63rd Annual Norwegian Constitution Day Parade in Bay Ridge

In recent years, what's been called "Viking Weekend", during the month of May in Bay Ridge, has become both an annual homecoming destination for far-flung Brooklyn Norwegians and an attraction for Scandinavian cultural tourists.

And this year's lineup is bigger and better than ever.

Norwegian Christian Home Dinner Dance at the Danish Athletic Club

This year, Viking Weekend kicks off on Friday, May 15, with dinner and live music hosted by the Norwegian Christian Home, at the Danish Athletic Club, at 741 65th Street in Bay Ridge.  Call 718-748-7844 for more information.

Viking Festival at Owls Head Park

From 10 AM to 5 PM on Saturday, May 16, the Scandinavian East Coast Museum will host its Annual Viking Festival, a family-friendly celebration of Scandinavian history and culture, at Owl's Head Park, at 68th Street and Colonial Road in Bay Ridge.

Norwegian Constitution Day Parade

Promptly at 1:30 PM on Sunday, May 17, the Bay Ridge Norwegian Constitution Day (17th of May) Parade, still going strong in its 63rd year, steps off from 81st Street and 3rd Avenue in Bay Ridge.  Muster begins at 12:30 PM. The Parade, a celebration of Bay Ridge's once-predominant and still-influential Norwegian culture, is themed "Celebrating 1,000 Years of Christianity" this year.

Following a route along Third Avenue (rain or shine) and proceeding to 69th Street, the Parade turns right and marches up 69th Street to Fifth Avenue. It then turns left and marches to 67th Street, turning right at Lief Erikson Park and marching past the grandstand, where it falls out.

For more information about the Parade, contact Evald Olson at (718) 745-6653, or visit the Parade website.

Post-Parade Program in Lief Erikson Park

There will be a short post-Parade program in Lief Erikson Park featuring guest speaker Jon Dohlin, director of the New York Aquarium in Coney Island, and local elected representatives.

Barbeque and Drinks at Sporting Club Gjoa

After the program in Lief Erikson Park, the Viking crowd will move on to Sporting Club Gjoa, at 850 62nd Street on the Bay Ridge border, for barbeque and drinks.  Call the Club at 718-745-9436 for more information.

Barbeque and Drinks at the Swedish Club

There will be more post-Parade barbeque and drinks at the Swedish Club, at 725 65th Street on the Bay Ridge border. Call 718-745-9804 for more information. 

Buffet and Live Music at the Danish Athletic Club 

There will be a post-Parade buffet, with live music by The Smorgasbandet", until 8 PM at the Danish Athletic Club, at 741 65th Street. Call 718-748-7844 for more information.

More from the Brooklyn Eagle.

60th Annual Norwegian Day Parade

The 60th Annual Norwegian Constitution Day Parade, hosted by the Norwegian-American 17th of May Committee of Greater New York, Inc., is scheduled for May 20.

Moved this year from 5th Avenue to 3rd Avenue in Bay Ridge, the parade will muster at 12:30 PM at 85th Street and 3rd Avenue, rain or shine, and step off at 1:30 PM, marching north along 3rd Avenue to 69th Street.  The parade will then turn right, moving up 69th Street to 5th Avenue, then turn left onto 67th Street and pass the reviewing stand on the south side of Leif Erikson Park between 6th and 7th Avenues.

The theme of the 2012 parade is “Honoring Norwegian Women”.

Norway leads the world in promoting equal and non-traditional employment for women. Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Norwegian Prime Minister and Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), exemplifies the self-assurance of Norwegian women.

That self-assurance is seen in this year's "Miss Norway" runner-up Erika Lawson of Bay Ridge, an engineer and the first woman to serve as Shipman at Kings Point Military Academy.

Marathoner Grete Waitz, another remarkable Norwegian woman, lost her long battle with cancer last spring.  Her career as an elite athlete, and her efforts to raise funds for breast cancer research and treatment, are the special focus of this year's Norwegian Day parade.

At the reviewing stand, there will be a performance by the Mummers and a short program featuring guest speaker Helle Aanesen, CEO of Active Against Cancer, an organization Grete Weitz co-founded, and greetings from local elected representatives.

In the parade and performing at the grandstand afterward will be Philadelphia musicians The Woodland String Band.  Also marching and performing will be Norwegian band Mandal Musikkforening and a variety of local bands.

The parade, an annual homecoming in Bay Ridge for Norwegian-Americans who grew up in Brooklyn, is expected to draw an estimated 100,000 spectators.

