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Nordic Heritage Museum Heritage Nordic the of Courtesy Photo | Fest Viking Photo: Cover Traditional Social Values St. Lucia’s Day | Photo: Jack Storms Jack Photo: | Day Lucia’s St. Cover photo: Viking Fest | Photo courtesy of the Nordic Heritage Museum Heritage Nordic the of courtesy Photo | Fest Viking photo: Cover traditional social values. values. social traditional farmers worked together to form cooperatives that reflected reflected that cooperatives form to together worked farmers Content by Past Forward NW Cultural Services, second edition 2016 edition second Services, Cultural NW Forward Past by Content with notched corners reflecting Old World craftsmanship, and and craftsmanship, World Old reflecting corners notched with In rural communities, settlers constructed hand-hewn log houses houses log hand-hewn constructed settlers communities, rural In visitseattle.org/culturalheritage as loggers and in mills, and as farmers, miners and boat builders. builders. boat and miners farmers, as and mills, in and loggers as Many Nordic immigrants worked as fishermen and in canneries, canneries, in and fishermen as worked immigrants Nordic Many available for settlement. for available the year. the Norwegian from transcontinental railroads promoting lands lands promoting railroads transcontinental from Norwegian throughout events special sponsor and history, community and letters were supplemented by pamphlets in Swedish and and Swedish in pamphlets by supplemented were letters tion and Swedish Finn Historical Society document genealogy genealogy document Society Historical Finn Swedish and tion described economic opportunities around Seattle, and these these and Seattle, around opportunities economic described Northwest Danish Association, Icelandic Club, Finlandia Founda- Finlandia Club, Icelandic Association, Danish Northwest Letters from immigrants to their friends and family back home home back family and friends their to immigrants from Letters Sons of Norway, Daughters of Norway, Swedish Cultural Center, Center, Cultural Swedish Norway, of Daughters Norway, of Sons and mountains that reminded them of home.” of them reminded that mountains and festivals, exhibits, and performances. Organizations such as the the as such Organizations performances. and exhibits, festivals, to a landscape of saltwater fjords, farmland, forests forests farmland, fjords, saltwater of landscape a to Today, Seattle’s Nordic heritage is celebrated through traditional traditional through celebrated is heritage Nordic Seattle’s Today, drawn were countries Nordic from “Immigrants cultural legacies. cultural “King of the Waterfront.” the of “King contribute to this project and who preserve and protect Seattle’s Seattle’s protect and preserve who and project this to contribute and Ivar’s Seafood Restaurants founded by Ivar Haglund, the the Haglund, Ivar by founded Restaurants Seafood Ivar’s and the foreign-born population. foreign-born the Our sincere thanks to all the community members who helped helped who members community the all to thanks sincere Our and their descendants, including Nordstrom department stores, stores, department Nordstrom including descendants, their and ethnic group in Washington State, comprising over 30 percent of of percent 30 over comprising State, Washington in group ethnic Washington State Convention Center at 7th & Pike. Pike. & 7th at Center Convention State Washington iconic local businesses were established by Nordic immigrants immigrants Nordic by established were businesses local iconic them of home. By 1910, these Scandinavians were the largest largest the were Scandinavians these 1910, By home. of them at 1st & Pike in downtown Seattle or the main floor of the the of floor main the or Seattle downtown in Pike & 1st at and sense of community for the region’s Nordic population. Many Many population. Nordic region’s the for community of sense and saltwater fjords, farmland, forests and mountains that reminded reminded that mountains and forests farmland, fjords, saltwater . Or stop by one of our Visitor Information Centers Centers Information Visitor our of one by stop Or . visitseattle.org and social organizations were established to provide a safety net net safety a provide to established were organizations social and Northwest in the late 19th century, drawn to a landscape of of landscape a to drawn century, 19th late the in Northwest Learn more about Seattle and access expert travel advice at at advice travel expert access and Seattle about more Learn Norwegian language newspapers thrived, and numerous churches churches numerous and thrived, newspapers language Norwegian Iceland and Finland – settled in large numbers in the Pacific Pacific the in numbers large in settled – Finland and Iceland County Lodging Tax) and the the and Tax) Lodging County . Office of Arts and Culture and Arts of Office