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1998: Viking Fest Print

Georgetown, TX -- April 25-26, 1998. One day of faultless weather, one day of drizzle, but two days of fun. That was Viking Fest 1998.

This is a huge undertaking by the Viking Fest Board of Directors, spearheaded by Irma Pearson. The festival started in 1996 as a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the mass emigration from Scandinavia to America. It is intended to continue to be a biennial event that includes all Texas Scandinavian organizations.

The Swedish Club of Houston provided much of the entertainment. Peter Widmark, Reidar Eliasson, and Mario Pedone played their accordion music everywhere -- at our Swedish Club booth, in the entertainment tent, and at night for dancing under the not-so-clear skies. The Gulf Coast Scandinavian Folk Dancers and the Nilsdotter Scandinavian Folk Dancers (both groups which include many Swedish Club members) performed both days in the Heritage Hall.

Club President Mona Raspler (aided by Significant Other, Jim), Erich and Karen Wolz, and Jay Flusche helped promote the Club by selling T-shirts, and giving away flyers and copies of our newsletters. Other activity at the Swedish Club booth included Sammye and Leslie Munson, selling her book, and Jonathan Widmark, selling his father's CDs.

Besides our presence, there were a number of other interesting items at the Fest. Members of the Society for Creative Anachronism gave us an idea of what a Viking encampment might have looked like. The SCA also provided the Skelmir (Rogue), a longship similar in style to the Osberg ship. Built in Wimberly by members of the Society, the ship is 21 feet 6 inces long, with a 73 inch beam. It can carry up to 3,000 lbs. and it weighs approximately 700 lbs. The Skelmir sailed on the San Gabriel during Viking Fest -- a very short practice run for the planned sailing at the Leif Ericson celebration in Newfoundland in 2003.

Special guests from Scandinavia were the Barkeryd Church Choir from Sweden, the Monaco Blues Band from Sweden (and they don't sing in Swedish), the Svardsjö Spelmanslag from Sweden, and Virmon Pelimannit from Finland.

More entertainment was provided by the Skandi Dancers of Dallas, Hardanger fiddler Bud Larson from Minnesota, The Texas Cardamom Band from Dallas, the Norwegian Society of Texas Leikarringen, the Svenska Singers from Dallas, and Austin's Jim Ivy and the Evergreens.

As if this wasn't enough entertainment, there were plenty of vendors with enough Scandinavian merchandise to stock a small town in Minnesota. There were also games galore on the lawn for adults and children -- including a tug-of-war for children that ended up to be an adult grudge match between the Norwegians and the Swedes. The outcome? Swedes rule!

Click here to see photos of the Barkeryd Church Choir, Virmon Pelimannit, the Svardsjö Spelmanslag, the NST Leikarringen, the Skandi Dancers, and our own Gulf Coast Scandinavian Folk Dancers. Click here to see photos of just a few of the many other Viking Fest activities and booths. (These two sets of photos were taken by Gus Stangeland.)