ASTORIA, Ore. (AP) — The 44th annual Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer Festival turned the Clatsop County Fairgrounds into a land of old-country culture and customs last weekend.
The Daily Astorian reports that for some festivalgoers, it’s a time to absorb the ethnic passion of Scandinavian culture. For others, it’s a way of communing with ancestors by embracing Danish, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian or Icelandic heritage.
And for many, it is a once-a-year opportunity to dress head-to-toe in traditional Scandinavian regalia, feast on Scandinavian cuisine, buy and sell Scandinavian merchandise, dance to high-tempo folk tunes.
The event has evolved from a community affair to a Northwest institution, and went off on schedule despite cloudy weather.
