Syttende Mai, or the 17th of May, is the Norwegian Constitution Day, and each year Ballard hosts the largest Syttende Mai parade outside of Norway! In celebration, admission is free at the Nordic Heritage Museum all day on Friday, May 17.
From 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., kids and parents can enjoy the Norwegian-themed crafts set up throughout the Museum, including rosemaled paper plates, Fjord horse craft stick puppets, and troll postcards. Open-face sandwiches and Norwegian treats will be served in the Nordic Café from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and outside, guests can visit the parade’s beautiful Fjord horses and ride the Nordic Express kid train.
Visitors may also tour all the galleries and exhibitions currently on view at the Museum. This includes the visiting exhibition Scissors for a Brush, which features the stunning paper cuttings of Danish-Norwegian artist Karen Bit Vejle. Bit Vejle’s works are formed from a large, continuous pieces of paper that are folded one, two, and three times, and then cut using only a pair of scissors.
In addition to events at the Museum itself, the Nordic Heritage Museum will host live music at Bergen Place on Market Street starting at 2:00 p.m. See the performer schedule below, which features the Norwegian Male Chorus, jazz drummer Matt Jorgensen, and much more. Then stay on Market Street for the parade starting at 6:00 p.m.
Whether you are of Norwegian heritage or just Norwegian for a day, come celebrate at the Nordic Heritage Museum on Syttende Mai.
For more information, visit www.nordicmuseum.org.
Bergen Place Performer Schedule
2:00—Adams Elementary School Choir
2:30—Klem & Kram (Brenda Bard and Lori Ann Reinhall) featuring accordion and voice
3:00—Matt Jorgensen of Ballard Jazz Festival
3:30—Norwegian Male Chorus
4:00—Leikarringen of Leif Erikson Lodge #1, featuring song, music, and dance
4:30—Bonnie Birch on accordion