Elkhart Lake Tourism

Nordic Ats ELKHARTLAKE.COM | 2 0 Years spent in Elkhart Lake: 34 years What is your connection to Elkhart Lake? I am orginally from Finland then lived in Cleveland for 20 years until eventually living in Elkhart Lake, where I currently reside. While living in Cleveland I recognized a lot of Finnish racecar drivers who were currently racing at Road America and the beautiful lake and area sparked my interest to own a shop in Elkhart Lake. What made you want to own a business in Elkhart Lake? I opened Nordic Accents in July 1989 after I continued to see all of the visitors Road America and the beautiful lake brought to the area. I wanted to bring a little bit of my home country to the people of Elkhart Lake. How has your business evolved over the years you have been in Elkhart Lake? Much has changed in my shop over the 34 years I've been in Elkhart Lake. My shop orginally started on Highway 67. I then moved into what is now the Elkhart Lake Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center building for a summer where I rented space with another shop owner. Third time is the charm after one last move, because I finally owned my own building on Lake Street, where my shop currently is, nestled between Gessert's and Paddock Club. It really is Christmas all year round in my shop and even though a lot of my Scandinavian Imports have stayed the same, a lot has changed as well like the Trolls display I once had. A collectable that was very popular years ago, I had a full display of them but no longer carry them in my shop. I continue to carry Norwegian and Baltic sweaters, Swedish clogs, woolen blankets, fine crystal, Danish iron and candles. What is your favorite thing about Elkhart Lake? The Vintage Car Weekend in the middle of summer is my favorite - the energy, the people, the cars, it all reminds me of why I moved to Elkhart Lake. I actually used to keep my shop open until midnight on Vintage Weekend because I'd have customers who would come in year after year to say hello and shop around. Piro Jarvvu

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