Suomi Hall, a Finnish community hall in Astoria, Oregon

Astoria’s Scandinavian Midsummer Festival: A Guide to the North Coast’s Nordic Celebration

ByMegan Harlow

Photo: Petteri Sulonen / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 1.0.

Every June, Astoria celebrates the longest days of the year with the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival. The festival in its current form was first held in 1968, which makes it one of the longest-running heritage festivals on the coast and an official Oregon Heritage Tradition. It’s a celebration of the Nordic immigrants who helped build the town.

Why Astoria is so Nordic

Starting in the late 1800s, thousands of immigrants from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland came to the lower Columbia. They worked in salmon fishing and canneries, in logging and in boatbuilding. Finns settled in Uniontown, on Astoria’s west end, in such numbers that it became one of the largest Finnish communities in the United States. Their churches, co-op halls, saunas and fraternal lodges shaped the town. Nordic surnames are still common on the North Coast, and the Astoria Riverwalk passes through the old neighborhoods they lived in.

What happens at the festival

The festival is usually held at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds on the third weekend of June, close to the summer solstice. Typical events include:

  • Raising the midsummer pole, a tall pole decorated with greenery and flowers, followed by dancing around it
  • Folk dancing by costumed groups, often in traditional regional dress
  • Music, from fiddles and accordions to choirs
  • Nordic food such as Swedish meatballs, lefse, Danish aebleskiver, open-faced sandwiches and pastries
  • Crafts and heritage booths run by lodges and cultural groups
  • A parade and the crowning of festival royalty
  • The midsummer bonfire, an old Scandinavian custom that in Astoria has included burning a “witch” effigy to drive away bad luck

Exact events, times and admission vary from year to year. Check the festival’s official site or the Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce before you go.

Keeping the heritage going

Local Nordic organizations keep the festival going year after year with volunteers, and they hold other events too: lodge dinners, language and craft classes, and holiday celebrations. The Astoria Nordic Heritage Park, on the Riverwalk at 16th Street and Marine Drive, honors the area’s Scandinavian settlers.

Planning a visit

Midsummer weekend is one of Astoria’s busiest weekends, so book lodging early. Bring layers, since June on the coast can be cool and windy even when the solstice sun is out. To see more of the area’s Nordic history, look for the old Finnish neighborhood in Uniontown and the heritage displays at the Columbia River Maritime Museum and the Clatsop County Historical Society.

Sources: Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer Festival; Clatsop County Historical Society; Oregon Encyclopedia (Oregon Historical Society), Finns and Scandinavians in Oregon; Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce.

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