You may not know it, but Norwegian heritage is an important part of Washington coast’s history. In fact, many of the area’s first settlers and coastal residents were Norwegian immigrants.

To honor this, one of our Seabrook homeowners, Ann Kjelsberg (also owner of our favorite doggie shop, The Salty Dog) is organizing Seabrook’s first annual Syttende Mai Celebration! The festivity will take place on Saturday, May 14. Syttende Mai literally means the “Seventeenth of May” in Norwegian and is the celebration of Norwegian Independence.

Since its inception, Seabrook has had strong Norwegian ties including one woman named Dorothy Anderson whose nearly 100 year-old cabin sits at the North end of Crescent Park here at Seabrook. In addition, both Ann and our Town Founder, Casey Roloff trace their roots to Norwegian immigrants.

So how does one celebrate Syttende Mai? In Norway, children parade through the community with flags and often make stops at homes of senior citizens, war memorials, and other important community landmarks. As the parade passes, bystanders often join in and follow the parade through the town. People typically wear red, white and blue ribbons, wave flags, and often wear a traditional folk garment, called bunad. There’s plenty of singing, blowing whistles, and shaking rattles as the parade fills the streets.

We hope you (and your dog!) will join us at the Dorothy Anderson Cabin at 10am on Saturday, May 14 for a parade through the streets of Seabrook. The parade will end at The Salty Dog for coffee and Norwegian pastries courtesy of Casey’s Grandmother, Sam Engelquist! You don’t have to be Norwegian to join the fun and everyone’s welcome! We do hope that you’ll dress up in red, white, and blue and celebrate the Norwegian heritage of the Washington Coast!

What: Syttende Mai Norwegian Celebration
Where: Dorothy Anderson Cabin/Crescent Park, Seabrook, WA
When: 10:00am, Saturday, May 14