Annual Viking Fest returns to Bay Ridge, celebrates culture

The Scandinavian East Coast Museum (SECM) hosted its annual Viking Fest in Owl’s Head Park on Saturday, May 10, a week before the neighborhood’s Norwegian Day Parade.

The festivities were held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Owl’s Head/Bliss Park on Colonial Road and 68th Street.

Scandinavian East Coast Museum President Victoria Hofmo told this paper that the tradition went off without a hitch despite some last-minute location changes.

“We had a wonderful Viking Fest this year, and the weather was amazing,” she said. “Hearing from one of our participants, about two weeks before the event, that the park was covered with plastic fencing was concerning and totally unexpected.  Working with Councilman Brannan’s Office and the NYC Parks Dept. to find a solution, we shifted the event a little to the Colonial side of the park and all was seamless.”

The day included several traditions, such as games, the Viking village and scavenger hunt, re-enactors and blessings of the event, performances by Ellen Lindstrom also known as the Swedish Meatball on the accordion, Clann Eireann pipers, Middle Eastern dancer Arabella Espana, Young Dancers In Repertory and Ukrainian dancer Alexandra Bayeva.

“It was such a wonderful day because so many folks of all ethnicities and ages attended,” Hofmo said. “Regulars who come back every year mix with folks who experienced it for the first time. It was truly a cozy, chill and fun time.”

The event also paid tribute to Bob Carlson, a member of the Scandinavian East Coast Museum, who died in 2023. Carlsen was a familiar face at annual Bay Ridge events such as Viking Fest, Fastelavn and Embrace Winter, where he dressed in costume and organized children’s games.

Games and activities were named in his honor.

“Two highlights for me, in terms of audience engagement, were when Olivia – a four-year-old in my After School Program, dressed in her Sunday best, was told by the young boy assisting, to choose her weapon of choice, from a large array, her eyes just lit up,” she said. “She chose a padded javelin three times her size to fiercely hit a post. 

“And when our popular Middle Eastern Dancer got a group of very tall teenage boys to come over and participate.  When one danced with her, mimicking her slithering arms and undulating belly waves, the crowd burst into delightful laughter.”