Scandinavian activities
in the Pacific Northwest area
- Sundays (Port Angeles) Regular Sunday dance. Scandinavian and ballroom dancing Sundays, 7–9 p.m. Scandia Hall at 131 W 5th St., Port Angeles, WA. Donations taken at the door. Info: Sandy or Paul, (360) 457-7035 or penga@olypen.com.
- Mondays (Poulsbo) Scandinavian dance instruction, Sons of Norway hall, 18891 Front St., 7 p.m. All welcome; partners not required. Requested donation: $2 ($3 on 3rd-Monday live-music party nights). Info: Fred, (206) 780-8036 or Stan, (360) 779-2460.
- 6/15-16 (Bellevue) VASA Park Midsummer Weekend. VASA Park, 3560 W. Lake Sammamish Parkway SE, Bellevue.
- Saturday Night Dance with Lessons 7-8 pm. Dancing 8-11:30 pm to Hale Bill & the Bopps plus The Pickled Herring Band. Free admission. Snacks and beverages available for purchase. Info: pat@folkdancing.com.
- Sunday Midsummer Celebration. Free admission. Pancake breakfast, 9 a.m.–12 noon, $8. WA. Info: pat@folkdancing.com.
- 6/16 (Bellevue) Good Times Annual Summer Solstice Dance, Vasa Park, 4–6 p.m. & 7–9 p.m., with picnic time in-between. The music will be Sylvia and her “Ya Sure, Ya Betcha Band”. $10.
- 6/21–23 (Corbett, OR) Danish Cultural Conference is for all ages! Enjoy speakers on various interesting Danish and current topics, field trips to nearby sights, nature walks, evening events, and entertainment. Menucha Conference Center, Corbett, Oregon. Info and registration: www.northwestdanishfoundation.org.
- 6/23–29 (Corbett, OR) Himmelbjerget is a week-long camp for ages 10 to 18, where you will experience the customs and traditions of Denmark. This year’s theme is Hans Christian Andersen. Info and registration: www.northwestdanishfoundation.org.
- 6/24–28 (Seattle) Heritage Day Camp for kids ages 7–11, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Theme: Norse gods. Registration deadline, June 11. $85 for members of Leif Erikson Lodge; $150 for nonmembers of the NHM or LEL). Reservations required; contact Alison Church at (206) 789-5707, ext 19 or alisonc@nordicmusuem.org.
- 6/28 (Seattle) Scandinavian Dance, 8–10:30. Live music by Skandia Kapell. A special guest artist will be there for his premier performance. He is 8 years old. Swedish Cultural Center, 1920 Dexter N., Seattle 98109. Info: pat@folkdancing.com.
- 6/30 (Kenmore) Skandia Midsommarfest 2013, St. Edward State Park, 14445 Juanita Drive NE. This traditional Scandinavian celebration features music & dance performances, kids’ activities (including raising a kid-sized pole), flower crowns, craft & food booths, a costume presentation, participatory dancing, and the traditional pole-raising ceremony. Free (donations accepted; buttons available for a $2 donation to help defray costs). 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
- 7/14 (Blaine, WA) District 2 and District 7 Sons of Norway Border Festival picnic at the Peace Arch Park in Blaine Washington. Horseshoes at 10 a.m., potluck lunch at 12 noon with coffee provided. Bring a potluck dish, your own dishes, utensils, and beverage. Program begins at 1 p.m. and includes entertainment. Parking: Washington State Parks Dept requires a Discover Pass to use the parking lot. $10 for one day or $30 for a yearly pass.
- July events 7/27 (Issaquah) Midsummer Celebration and Lefse Festival! 10–4, free. Veterans Memorial Field, 120 Second Ave NE, Issaquah. (The park behind City Hall.) Lefse samples, sales, and competition! Scandinavian arts & crafts vendors, dance performances, demonstrations, folk costumes, food, live music, genealogy, entertainment, activities for children, Maypole raising at 2 p.m., Kransekake raffles, runes riddles and more! Lots of free parking at Issaquah High School; free Senior Shuttle (55+) runs every half hour, 10–4. Vendors & lefse teams contact: Leiann Ronnestad, (425) 313-0193 or Info@BarneFoundation.com. Info: www.ScandinavianFestivals.com.
Future events:
- 8/5–9 (Seattle) Dane Camp for children ages 5–10. The theme will incorporate the tales of Hans Christian Andersen. Harmony Hall, 1833 N. 105th St., Suite 101. Info: (206) 523-3263, seattle@nwdanish.org, or www.northwestdanishfoundation.org.
- 8/13 (Seattle) Wild Salmon Dinner, 6 p.m. Norwegian music and dancing featuring the Poulsbo Leikarringen dancers and Barneleikarringen at the wild salmon dinner at Leif Erikson Hall. We look forward to seeing these young people, many of whom have attended Norsk Folkedans Stemne for years, displaying their talents, including the challenging halling. Our chefs for the evening will be newlyweds, Tom Berglund and Bonnie Cook, along with Gerry Folkestad and Karin Gustafson. Tickets are available from Norsk Folkedans Stemne, PO Box 17099, Seattle WA 98127. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. Tickets at the door at $25. If you prefer to pay with a credit card, we have set up tickets through www.brownpapertickets.com/. (We are under Norsk.)
- 8/16–18 (Camp Brotherhood) Norsk Folkedans Stemne, at the Cascadian Center at Camp Brotherhood, near Lake McMurray and Norway Park. This year’s featured instructors are Tobias Svenningsen and Ginny Lee and Toby Weinberg. Info: www.seattlestemne.org or Larry Reinert, (206) 937-5211 or reinertl@mindspring.com. 9/7 (Clearview, WA) Northwest Spelmänsstämma, with special guest Ben Teitelbaum. Nyckelharpist Ben Teitelbaum will teach two workshops, and will play for dancing. Ben’s knowledge, musicianship, skillful teaching and enthusiasm are a joy to behold. Workshops start at 1 p.m., followed by a potluck dinner. Dancing at 7 p.m. Info: emma.l.w.anderson@gmail.com.
- 10/8–20 (Seattle) Finnish musicians Pekka Pentikäinen and Perttu Paappanen will be in Seattle and will perform at the Swedish Cultural Center on Oct 18, as well as various other places in the Northwest. They will be in Portland on the 19th and will go home on the 20th. Their schedule will be posted on folkvoiceband.com/PekkaPerttu/PP2013.htm.
- 2013 Bothell Sons of Norway Dance Events:
Sons of Norway Calendar of Events and Classes
Sons of Norway Dance Schedule
Good Time Dance Club Dance Flyer
Email Scandinavian events items to skandia.editor@gmail.com, or send by surface mail (typed only ) to Kathy D. Bruni, Skandia Newsletter, 14805 NE 177th St., Woodinville, WA 98072-6223. Items for the August issue must arrive by 10 July. Please include date, time, cost, location, contact phone number, and/or email address. For changes or updates to web site items please email the Skandia Webmaster. Priority is given to local Scandinavian dance and music events