Seventeenth of May Church Rally

As part of the pre-parade festivities, the Church Group of the 17th of May Committee will host its annual 17th of May Church Rally on Saturday, May 5th at 6:30 PM at the Norwegian Christian Home, at 1270 67th Street.  The event will feature guest speaker Pastor Thor Foss and musical selections from the Nansen Chorus. Afterward, an offering will be received and refreshments served.

For more information on the parade, program and rally, contact Evald Olson at (718) 745-6653 or visit the parade website. 

Annual Coloring Contest

The 17th of May Committee will also sponsor a coloring contest for children with the theme ‘Honoring Norwegian Women.”   Children are asked to use crayons, pencils and/or markers to color the pictures available for download from the committee’s website. Completed pictures are due by Monday, May 7.

The contest is open to children of all ages, who will be judged with others in their age group. Each entry must include the following information on the back: child’s name, age and phone contact.

Send your child's entry to the Scandinavian East Coast Museum, 440 Ovington Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11209 or c/o Nordic Delicacies, 6909 Third Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11209.

Winners will be notified by phone. Prizes will be awarded at Viking Fest 2012 on May 19th at Owl’s Head Park, 68th Street and Narrows Avenue, Bay Ridge.

For more information, contact Victoria Hofmo at 718-748-5950.

Viking Weekend

Bay Ridge will host its annual celebration of Scandinavian heritage this year on Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17.

Viking Fest
On Saturday, May 16, the Scandinavian East Coast Museum will host Viking Fest 2009 at Owl's Head (Bliss) Park at 68th Street and Colonial Road from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

Admission is free.

Activities will include two Viking reenactment groups, the Viking ship "Norseman" and crew, rides, and Scandanavian foods and crafts.

Musical entertainment will be provided by a Norwegian band, bagpipers, step dancers, and Turkish drummers.

The event is co-sponsored by the Norwegian Consulate & Greg Ahl.

For more information, contact Victoria Hofmo at 718-748-5950.

Norwegian Constitution Day Parade

The 58th Annual Norwegian Constitution Day Parade will kick off at 1:30 PM on Sunday, May 17 on 5th Avenue in Bay Ridge.

This year's parade theme is “Salute to Norse Mythology”.

Approximately 100,000 people are expected to turn out for the parade, which will feature, in addition to many local bands, the Norwegian band Stavanger Musikkorps.

An expected 10,000 marchers will begin cueing at 12:30 p.m. on Fifth Avenue at 88th and 89th Streets. The parade will begin promptly at 1:30 p.m. rain or shine, moving north along Fifth Avenue to 67th Street, and turning right up 67th Street, past the grandstand, which will be on the south side of Leif Erikson Park between 6th and 7th Avenues.

There will be a short program at the reviewing stand at around 3:30 PM, at which the guest speaker, Norwegian Consul General Sissel Breie, will formally crown Miss Norway 2009.

The official parade Website: http://www.may17paradeny.com/.

17th of May Church Rally

In the leadup to the parade, on Saturday, May 2 at 6:30 PM, the Church Group of the 17th of May Committee will hold its annual 17th of May Church Rally at the Norwegian Christian Home at 1270 67th Street in Bay Ridge.

Pastor Paul Knudsen, of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, will be guest speaker, and the Nansen Chorus will provide musical selections. Refreshments will be served after.

For more information about the parade and related events, contact Evald Olson at (718) 745-6653 or Victoria Hofmo at (718) 748-5950.

2013 Norwegian Day Parade

Updated Post

Brooklyn's 61st Norwegian Constitution Day (a/k/a Norwegian Day) Parade is scheduled for Sunday, May 19 at 1:30 PM on Third Avenue in Bay Ridge.

The theme of this year's parade is "Sharing Our Norwegian Traditions."

Featured in the parade will be two Norwegian bands: the Vansa Brass Band and Lista Trekkspillklubb (Lista Accordion Club), as well as the Hellvik Mannskor (mens chorus).

The anticipated turnout is 100,000.

Muster begins at 12:30 PM on 81st Street and Third Avenue. Stepoff will be at 1:30 PM sharp, rain or shine.

The parade will travel north along Third Avenue to 69th Street, where it will turn right and go over to Fifth Avenue. From Fifth Avenue, it will then turn left onto 67th Street, then right on 67th Street, passing the grandstand on the south side of Leif Erikson Park (between 6th and 7th Avenues.)

There will be a short program at Leif Erikson Park after the parade, featuring guest speaker Rune Edvardsen, CEO and founder of humanitarian organization Dina Foundation and Chair of International World Ministries.

Local elected representatives are also expected to attend.

