Soaking up Norwegian culture in “Little Norway”
Parades, flags, Vikings, rosemaling, folk dancing, and lots of good food
Members of the Sons of Norway Fedrelandet Lodge 23, some in bunads, some in Norwegian sweaters, came out for the annual festival parade on May 17.
Michelle Newman
Culture Vulture
Petersburg is usually not the first place that comes to mind when folks think about Alaska. As a matter of fact, most folks haven’t even heard of Petersburg unless they’re of Norwegian descent or are commercial fishermen.
I had never heard of Petersburg until I met Capt. Dennis Rogers, former owner of the M/V Northern Song, at the Alaska Media Road Show in 2012. He explained that Petersburg was settled by Norwegian fishermen about 100 years ago.
Today, the small community that is home port to one of Alaska’s largest and most successful commercial fishing fleets. I was “hooked” the moment he described historic houses and shops embellished with traditional rosemaling. The vivid images that he painted with his words were embedded in my imagination.
Fast-forward 12 years, and my wish came true—I was invited to the Little Norway Festival celebrating Syttenede Mai, the signing of Norway’s constitution on May 17, 1814. This popular four-day festival pays homage to Norwegian heritage, traditions, and Independence Day. It’s packed with a flurry of fun and around-the-clock events for the entire family.
In Petersburg, you can find your inner Viking during the festival weekend, with many activities designed to recreate an authentic Viking experience.
I knew I was in for a wild ride when I was greeted at the James A. Johnson Airport by a rowdy, boisterous group of horned-helmet-wearing Vikings and Valkyries dressed in full Viking regalia—head-to-toe leather and animal fur pelts.
Meet Vikings and Valykyries
I arrived just in time to catch the Little Norway Festival Pageant on Main Street. It kicked off with the American and Norwegian national anthems, the presentation of the prestigious Norwegian American Award, and the beloved Festival Dancers performing in their bunads. This was followed by Dragkamp, a Norwegian “tug-of-war” contest, and then a street dance.
Let's dance!
I hit the ground running Friday morning, starting out at Lee’s Clothing for a trunk show and informal modeling showcasing Dale of Norway’s 2024 collection of Norwegian sweaters. It was an eye-opener to see so many different patterns, color combinations, and types of the traditional sweaters displayed under one roof.
Next, I was off to a one-hour Make & Take Rosemaling Class taught by Judy Forgery. Twenty lucky students paid $20 to learn rosemaling basics. We were given a 5-inch wooden ornament medallion with a Viking ship lightly traced onto the surface. Judy demonstrated various rosemaling techniques, including shading, cross-hatching, and adding little accent dots. After trying my hand at it, I realized that it is not as easy as it looks, and I now have a new appreciation for this folk art.
Next, I rushed over to the Sons of Norway Hall to get a good seat for the annual Scandinavian Style Show & Luncheon. Built in 1912, the Sons of Norway Hall is listed on the National Historic Register and is the oldest Sons of Norway Lodge in Alaska.
Petersburg even has its very own bunad in bright blue. On the 17th of May and other holidays, it is proudly worn by all generations. Pictured here from left to right are Erika, Audrey, and Helen Boggs.
The popular style show luncheon is one of the biggest draws and highlights of the Little Norway Festival. Luncheon tickets go on sale the day before the event, and within two hours, they are completely sold out! The hall was decked out with colorful Viking ship centerpieces, flowers, and Norwegian flags.
See highlights from the Style Show
A delicious macaroni shrimp salad was served (made with local Petersburg shrimp, of course) and finished off with a choice of lemon blueberry sheet cake with cream cheese frosting or a blueberry and almond shortcake with almond buttercream and garnished with the Norwegian flag.
With my textile background, I was especially interested in seeing the style show. Petersburg’s Harbormaster Glorianne (Glo) Wollen stole the show with her detailed commentary describing 65 bunads belonging to Petersburg’s families. Some of the heirloom bunads were passed down from generation to generation and worn on special occasions, such as weddings. Glo, an accomplished seamstress, hand-embroidered and assembled 20 of the bunads modeled from kits purchased in Norway.
Polly Koeneman welcomed visitors to an artist show and reception at Blomster Hus on downtown’s main street, North Nordic Drive.
Later, I dropped by Blomster Hus for Polly Koeneman’s rosemaling show and reception. Over 100 pieces were displayed, including boxes, plates, trunks, candle holders, clocks, and salt boxes. As a bonus, Polly prepared refreshments using family recipes for lefse, open-faced halibut sandwiches and almond puffs, demonstrating culinary talents as impressive as her rosemaling skills.
