Viking Fest kicks off Ridge’s Scandinavian weekend

May 23, 2012 Helen Klein
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Scandinavian culture, history and traditions were on display during the annual Viking Fest in Owls Head Park.

The event, held on the afternoon of Saturday, May 19, featured historic reenactments, the Norseman (a half-size replica Viking ship), hands-on activities and demonstrations, including rune-reading and mead-making. The latter was a new highlight, according to Victoria Hofmo, the founder of the Scandinavian East Coast Museum, which organized the annual celebration.

“It was a really wonderful, wonderful day,” Hofmo enthused. “We had great weather and a great turnout.”

Another highlight was the tribute to the late Paul Busse, named the Scandinavian of the Year by the museum in memory of his contributions to teaching and performing traditional Scandinavian dance.

Attendees enjoyed the musical performance by the Birkenes Hornmusikk band from Norway, as well as performances by pipers and Irish step dancers, among others.

“Sharing our culture with everyone else and talking about how cultures are connected is great for the neighborhood,” Hofmo added.

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