NORDIC TRADITIONS, FOOD, AND ARTS CELEBRATED AT OCTOBER FESTIVAL

Members of Embla Lodge No. 2 Daughters of Norway Leikkaring dance group. Photo by Sue Benz

Even if you don't have a drop of Nordic blood in your veins, you will feel as welcome as any Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Finish, or Icelandic American at this delightful event. On October 8, 2016, Tacoma's Embla Lodge No. 2, Daughters of Norway, will again present the annual Nordic Festival at Edgemont Jr. High School,  2300  110th Ave. E., Edgewood, Washington, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For those living in the Puget Sound area's crowded urban environments, imagine a fun event for the whole family with plenty of FREE PARKING and an admission price of only $2.00. Better yet, children under 12 get in FREE. When was the last time you treated your loved ones, or yourself, to so much fun for such a low cost?

In addition to enjoying dance, live music, demonstrations, and more, you can eat and shop all day. Discover items you just don't see in stores (except for the few and disappearing Scandinavian specialty shops). Everything from imported foods and ingredients to handmade needlework and crafts, household items, vintage Nordic collectibles, sweaters, and even reproduction Viking artifacts will be available.

As a matter of fact, so are some Vikings (or at least those who preserve Viking history). 

Plan to have lunch at the Nordic Café, because it isn't often you can dine on freshly prepared traditional Nordic foods. Close your eyes and imagine the aroma of tender meatballs in savory gravy...mmmmm. For dessert, visit the baked goods table, where you can purchase those famous butter-rich cookies at a ridiculously low price, to take home.

These ladies have been busy preparing lefse, just for you.

Cookies for sale! Photo by Sue Benz.

Listen to the Normana Men's Choir as well as some lively folk music played in the authentic style. 

 

A warm welcome awaits you, so please put this on your calendar. 

You will thank me later!

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BEST FALL BARGAIN EVER—$2.00 admission for a whole day of fun at NORDIC FESTIVAL

Embla Lodge No. 2 members Toren Parker (left) and Chris Engstrom (right) tempt shoppers at Nordic Festival.

You don't have to be Norwegian to love all the delightful aspects of traditional Norwegian culture—things like coffee, meatballs, butter cookies, good music, warm woolen mittens and sweaters, traditional folk costumes, dancing, and handcrafted treasure. Now you can enjoy these pleasures close to home. An organization called The Daughters of Norway, over a century old, has local lodges all over the United States, but the largest—Embla Lodge No. 2—is in Tacoma, Washington. Every October, the lodge throws a party to celebrate its proud heritage. The 2014 "Nordic Festival" takes place between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11, at Edgemont Junior High School, 2300 110th Ave. E., in Edgewood, Washington. 

Embla's Leikarring dancers wearing traditional costumes called  "bunads"

In addition to live entertainment, delicious food, unique shopping opportunities, and more, there will be drawings for prizes at regular intervals all day. Not only that, the admission is only $2.00, FREE for children under 12, and parking is also FREE. 

For more information about the festival, or the lodge, contact Festival Chair Diane Nelson at (253) 370-0730 or dlnelson25@comcast.net. 

"Nordic Spirit" performing at a past Nordic Festival

Embla Lodge #2 Officers 2013

Officers in front row (L to R): Elda Sulerud, Judie Miller, Diane Nelson (VP), Mardy

Fairchild (Pres.), Karen Bell, Melody Stepp, Maren Johnson; Back Row (l-rt): Sarah Callow,

Torun Parker, Kari Stackpole, Julie Touchette, Karen Kunkle, Kirsten Bell, Vonnie Stone,

Chris Engstrom

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BEER OR BUTTER? NORDIC FEST PROVIDES AN OKTOBERFEST SEASON OPTION

 

Oktoberfest events—with plenty of good polka band music, beer, and sausages—dominate the weekend scene in the Pacific Northwest this month, but there is another ethnic heritage celebration going on that you won’t want to miss. It’s time, once again, for Nordic Fest, presented by the Tacoma-based Embla Lodge No. 2 Daughters of Norway.

Members of Embla Lodge No. 2 wearing their traditional outfits called "bunads"

You won’t find any beer or sausages at Nordic Fest, but rather stacks of boxed homemade butter cookies for sale at a ridiculously low price, a menu featuring savory meatballs bathed with gravy and served with potatoes, entertainment in the form of traditional music and dancing, a chance to see Viking artifacts, colorful costumes, arts and crafts, and more.

Normanna Male Chorus from Sons of Norway
 

Nordic Fest takes place on Saturday, October 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Edgemont Jr. High School — 2300   110^th Ave. E., Edgewood, WA. 98372. Edgewood is located between I-5 and Hwy. 167, just north of the city of Puyallup. You can find a map here.

You can still go to an Oktoberfest event on Sunday if you want, since Nordic Fest is Saturday only. One other thing to consider is that without all that Oktoberfest beer, you won’t spend hours of your weekend waiting with a bunch of other fidgety people in front of a line of portable outhouses. Butter is better. (In case you’re a cardiologist, I’m only kidding!)