Meanwhile, a sea of Norwegian flags lining Main Street was the perfect backdrop for the Annual Festival Parade. Tlingit natives, dressed in ceremonial Button Blankets, cedar hats, headdresses and ceremonial masks chanted and drummed their way down the parade route. Some with painted faces and nose rings, they marched alongside Sons of Norway members, Vikings and Valkyries.The Leikarring dancers wove their way through the crowd performing traditional Norwegian folk dances.
Family-owned and operated for 51 years and located in the heart of Petersburg, Lee’s Clothing, Inc., specializes in authentic Norwegian sweaters.
Following the parade, slimy herrings flew midair at the Sil [sild] Herring Toss. Some of the brave contestants even kissed their smelly herring for good luck.
The rain didn’t put a damper on the Viking Shrimp Feed, a feeding frenzy. Folks hovered around a carved-out wooden Viking ship filled to the brim with fresh shrimp, corn on the cob, and boiled potatoes. Forget about utensils; folks just dug in, helped themselves, and ate Viking-style with their hands.
At the Petersburg Sons of Norway Hall, it was a plethora of delectable Norwegian desserts at the annual Kaffe Hus event, everything from bløtkake to krumkake. Recipes have been handed down from generation to generation and are shared in the lodge cookbook. Over 500 visitors were served during the festival.
After working until midnight the night before, a team of “smorgasbord elves” arrived at 6 a.m. sharp Saturday at Norway Hall. They were on a mission to put the finishing touches on platters of food and desserts before the doors opened for the Kaffe Hus.
By 9 a.m., a two-block long line with hundreds of eager, hungry folks formed, chitchatting and anxiously waiting for the doors of the hall to open.
At 10 a.m. sharp, the doors swung open, and the excited crowd rushed in. Volunteers dressed in bunads served 500 guests, piling their plates up high with genuine Norwegian delicacies.
Glorianne “Glo” Wollen made no less than eight amazing strawberry bløtkaker for the celebrations.
“It’s Norwegian, so it’s made with butter and love,” Sally Dwyer explained, as volunteers set up a long banquet table arranged with overflowing platters of homemade sweet and savory Norwegian classics. Every imaginable delicacy was there, from six kinds of smørbrød to strawberry bløtkaker and everything else in between. I was overwhelmed with this impressive spread that was like a “smorgasbord on steroids” with so many delicious choices. I didn’t know where to start, so I made my way down the seemingly endless table, filling up my plate until it could hold no more. By the time I reached the cashier, I had two plates in hand, one with open-faced sandwiches with locally smoked salmon, the other piled high with sweet treats I had never heard of and was eager to try with unpronounceable to me names: krumkaker, goro, berlinerkranser, vafler med geitost, fattigmann, sandbakkels, kringle, fyrstekaker, hjortetakk, and kransekaker.
Staci, Brian, and Olivia Hafferman came all the way from Anchorage, Alaska, 985 miles away, to partake in the Petersburg festivities. It was little baby Olivia’s very first May Fest.
After the Norwegian eating frenzy, I headed over to Main Street for the Jormungandr Strongman Style Sled Pull. Here, competitors were given 60 seconds to drag a weighted sled for 50 feet. The winner was determined by the fastest time or farthest distance. Grocery Cart Races followed with contestants racing shopping carts down Main Street.
I stood a little too close for comfort watching the Fish Holding Contest. The lucky winner, who held the giant rockfish by the gills the longest, went home with a $100 grand prize and the fish.
On Sunday morning, a quiet stillness hovered over Main Street like a dawn mist. It was like a ghost town. Most folks slept in, recuperating from partying hard on Saturday night. I passed on attending the pancake breakfast at St. Catherine’s Catholic Church and instead took a four-hour LeConte Glacier Tour with Fin & Fjord Adventures.
The Rotary Fish Barbecue at Sandy Beach Point was the perfect ending for the Little festival. Desi Burrell and the Rotary Club team deserve a Michelin star for their black cod and king salmon cooked to perfection. The setting was ideal: a beautiful spot overlooking Frederick Sound that was once historically a gathering place for the Tlingit. Here, they trapped and harvested fish. During low tide, remnants of ancient fish traps used thousands of years ago can still be spotted, along with petroglyphs.
It’s not often that things, places or events live up to your expectations. I’m happy to say that Petersburg and the Little Norway Festival exceeded mine. I made new friends, learned about Norwegian culture and cuisine, and vowed to return again.
All photos by Michelle Newman
Learn more about Petersburg on the Travel Alaska website.
This article originally appeared in the September 2024 issue of The Norwegian American.
