Syttende Mai Parade is two weeks away

Meghan Walker Ballard

The annual 17th of May/Syttende Mai parade is just around the corner.

The 17th of May is Norwegian Constitution Day, and Ballard will be transformed into a Norwegian village to celebrate. The main event is the annual parade through downtown Ballard, attracting thousands to the neighborhood.

Here’s a schedule of events (all happening Wednesday, May 17) in Ballard:

  • 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Bergen Place Musical Entertainment (5450 22nd Ave NW). Hosts Lori Ann Reinhall and Eric Stavney with Nordic musical guests. Guest of honor will be Adrian Diaz, Seattle’s Chief of Police, speaking at 4:30 p.m.
  • 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: National Nordic Museum (2655 NW Market St). Children’s activities include Fjord Horses and the Nordic Express Train.
  • 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.: Gala Luncheon at the National Nordic Museum: Check in at 11:30 a.m. for a full-course Norwegian banquet lunch with Grand Marshal Gry Rabe Henriksen, Norwegian Consul General from San Francisco. Tickets are available in advance online or at Mountain Pacific Bank (2244 NW 56th St).
  • 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.: 17th of May Ballard Parade. The parade starts at NW 62nd St and 24th Ave NW, travels south until NW Market St, then east to 22nd Ave NW, south to Ballard Ave NW, and finishes at Ballard Ave and Ione.