Every year the town of Astoria hosts a festival celebrating their Scandinavian heritage. The festival generally takes place on the third full weekend in June, and has been a tradition for more than 40 years. The festival lasts three days, and is full of live music, parades, exhibitions, and more. Retail booths sell all sorts of knick knacks, imported items, and classic Scandinavian foods. On the evening of the first day of the festival is the coronation of the Festival Queen, which marks the official start of the celebrations. This is followed by the Queen’s Ball, with a fun variety of dances to Scandinavian music. The second day begins with the Running of the Trolls, a fun walk or run in the countryside—with prizes! Both Saturday & Sunday feature a parade, puppet shows, lots more music, a viking encampment with costumed reenactors demonstrating their crafts, dances, and so much more.
Admission to the festival is $8 for adults and $3 for children 6–12, and includes all three days of the festival. Parking is $5 for the whole weekend, or $2/day.
Find out more information at the Official Festival Website.
The Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer Festival is held at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds:
92937 Walluski Loop
Astoria, OR 97103
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[…] Astoria’s Scandinavian Festival has been an annual June tradition for more than 40 years, and is definitely something you should check out. […]