Hip Hip Hip Hurra! Friday is Norwegian Constitution Day
The celebration marks its 50th year in Ballard
By Carly Dykes May 16, 2024
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2024 issue of Seattle magazine.
Where else but Ballard would Norwegian Constitution Day (or Syttende Mai, meaning 17th of May) be a thing?
Well, it’s been a big deal in Seattle’s historic Nordic neighborhood for five decades now, and locals will again celebrate Norwegian Constitution Day — the national day of Norway that celebrates the signing of the country’s constitution on May 17, 1814, that ensured that Norway would be an independent Kingdom.
The 50th annual Ballard celebration, called the 17th of May Seattle, is the third-largest Norwegian Constitution Day celebration in the world, and the biggest outside of Norway.
Festivities kick off at 11:30 a.m. May 17 at the National Nordic Museum with a formal luncheon fit for a Viking, featuring music, special toasts, and two special guests: the 17th of May Parade’s Grand Marshal, Torleiv Opleiv Opland (deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Norwegian Embassy) and Honorary Marshal Jeanne Kohl-Welles, a former state senator who recently retired from the King County Council.
The museum also hosts everything from the parade’s visiting Norwegian Fjord horses to “Nordic Express” rides and other youth activities from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Celebrants can also swing by Ballard’s Bergen Place Park to hear traditional Norwegian music and can munch on Pølse med lompe (a Norwegian hot dog wrapped in lefse, which is basically a potato tortilla) from Ballard’s Scandinavian Specialties. Leif Erikson Hall also features Scandinavian foods and festive entertainment.
Thousands of parade-goers will line the streets of the neighborhood for a parade that begins at 6 p.m.
SKOL!
Follow Us
Local Businesses Step Up Against Rising Hunger
As food insecurity grows, Seattle organizations respond with coordinated meal distributions and support.
Food bank visits are up 70% since 2019, and even with SNAP benefits reinstated, many families still struggle to keep food on the table. Costs continue to rise, donations have dipped as everyday expenses increase, and the loss of federal support has left a system that was already stretched pushed even further. “Right now, we’re…
Fave Five: Jazzy and Merry
From twinkling lights to Viking bonfires, here’s how to celebrate the season.
For me, it all starts when Lou Rawls sings. One song into Merry Christmas, Baby, and I’m ready to give in to the whirl of it all. Hearing it also means the pace is about to pick up, and sometimes it does feel like too much. But that’s just the holidays—the joy comes tucked inside…
Fave Five: Settling into Fall
Warm light, early sunsets, and the comfort of small adventures.
September and October are my favorite months in Seattle. It’s still lovely outside—plenty of sun—but the air is cooler. I find myself scanning the day for something good to do before dark: a last farmers market tomato, a long walk, or a reason to make soup. It reminds me of childhood, squeezing in one more…
Must List: Five Fun Things to Do in Seattle This Week
Sep 11 - Sep 17
A fall season opener, Taste of the Sound, Downton’s farewell
Fall is just about here, showing itself in the chill of early mornings and the fog that settles over the city. It’s the season when Seattle feels like the center of the art world. We dropped into Pioneer Square to catch fashion at its most fun during First Thursday Art Walk, rounded up this season’s…