a)(2) under the United States Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3) and is open to anyone of any age or gender, regardless of ethnic origins.