Now everyone can be a little bit Nordic because it’s Viking Days.
The 25th anniversary of Viking Days to be exact, and the Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle is celebrating with everything Scandinavian at its annual Tivoli/Viking Days festival Saturday and Sunday.
The free event offers Scandinavian entertainment, food, arts and crafts vendors, and real live Vikings only seen in Ballard. Featured food items will represent each of the five Nordic countries: Swedish meatballs, Norwegian lefse, Danish æbleskiver, Finnish smoked salmon sandwiches and a variety of Icelandic goodies.
These Ballard-bound Vikings are called the Ravenstead Vikings. They will be dressed in their authentic costumes ready to show visitors the Viking life in their small encampment. The lifestyle includes weaving, spinning, woodcarving and flatbread baking. Other high-quality Nordic crafts will be for sale at nearly 30 craft booths throughout the festival where kids can take part in hands-on crafts or try on Viking costumes.
The festival also will include traditional folk music and dancing on multiple stages. Saturday’s highlights feature performances by the Norwegian Male Chorus, Tanhuajat Finnish Folkdancers, the Smilin’ Scandinavians and the TinnFelen Hardangar Fiddle Ensemble. On Sunday, entertainers include the Katrilli Finnish Folkdancers, the Washington State Letter Carrier Band, Seattle Skandia Spelmanslag, Skolkis and Richard &Bjarne.
On Saturday, the group Living Voices will lead visitors through two presentations that will combine video and an interactive performer to show the dynamically changing Northwest at the turn of the century. Visitors will learn about the expansion of the railroad, the discovery of gold, labor struggles, and world war as seen through the experiences of a young Swedish immigrant and her community. The theme of diversity also will be explored as the immigrant interacts with her African, Asian and American Indian neighbors.
On Sunday, the Living History dramatic tours return. Performers in period costumes re-create the difficult journey by early Nordic immigrants to North America and their settlement in the Pacific Northwest.
Other events include the traditional Swedish pancake breakfast from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. The breakfast is $8 for adults, $6 for kids 12 and under. There’s also a salmon barbecue dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday. The cost is $12 for adults, $8 kids 12 and under.
All programs are subject to change. For general questions and information, call 206-789-5707 or visit www.nordicmuseum.org.
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