Your annual weekend of Astoria Scandinavian heritage, hex burning—and cosplay—is here! Also you can see a play, learn how to write a zine, and don’t forget the kayfabe!
Friday-Sunday
Astoria Scandinavian Festival
The 2022 Astoria Scandinavian Festival takes place Friday through Sunday, June 17-19 at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds (92937 Walluski Loop).
Booths open Friday at 2pm, and the beer garden opens at 3pm! Don’t miss the torchlight parade and hex burning at about 8pm (just after the Queen’s coronation).
Scandia men with flaming torches will lead the newly crowned Miss Scandinavia and audience members to the bonfire to throw straw hexes into the flames. This tradition symbolizes ridding oneself of bad luck for the year.
Saturday the fun starts at 7am with the Midnight Sun Breakfast. The booths open at 10am and the beer garden at 11am. Saturday also features the Barnefest, with activities for children, from 11am to 5pm in the exhibit hall. Don’t miss the Swedish Meatball Eating Contest at 3:15pm and the Æbleskiver Eating Contest at 3:15pm!
Sunday kicks off early as well, with the 7am Sisu Breakfast. And don’t miss the Scandinavian Spelling Bee at 12:30pm and the Æbleskiver Eating Contest at 12:45pm, both in the main exhibit hall.
The entertainment all weekend is delightfully eclectic (with plenty of accordion!), and the approximately 50 vendors offer everything under the midnight sun.
Birds of a Feather
Birds of a Feather, a play by Marc Acito and directed by Ann Bronson, is the latest production of the Ten Fifteen Theater (1015 Commercial), debuts this Friday, June 17, 2022, with additional shows Saturday, and Sunday, June 18-19, 2022. (The run continues next week too: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, June 23, 24, 25.)
Birds of a Feather recounts the story of Roy and Silo, the two Central Park Zoo chinstrap penguins who partnered, adopted an egg, hatched and raised a chick together. Roy and Silo are no strangers to the spotlight. In 2005, they were the subject of a widely contested children’s book, And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson. The book, temporarily pulled from school bookshelves in Loudoun County, became one of the most banned books in the US.
The Friday and Saturday show are at 7:30pm, and the Sunday show is at 3:30pm. Tickets $20 and are available online or at the door. Makes sure to check the theater website before the show for the latest COVID policies.
Friday
Astoria Nordic Heritage Park Dedication
Everyone is invite to the dedication of the new Astoria Nordic Heritage Park this Friday, 10:30am to noon at 16th and Marine Drive.
The short ceremony will include dancers in Nordic folk wear costumes, lur call, flags and anthems, a few speakers, and a ceremony where ASHA gifts the park to the City of Astoria and the community. Keynote speaker will be Karl Marlantes, NY Times best-selling author of Deep River which chronicles immigrant life in the region in the early 20th century.
Organizers ask that you park south of Marine Drive, and not park in the Columbia River Maritime Museum parking lot. There will be a drop off zone on Marine Drive adjacent to the park. First come first serve bleachers and 300 chairs will be set up next to the Riverwalk. Music and entertainment start at 10 AM. The dedication starts at 10:30.
Saturday
Zine Making Workshop with Heather Douglas
Remember zines? They were like blogs or personal websites on every topic under the sun, before the internet. Join freelance writer and illustrator Heather Douglas this Saturday, June 18, 2022 at the Astoria Studio Collective (1010 Duane) and make your own zine!
During our time together, you will learn about the power of zines and chapbooks and leave with ideas for making many more! No supplies are needed, however, if you prefer to bring your own supplies, you can bring a glue stick or clear tape and scissors. Participants are encouraged to bring unique paper scraps of paper to collage with, but it’s totally okay to just bring yourself because I will have plenty of supplies for everyone. All levels of experience are more than welcome!
The workshop is brought to you by Heather and the Astoria Writers Guild. The workshop cost is $35 ($25 for guild members).
Sunday
Astoria Sunday Market
The Astoria Sunday Market runs from 10am to 3pm every Sunday through mid-October on 12th Street downtown, between Marine Drive and Exchange.
Astoria Sunday Market, at the heart of Astoria’s Downtown, combines fresh produce, local arts & crafts, food, music and more in a lively downtown street market atmosphere. The market features up to 200 vendors each week offering locally-made products that have been hand-crafted, grown, created or gathered by the farmers, craftspeople and artisans featured each week. In addition, the Market has a lively food court with regional entertainment making this the gathering place each Sunday for locals and visitors to the region.
Pacific Northwest Pro Wrestling
How about some professional wrestling on Father’s Day? Reserve your tickets ($10) ahead of time by messaging Pnpw Prowrestling on FB, then head down to the Astoria Armory (417 15th) for the 5pm show (doors open at 4:30pm) on Sunday, June 19, 2022.
Check out this great profile of Roger Jaime, a.k.a. C.C. Poison, in the Astorian a few years back, who brought Pacific Northwest Professional Wrestling to the North Coast in the early 2000s.