All photos provided by Embla Lodge

 

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"NORDIC FESTIVAL" Makes its Debut This Weekend

Do you love lefse, crave krumkake, have a hankering for herring, or long for a longboat? Would you recognize a Hardanger fiddle, or Hardanger embroidery? Rosemaling? Do you like the taste of cardamom, lingon berries, butter and strong coffee? If you happen to be a descendant of any of the thousands of Scandinavian immigrants who settled in the Pacific Northwest starting in the 19th century, you probably know these symbols of Norse culture, along with many more. Even if you lack a singe drop of Scandinavian blood, you can still learn about all of this on Saturday, October 15, 2011, when Tacoma's own Embla Lodge No. 2 of Daughters of Norway presents:

 NORDIC FESTIVAL -- A CELEBRATION OF OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE

FREE ADMISSION AND  FREE PARKING

TRADITIONAL MUSIC BY NORDIC EXPOSURE AND THE NORMANNA MALE CHORUS PLUS TRADITIONAL DANCING BY THE EMBLA LODGE LEIKARRING DANCERS.

Members of the lodge began working on this event only a few months ago, but thanks to their great teamwork, they put together what will prove to be a delightful day, one you won't want to miss. And they want to stress that this festival celebrates SCANDINAVIAN culture, not just Norwegian.

Vice President Mardy Fairchild offered plenty of good reasons to attend:

"We will have 19 vendors selling a wonderful variety of arts and crafts including artwork, Scandinavian designed wrapping paper, knitted items, wheat weaving, Scandinavian antiques, books, clothing cookbooks,and rosemaling. We will also have food items to choose from including Julekake, Danish Pastries, Lefse, Norwegian cookies, Swedish Meatballs, and Split Pea Soup."

The enthusiastic vendors each donated an item from their inventory to add to the many prizes being awarded throughout the day, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For a map, click here.

photo credit Daughters of Norway website

Now, a little history . . .

Here in the Pacific Northwest, Scandinavian pride has always been strong. The hard working fishermen, shipbuilders, teachers, carpenters, loggers, farmers and other tradesmen and professionals who made this area their home helped to create civilization in the wilderness. Most importantly, they brought their rugged determination, admirable skills and values, and fine personal qualities (to say nothing of great pastry) and contributed all of these to our regional character. But lest you picture only a bunch of hearty men, let me remind you of the equally hard working, proud, and determined WOMEN who came with them.  Among those were the visionaries who formed the first of three independent lodges that joined to create the Grand Lodge of the Daughters of Norway a century ago, on February 20, 1908.

The first of these was Valkyrien #1, in Seattle, started in 1905, chartered by the Norwegian men’s Lief Eriksen Lodge #1. The men originally voted to charter the women’s lodge subordinate to their own, but those strong pioneer ladies would have none of that. They wanted, and got, their own organization. Two years later Embla #2 in Tacoma, which is now the largest D.O.N. lodge in the country, was chartered by the local Sons of Norway lodge, and in the same year this was repeated in Spokane with the formation of the Freya #3 lodge.

The aims of the organization are the same now as in the beginning:

"To unite into a sisterhood, women who wish to preserve Norwegian heritage,
to maintain among members a knowledge of the history, culture, and language of Norway, and to build a strong support system and bond of friendship within the sisterhood"

Nordic Heritage Museum
Scandinavian Cultural Center at PLU
Sons of Norway
Cyndi's List (Research your Scandinavian roots)

PLEASE COME ENJOY THE  NORDIC FESTIVAL

Jazz, Scandinavians, Art, and Aliens - the Northwest Has it All

Anyone who dares to whine, "I'm b-o-r-e-d," doesn't belong around here, where we like to have FUN. So "get a life" and get out and about. This post on Good Life Northwest offers a few ideas of things to do this week and weekend.

First of all is the jazz. For those who read this on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009, get on down to Seattle's Pike Place Market area TONIGHT and take in a great jazz trio at the Pink Door restaurant. Wednesdays always mean a fine time there with the best Italian food and Casey MacGill's Blue 4 Trio. This week though, band members Mike and Matt aren't available so Casey has invited two other great local musicians: Ray Skjelbred on piano and Dave Brown on bass, performing with him from 8-11 p.m. If you read this too late, too bad. But you might still be able to catch the First Thursday Band (guess when) on this first Thursday, Nov. 5, at the New Orleans Creole Restaurant in Seattle's Pioneer Square. Hear Ray Skjelbred and Dave Brown again, playing in this swinging quartet while you dine on flavorful New Orleans and Creole food in one of the city's oldest buildings. Check out all the portraits of jazz greats that cover the walls.

Even if you miss these two performances there's still the Lance Buller Trio at Maxwell's, 454 St. Helens Ave. in Tacoma on Sat. Nov. 7, 8-11 p.m. He plays a hot horn, sings, and makes you laugh. A proud citizen of Tacoma, Lance is known far and wide.

Treat yourself to an exhibit at the Tacoma Art Museum called "A Concise History of Northwest Art," featuring works from the museum's collection covering the decades from about 1880 to the present. It just opened and runs through May 23, 2010. I plan to go, so watch for my review here soon.

