Do you consider yourself a ‘history buff’? An art lover? Are you looking for additional kids’ activities during Solvang Danish Days? Or, maybe the ultimate #DanishDays Instagram backdrop?!
Elverhøj Museum of History & Art has all that and more, during their “Living History Festival” held both Saturday (September 15) and Sunday (September 16) of the Danish Days event weekend. The Elverhøj Museum is located at 1624 Elverhoy Way, Solvang, CA 93463.
Details are posted here, and below, you’ll find some fun Solvang Danish Days facts compiled by the Museum. So, go ahead: spout these bits of insider intel to your friends and family while you’re here for Solvang Danish Days. We won’t tell…
Fun Facts about Solvang Danish Days
{compiled by Elverhøj Museum of History & Art}
· Danish Days started in 1936, Solvang’s 25th anniversary, as an unofficial three-day celebration including many of the events that still mark the occasion, today.
· Ann Nielsen – grandmother of 2018 Danish Maid, Christiana Heron – was the first to hold the position of “greeter” to Danish Days in 1961, Solvang’s 50th Anniversary. The next year, the official position of “Danish Maid” was created.
· Christiana Heron is the 5th in her family to be named Danish Maid/”greeter” behind her sisters Gabrielle Heron (2017) and Angelique Heron (2014), her mother Betina Nielsen Heron (1988), and grandmother Ann Nielsen (1961).
· Solvang resident Roberta Skidmore has custom-made every Danish Maid outfit since 2002, working closely with each maid to achieve a unique design that blends each girls’ personal style with Danish tradition. The first outfit Roberta made was for 1985 Danish Maid, Jennifer Johnson. Jennifer’s Danish Maid dress is on display in the Museum.
· The highest number of Æblsekiver ever eaten by a winner of the Danish Days Æblsekiver Eating Contest, is 18.5, a record set in 2016. (The 2018 Solvang Danish Days Æblsekiver Eating Contest – which is free to enter! – will be held both Saturday and Sunday, September 15 and/or 16, at 11:30 AM in downtown Solvang.)
· In 1959 and 1960, Danish Days was called off due to overcrowding.
· The “Viking Ship” that appears in the Saturday Danish Days Parade, came from the Navy League via the Los Angeles Vikings. It was received in Solvang in 1980, and spent a few years at Nielsen’s Building Materials; its Parade debut was in 1983. Originally, the Viking Ship was used as a float for Past Danish Days Maids. The Viking Ship was given to the Solvang Danish Days Foundation around the time that the Foundation was formed, in the early 1990s. Hans and Denise Birkholm were instrumental in having the Ship fall into custody of the Danish Days Foundation. The exterior of the Ship is constructed from fiberglass, while the interior is all made of wood.
· In 2010, more than 9,000 Æblsekiver were cooked and served during the two-day Æblsekiver Breakfast portions of the weekend event.
