The annual family-friendly Viking Days festival is this weekend at the Nordic Heritage museum.

The Viking Days celebration features Scandinavian food, entertainment, music, craft vendors, Viking re-enactments, craft demonstrations, and crafts for kids.

The traditional Swedish Pancake Breakfast will be served Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.

New this year is a dinner concert on Saturday evening from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., featuring Giske Blandakor, a Norwegian choir of 44 singers and eight dancers who are traveling to Seattle to perform at Viking Days all the way from the Western Coast of Norway.

Musical offerings range from folk dancers to small and large instrumental groups and vocal music. The Norwegian Male Chorus, Finnish Choral Society, Duo Scandinavica, Barneleikarringen, Mäd Fiddlu, Tinnfelen, and Katrilli Finnish Folkdancers are among the acts that will be performing.

The Viking Encampment will be open all weekend. Vikings clad in authentic costumes will demonstrate aspects of Viking life such as weaving, spinning, woodcarving, and fire-pit cooking, and visitors will be able to view live re-enactments of Viking battles.

Raffle tickets will be sold at Viking Days, and are now on sale for $2 each in the Museum's gift shop and at the Admissions Desk. The proceeds go towards the Museum’s general operations. Raffle prizes include:

•Two roundtrip tickets to anywhere in Scandinavia aboard Icelandair
(restrictions and fees apply)
• 2012 Mostly Nordic Concert Series tickets for two (5 concerts plus smörgåsbord)
• A Family Fun Pack ($250 value)
• A Nordic Gift Basket
• Three one-year Family Memberships to the Nordic Heritage Museum

Admission to Viking Days and Museum exhibits is free. Pancake breakfast tickets are $8 for Museum members, $10 for non-members, and $6 for kids. Dinner concert tickets are $13 for Museum members, $16 for non-members, and $10 for kids.
Tickets for the pancake breakfasts and dinner concert can be purchased in advance by contacting Katy Ahrens at the Museum, at 206.789.5707 ext. 33 or by email to katya@nordicmuseum.org.