Audin Rhodes/MDN A happenstance trio of accordion players bring music to visitors’ ears at the Norsk Hostfest Wednesday. From left are Jerry Schlag, Eileen Roche and Steve Solkela.

On Wednesday, two members of the Hostfest Accordion Club were playing on the North Dakota Tourism stage at the Norsk Hostfest when they were joined by an additional accordion player not affiliated with the club.

The North Dakota Tourism stage at the Norsk Hostfest is a free stage, on which anyone can share skills at any time and add to the rich auditory ambiance of the festival.

The Accordion Club members playing Wednesday were Jerry Schlag of Minot and Eileen Roche of Oxbow, Saskatchewan.

Schlag has been playing accordion at the Hostfest since 1978. The only years since its inception that Schlag didn’t attend the Hostfest were the years when the festival was canceled due to COVID-19.

Roche has been part of the Accordion Club for the past 17 years. Roche and Schlag only see each other once a year, when it’s time to gather and play for visitors at the Norsk Hostfest.

A few days before the festival, Accordion Club members also play for residents at various assisted living homes to re-sharpen their skills beforehand.

The guest accordion player who joined Roche and Schlag by happenstance was Steve Solkela of Duluth, Minnesota.

Solkela is one of the featured acts at the Hostfest and will be performing as a one-man band, The Overpopulated One Man Band, today at 7:15 p.m. on the Reykjavik stage.

Solkela’s performance is a variety show incorporating music, juggling and more. Solkela may be seen riding around the Hostfest on his unicycle.

Solkela joined Schlag and Roche for a spell and the three accordion players came together and created a unique, unplanned performance, playing classic tunes on the accordions and following each other’s leads.

There are about 100 members in the Hostfest Accordion Club, and the number of members playing on each festival day varies.

“Many years ago, I remember we had 92 members show up on one day,” Roche said.

Typical member numbers during the Hostfest are around 30 a day. The youngest member of the club is Tidus Bulow, 13. Tidus is an accordion student under Schlag’s instruction.

Schlag also plays with friends at 11:30 a.m. on the Stockholm stage throughout the days of the festival. The Hostfest Accordion Club will be playing throughout the days of the festival at various stages and times.