In urban settings such as Seattle and Tacoma, Swedish and and Swedish Tacoma, and Seattle as such settings urban In Immigrants from Nordic countries – Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, – countries Nordic from Immigrants Visit Seattle, and supported by funding from from funding by supported and Seattle, Visit (King (King 4Culture The guides are produced by the Cultural Tourism program of of program Tourism Cultural the by produced are guides The INTRODUCTION communities and unique history. unique and communities that will give you an insider’s view of Seattle’s vibrant ethnic ethnic vibrant Seattle’s of view insider’s an you give will that Fishermen’s Terminal | Photo: Don Wilson/Port of Seattle of Wilson/Port Don Photo: | Terminal Fishermen’s about museums, historic sites, public art and neighborhoods neighborhoods and art public sites, historic museums, about visitors who want to explore the city’s rich cultural heritage. Learn Learn heritage. cultural rich city’s the explore to want who visitors are a resource for for resource a are SEATTLE CULTURAL HERITAGE GUIDES GUIDES HERITAGE CULTURAL SEATTLE Photo: Don Wilson/Port of Seattle of Wilson/Port Don Photo: LANDMARKS LANDMARKS • MUSEUMS • • SITES HERITAGE • SPECIAL EVENTS SPECIAL CULTURAL HERITAGE GUIDE HERITAGE CULTURAL NORDIC ABOUT THIS GUIDE THIS ABOUT SPECIAL EVENTS NORDIC LIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL January, SIFF Film Center Contemporary, award-winning films from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden are presented at this annual event sponsored by the Nordic Heritage Museum in partnership with the Seattle International Film Festival. nordicmuseum.org/nlff SYTTENDE MAI NORWEGIAN CONSTITUTION DAY May 17, Market Street in Ballard On this day in 1814, Norway’s Constitution was signed, and the anniversary is celebrated in towns throughout Norway with parades and other festivities. In Seattle, the day has been celebrated Skandia Midsommarfest | Photo: Sy Bean/The Seattle Times since 1889 with proclamations, speeches, and a parade. Ballard’s celebration includes one of the largest parades outside of Norway and is a joyful and historic community celebration. 17thofmay.org SKANDIA MIDSOMMARFEST Late June, St. Edward State Park in Kenmore The Skandia Folkdance Society Midsommarfest features traditional music and dancing, the raising of a garlanded Midsommar pole, a crafts market, and specialty foods. This organization also sponsors classes and performances throughout the year. Syttende Mai Parade, Photo: Mark Harrison/The Seattle Times skandia-folkdance.org VIKING DAYS Viking Days | Photo: Nordic Heritage Museum YA SURE, YA BETCHA! IT’S BALLARD! August, Nordic Heritage Museum in Ballard A sanctioned Seafair event, the Viking Days annual weekend celebration features traditional foods, folk music and dancing, While Scandinavians settled throughout the Puget Sound region, establishment of Fishermen’s Terminal, now home to one of the crafts, demonstrations and activities, and Viking reenactments. the Ballard neighborhood is most closely associated with Nordic world’s largest fleets of fishing vessels. The Nordic Heritage Museum sponsors other events throughout heritage. Located northwest of downtown, Ballard was settled in the year, including a traditional Yulefest in November. King Olav V of Norway dedicated the Bergen Place Park (5420 the 1860s and incorporated as its own city in 1890. It was annexed nordicmuseum.org 22nd Avenue NW) in 1975, in the name of Seattle’s Norwegian by Seattle in 1907. sister city. In 1976, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden read an official LEIF ERIKSON DAY proclamation establishing the Ballard Avenue Historic District, October, Sons of Norway Lodge in Ballard While Norse sagas do not record Erikson’s birthday, the hero of “Today, Ballard Avenue’s modest commercial buildings the commercial area south of Market Street. He also dedicated the Scandinavian immigrants is commemorated in the U.S. on the from the 1890s through the 1930s are home to boutiques, small park located on the site of Ballard’s Old City Hall, now called anniversary of the first landing of a Norwegian immigrant ship, the Saint Lucia procession, First Covenant Church Julfest | Photo: Swedish Singers of Seattle galleries, restaurants and live music clubs.” Marvin’s Garden (22nd Avenue NW and Ballard Avenue). Restauration, in 1825 in New York. The Leif Erikson International Foundation sponsors a celebration most years at Ballard’s Sons of Today, Ballard Avenue’s modest commercial buildings from Once known as the Shingle Capital of the World, Ballard’s Norway Leif Erikson Lodge. leiferiksonlodge.com the 1890s through the 1930s are home to boutiques, galleries, milling and ship building industries provided employment, while restaurants and live music clubs. A Sunday market of farmers
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