Solvang Danish Days, turns 81 this year with a festive weekend lineup Friday through Sunday, Sept. 15-17.
In an effort to exemplify everything Danish, this year’s festival will add more modern Solvang happenings to traditional Danish celebrations, while allowing guests to sample one of the many facets of Solvang’s Danish culture, past and present-day.
Foodies headed to Danish Days will have their pick of two aebleskiver breakfasts, offered 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, on a closed-to-traffic street in the middle of town.
Advance, online ticketing for either of the breakfasts will expedite entry for diners faster entry. Those seeking a side of competition with their Danish pancake rounds, may enter the free Aebleskiver Eating Contests, at 11:30 a.m. also on Saturday and Sunday.
Danish Days Viking Beer & Wine Garden will offer the festival’s viking burger — Medisterpølse (Danish sausage) patty topped with Swiss cheese, grilled onions and condiments, served an onion bun.
The Viking Beer & Wine Garden has extended its hours: 5-10 p.m. Friday, and 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Saturday. Other thirst-quenching options include.
Pacific Beverage Company pouring the iconic Danish suds, Carlsberg; Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. with craft brews; and Santa Barbara wine country labels such as local winery, Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards.
Solvang Danish Days 2017 will offer a packaged Danish-style experience with an online-only purchase of Dane For A Day VIP ticket bundle. Aebleskiver breakfast tickets and Dane For A Day packs are available for advance, online purchase at solvang-danish-days-2017.eventbrite.com.
New to Solvang Danish Days this year, is a town-wide restaurant promotion with participating Solvang eateries and bars cooking up something just for the festival weekend.
One of the weekend’s main events — the Danish Days Parade — will featuring 2017 Danish Maid, Gabrielle Heron, and showcase 2017 Grand Marshal, Solvang’s Petti M. Pfau.
Overall admission to Solvang Danish Days is free and there are four free outdoor concerts.
The weekend event kicks off at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15, with a picnic-friendly live performance in Solvang Park (Mission Drive/First Street), by Buellton-based Southwest rockers, The Ruben Lee Dalton Band.
The free music continues at 5 p.m. Saturday, when two bands take the main stage in the Danish Days Midgaard Pavilion. The first band, yet to be announced, will play 5-7 p.m., followed by Carpinteria surf-rock band The Rincons, 7-10 p.m. on the same stage.
Danish Days Midgaard Pavilion Stage is in Parking Lot 2, in downtown Solvang, adjacent to the Viking Beer & Wine Garden (Copenhagen Drive, between First and Second streets). All ages welcome at the Saturday concerts; but must be 21 years or older to enter Viking Beer & Wine Garden.
Danish Days weekend concludes Sunday afternoon with another free concert in Solvang Park, this time featuring two members of Americana-Country, SoCal-style Los Angeles band, Honey River, lead singer Matt Cermanski and musician Joey Sykes.
The preliminary 2017 Solvang Danish Days event weekend schedule is available at www.SolvangDanishDays.org; event weekend highlights are listed below this release.
For more information about Solvang Danish Days, including its history, parade applications and contact information, visit www.SolvangDanishDays.org.
— Anna Ferguson-Sparks for Danish Days.