Scandinavian Festival

It turns out that Astoria has a "midsummer Scandinavian Festival" on the third week of June and Barb and I decided to go.  Barb describes it as the Kennedy Krieger Festival of Trees, but without the trees. We want to give you a little taste of it.  The first thing you see is the Scandinavian clothing.  There is a long tradition of Scandinavian people settling in the Pacific Northwest because it is similar to their climate at home.

The event is held at the Clatsop Fairgrounds, about four miles south of Astoria.  There is a large building, similar to the Timonium Cow Palace, but smaller. You can see some of the inside of the building in the picture at the above left.






There are lots of vendors and music is non-stop. Here is Barb selecting which wine cork she wants to purchase.  One of the craftsmen is a specialist in "turning" various types of wood on his spindle.




This is one of the many food outlets at Festival. It was a direct steal from IKEA!  Meatballs, potatoes, red cabbage, and I had lingenberry jam.  Oh, so good.






A huge part of the festival is the music and these guys are really good.  They play multiple instruments, including the accordion, which was a favorite instrument.



Finally, we have to tell you about this Viking boat.  It actually began its life as a US Navy vessel, but over the years it has added a mast, a custom-built trailer, a sail, and various emblems on it's side to show it's Scandinavian roots.  There are multiple carvings that have been added to add to its authenticity. It is going on tour across the United States to sail on various lakes, but it hopes to dip its toes in the Atlantic Ocean.