Syttende Mai isn’t just about the parade, although that is the largest event, drawing thousands of people to downtown Ballard.
The Norwegian Constitution Day celebration started earlier at the Nordic Heritage Museum where three Norwegian Fjord Horses were posing for pictures and getting a lot of attention.
The Fjord Horses are a breed that was domesticated more than 4,000 years ago. “Their docile nature makes them an excellent schooling horse for children and a friend for therapeutic riders,” according to the handout at the museum. “Fjords possess a presence about them that charms all who see them.”
One horse wanted to get up close and personal with the camera. If you missed them at the museum, they will be in the parade.
Down at Bergen Place, the three hours of entertainment started at 2 p.m. A lot of Norwegians (or Norwegians-for-a-day) were on hand listening to the music and watching the Leikarringen Dancers of Leif Erikson Lodge.
The parade starts at 6 p.m. We’ll post photos soon after it ends at 8 p.m.
please please please stop using HDR images… unless they’re done by someone who really knows how they just look silly. And like too many real estate photos, fake. This site is journalism after all.
However – great coverage of today’s events!!