Marcie Sillman has been covering arts and culture in the Pacific Northwest since 1985. In 2019 she was recognized for contributions with a Mayor’s Arts Award. From the rise of Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam to the demise of the grungy practice studios that helped give a name to their music, Marcie has watched the […]
Tag: culture
‘The Devastator’ takes home the lutefisk crown
The annual lutefisk-eating contest at this weekend’s Ballard SeafoodFest came down to the wire. The finalists: Sam Sacharoff, who devoured 3 1/4 pounds of lutefisk last year, beating his dad to take the 2010 crown. And Victor “The Devastator” Dew from Pousblo, a skinny guy with a penchant for spicy foods who told the crowd […]
Scenes from ‘Norwegian Heritage Day’
The Leif Erikson Lodge here in Ballard hosted its annual Norwegian Heritage Day event on Saturday, complete with traditional food, dance, music and costumes. Earlier in the day, runners and walkers alike participated in the “Leif to Leif” race, from Ballard to Shilshole Marina and back. Jody Grage, known as “the bunad lady,” led the […]
Leif Erikson Lodge hosts day of events
The Leif Erikson Lodge celebrated Norwegian Cultural and Heritage Day, and it kicked off this morning with the 5K Leif to Leif Fun Run and Walk. Glenn Eriksen sent us this photo of the race getting underway on NW 57th. Participants raced to the Leif Erikson statue at the Shilshole Bay Marina and back. You […]
Restored ‘Nordic Spirit’ sails again
On the 100th anniversary of the 1909 Norway Day celebration in Seattle, the Viking ship replica Nordic Spirit hit the open water Sunday for the first time since it was painstakingly restored. The boat was donated to the Nordic Heritage Museum 30 years ago, and after months of restoration work by boatwright Cornelius Sprenger and […]
Olsen’s Scandinavian Foods closes
A Scandinavian institution in Ballard, Olsen’s Scandinavian Foods closed Saturday evening after selling just about everything left on its shelves. Last month, Reidun and Anita Endresen announced they were closing after 49 years in business. “We have been attempting to sell within the family. However, for various reasons this is not possible,” they explained. The […]
Lutefisk contest winner endures 3 rounds
One of the most popular events at Seafood Fest is the lutefisk eating contest, and this year was no exception, drawing a big crowd that packed Bergen Place. For you first-timers, lutefisk is a Scandinavian specialty — a gelatinous white fish that’s soaked in lye and, well, reeks to high heaven. Last year, they served […]
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