Don't forget the exhibit called "In Search of Amelia Earhart," at Seattle's Museum of Flight. Whether or not you saw or enjoyed the movie "Amelia," you'll love the exhibit. I wrote about it here last week, and it is as exciting as promised. You don't want to miss this opportunity to see over 100 artifacts including an actual part of the missing plane. Click on the link, if you don't believe me. And there's more going on...

This Saturday at 2 p.m. the Museum of Flight offers a lecture that's "out of this world." Dr. Woody Sullivan, a University of Washington astronomer will speak in the William M. Allen Theater on several topics related to the possibility of life on other planets, including the search for Earth-like planets, the likelihood of life on other planets within our solar system, and SETI, an institute focused on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. He's been involved with SETI for three decades and is the man behind the SETI@home project. Although the interest in extraterrestrial life is nothing new, now scientists can carry out experiments and research. Check the Museum of Flight website for details. The lecture is free with admission and part of the museum's celebration of the International Year of Astronomy 2009.

Need some fresh Pacific Ocean air? Head out west to Ocean Shores for the "Jazz at the Beach" Dixieland Jazz Festival, with nine bands featuring the music of America's great "Jazz Age." While you're in Ocean Shores, enjoy the coast. No matter what the weather, it's always good for the body and soul to be there, hear waves and seagulls, and breathe all that oxygen.

Speaking of waves and seagulls, that makes me think of our proud local Scandinavians whose ancestors helped shape Pacific Northwest culture. My own Danish great-grandfather was a pioneer on Vashon Island. All the Scandinavian countries will be represented at fun events this weekend and next. Experience the Northwest's Nordic heritage at the Scandinavian Festival in Bellingham. Presented by the Nellie Gerdrum Lodge #41, of the Daughters of Norway, this festival draws an eager crowd every year for Scandinavian vendors, live music, a cafe with traditional foods, a bakery full of delicious pastries, and hourly door prizes. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Fox Hall at the Hampton Inn hotel, 3895 Bennett Drive. Admission in ONE DOLLAR.

Next week you can attend another fabulous festival, the Nordic Fest in Langley, on Whidbey Island. Find Scandinavian sweaters, jewelry, traditional foods, live entertainment and more. This event is presented by the Ester Moe Lodge # 39, D.O.N. Time: 9:30am – 3:30pm, at the South Whidbey High School Commons, 5675 Maxwelton Road.

See why I call it GOOD LIFE NORTHWEST? Now go enjoy yourself.

Confessions of the Scantily Scandinavian

I never claimed to be Norwegian. In fact, when my friend Chris started campaigning to get me to join the Daughters of Norway I protested.

“But Chris,” I said, hating to disappoint her, “ I’m not Norwegian.”

“It doesn’t matter! You’re part Danish and your husband is half Danish, so you’re more than qualified to join” she said. “Look at me. I’m Swedish!” It’s true that being strictly Norwegian isn’t strictly required. Next I heard (again) about all of the organization’s strong points: wonderful people, a century-long legacy, only one meeting per month, great programs, many fun activities, and all of it involving plenty of scrumptious Scandinavian desserts. That did it. Chris doesn’t lie. Now I’m an officer in the largest Daughters of Norway lodge in the United States, Embla No. 2, in Tacoma, Washington, and I love it. How did this happen?

I never claimed to be Norwegian, and to tell the truth, I'm only one-eighth Danish. But now, not only do I feel accepted, it’s scary how much I’m starting to feel Norwegian. Strangely enough, I learned Hardanger Embroidery years ago, and have always knitted Scandinavian patterns. I love snow, fish, and Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16. I bake beautiful butter cookies. I even felt my heart rate quicken when I saw my Danish family name on genealogy websites as being also found in Norway. Those Vikings did get around. Despite my mostly English heritage, with equal parts of German and Danish thrown in, I can tell I’m becoming more Scandinavian all the time. Now I can’t wait to celebrate Christmas Scandinavian style.

Oh I know… it isn’t even Thanksgiving and I’m talking about Christmas. You’re already cringing when you go into stores where the Christmas cards, candy, and commercialism showed up magically the morning after Halloween. That’s not the kind of Christmas I’m talking about. I’m talking about the kind with real evergreens, warm wool sweaters, home baked goodies, fiddle music, singing, wheat weavings, gifts carved of wood or crafted from silver: a more natural and simple Christmas. If you’d like to treat yourself to some of that and experience the holidays in a whole new way, take in one of the Puget Sound region’s many delightful Scandinavian festivals. Here are some good choices and remember, EVERYONE is welcome:

Thursday Nov. 13- Scandinavian Night (food demos, shopping) at the Garfield Book Company next to Pacific Lutheran University

Sat. Nov. 15-Scandinavian Fair at the Hampton Inn, Bellingham WA 10 AM-4 PM

Sat. Nov. 22- Yule Boutique, Pacific Lutheran University, Olson Auditorium

Sat. Nov. 22 and Sun. Nov. 23- Yulefest at the Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle

Lately we’ve had plenty of bad news. Maybe you aren’t in the mood for holidays. Leave that cynicism behind and discover what warm hearts came from cold climates. It’s fun to be Scandinavian, even in scant amounts, or just your imagination.