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For the 64th year, the town hosts its iconic Scandinavian Festival, with food, crafts, dancing and more. The event, which typically draws as many as 100,000 people, runs Aug. 14-17 this year.
Junction City’s iconic Scandinavian Festival returns this week, Aug. 14-17.
The festival transforms Junction City’s downtown into a temporary Nordic village with four days of traditional music, dance, crafts and food celebrating the heritage of Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway. Costumes are optional for guests, but historically appropriate attire is required for other participants, which adds to the fun.
Marc Gunther has been to the festival almost every year since moving to Junction City in 2002.
“I always find something new each time,” he said. “Highlights are the dancers and the bands, and everyone who goes has to try the aebleskivers (Danish pancake balls). It’s free admission to the fair and … at night, hanging out with friends under the water tower in the beer and wine garden is a mellow way to end the day.”
Four days, four countries
Each day of the festival highlights a different nation. The order for this year is Denmark, Finland, Norway and, on Sunday, Sweden. The Scandinavian Festival’s Facebook page explains vendors typically will have all of their products available all four days, but will feature country-specific foods, crafts and art to match the day’s theme. Iceland doesn’t have its own day currently, but in the past, Iceland was celebrated on Finnish day.
The festival opens Thursday morning with a processional parade featuring costumed participants and traditional folk dancers. Three main stages host continuous entertainment, featuring choral and instrumental groups, folk dancers and educational presentations about Nordic culture.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8:45 p.m., there is another processional followed by closing remarks. On closing day Sunday, the processional takes place at 7:45 p.m. followed by closing remarks at 8 p.m. Each day, the entertainment continues late into the evening with a community dance at the festival park stage.
The Oregon Heritage Tradition designation was awarded to the Scandinavian Festival in 2014, recognizing its cultural contribution to the state. The festival continues to be hosted by the nonprofit Scandinavian Cultural Foundation of Junction City.
Authentic food and crafts
The festival’s food offerings are legendary among attendees. Those aebleskivers Gunther mentioned are traditional Scandinavian specialties that are perennially popular. The Scandinavian Festival even shares a recipe for the treats, but you’ll need a special pan to make them — a cast-iron pan with seven spherical dimples is traditionally used to make the treats.
“There is always a long line for these fried dough balls, so here’s a hint – there is a second aebleskiver booth at the south end of the fair that usually has no line,” Gunther said.
Other favorites are Swedish meatballs served with a creamy gravy, lefse (a traditional Norwegian flatbread made with potatoes), funnel cakes and Fri-Jo Swedish pastry as well as lingonberry lemonade. Gunther says the festival is a great opportunity to explore Junction City’s shops and restaurants, which include a new Indian food restaurant called Aroma of India at 510 Greenwood St., and new Mexican food from a restaurant called El Gallo at 520 Greenwood St.
“There is also a food truck court within walking distance at the corner of River Road and 99,” Gunther said.
Beyond food, the festival showcases traditional Nordic crafts including Hardanger embroidery, bobbin lace, tatted lace and rosemaling. The festival hosts roughly 100 vendors and supports local nonprofits and youth programs.
History of the festival
The history and foundation of the Scandinavian Festival go back decades. Many Scandinavian immigrants settled in the Midwest, but some of them kept going. According to the Scandinavian Festival website, the real estate developer Anders Christian Nielsen founded a Danish settlement in what is now Junction City in 1902 after dividing up 1,600 acres into smaller parcels and advertising them in a Danish newspaper in Iowa.
The town of Junction City was platted in 1870 by railroad promoter Ben Holladay, who was building a railroad through Oregon and California. Junction City was to be the meeting point for the lines, but that railroad depot never materialized. Instead, the Oregon Electric train arrived in 1912 with a station in downtown Eugene, built in 1914.
Decades later, Junction City was hit with another blow: The construction of Interstate 5 in the late 1950s meant most travelers abandoned Highway 99, which traverses through the city. That’s when Dr. Gale Fletchall, along with other residents, proposed a festival.
On a marker at the Gale Fletchall Memorial Rose Garden on Greenwood Street in Junction City, Fletchall is called “The Founding Father of the Scandinavian Festival.” The marker says Fletchall moved to town in 1955 to work at Sacred Heart Medical Center and became the Junction City town doctor. Fletchall served as president of the festival board for many years, and members of the community are honored annually with the Dr. Gale F. Fletchall Award.
The Scandinavian Festival grew in popularity and now attracts about 100,000 visitors to the town of 7,256 during the four days of the event.
Gunther sums up his feelings about the event: “It’s fun for all ages.”
Want to go?
Scandinavian Festival
Aug. 14-17
Thursday-Saturday: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The community dance takes place after the closing remarks each night.
https://junctioncityscandia.org