As part of the pre-parade festivities, the Church Group of the 17th of May Committee will host its annual Church Rally on Saturday, May 4th at 6:30 PM, at the Norwegian Christian Home, 1250 67th Street in Brooklyn. The program will feature guest speaker Pastor Arthur Pettersen and musical selections from Ingrid Olsson Feingold. A freewill offering will be taken and refreshments will be served after the program.

For more information on the parade, program and rally, contact Evald Olson at (718) 745-6653, or visit the parade committee's website.

The parade is organized by the Norwegian-American 17th of May Committee of Greater New York, which commemorates the anniversary of the signing of Norway's constitution on May 17, 1814 by holding a parade in Brooklyn on the 3rd Sunday in May each year.

The Committee's mailing address is P.O. Box 691, Staten Island, N.Y. 10302.

Norwegian Constitution Day Parade

Christa Johannessen Photo

In commemoration of the signing of the Norwegian Constitution on May 17, 1814, the Norwegian-American 17th of May Committee of Greater New York hosts a parade in Bay Ridge each year on the 3rd Sunday in May.

Now in its 62nd consecutive year, the Parade is scheduled for Sunday, May 18 at 1:30 PM, along Third Avenue in Bay Ridge.

Because Norway is celebrating the 200th Anniversary of its democracy this year, the theme for the 2014 Parade is "200 Years of Democracy."

The Parade will muster at 81st Street and Third Avenue at 12:30 PM on May 18 and step off at 80th Street promptly at 1:30 PM, rain or shine, proceeding north along Third Avenue to 69th Street.  At the intersection of 69th and Third Avenue, the Parade goes right on 69th Street and over to Fifth Avenue, then turns right onto 67th Street and proceeds up 67th Street to the grandstand, on the south side of Leif Erikson Park between Sixth and Seventh Avenues.

In this year's line of march will be a Norwegian accordian club, Sandnes Trekkspillklubb, and dance group Sandnes Folkedans, along with numerous marching bands from New York City. 

As part of the short program after the Parade, local elected representatives and guest speaker John G. Bernander, a Norwegian politician and Conservative Party member, will address the crowd. Bernander is the former director-general of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) and the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise.

For more information, contact Evald Olson at (718) 745-6653, or visit the Parade website.

2011 Norwegian Day Parade

The 60th Annual Norwegian Constitution Day Parade is scheduled for Sunday, May 15th at 1:30 PM on Fifth Avenue in Bay Ridge.

The theme for this year's parade is “Honoring Roald Amundsen”.

The parade is a homecoming for Norwegian-Americans who grew up in Bay Ridge.

Like last year, lineup will be at 83rd Street and Fifth Avenue, beginning at 12:30 PM.

Please check the website for updates.

The parade will step off promptly at 1:30 PM, rain or shine, and proceed north along Fifth Avenue to 67th Street. The parade will then turn right and march up 67th Street past the grandstand, on the south side of Leif Erikson Park between Sixth and Seventh Avenues.

A short program will follow the parade at 3:30 PM, at the reviewing stand. Brian Andersen, former Commissioner of Records for the City of New York, will be guest speaker. Local elected representatives will also be on hand.

For more information, please contact Evald Olson at (718) 745-6653, or visit the parade website at www.may17paradeny.com.

Miss Norway of Greater New York to Be Chosen

Update: Amy Lindland, of Suffern, New York, won this year's contest.

At a luncheon at 2 PM on March 23 at the Norwegian Christian Home and Health Center, 1250 67th Street in Brooklyn, the Norwegian Immigration Association will select this year's "Miss Norway of Greater New York."

The association's Miss Norway Committee is headed by Arlene Rutuelo and Lynn Anderson.

The luncheon will be catered by the Norwegian Christian Home and will feature live music and raffles.

This year's master of ceremonies will be Rolf Stang, a noted raconteur.

This year's contestents -- many of them descended from Brooklyn Norwegians -- are:  Brooke Ferenczy of Staten Island; Taylor Fiippini of Lebanon, NJ; Anne Birgitte Hestø of New York City; Amy Lindland of Suffern, NY; Jillian McDonald of Hazlet, NJ; and Julia Wendt of Long Island.

The winner will receive a grand prize of a trip to Norway and will be featured in the Norwegian Constitution Day Parade on Sunday, May 19 in Bay Ridge.

Miss Norway 2013 will also represent the city at various area events such as Scan Fest in Budd Lake, N.J.

For more information or to make a luncheon reservation, call Arlene at 718-748-1874.

Coverage of the contest from the Home Reporter.

Arlene Rutuelo Joins Marty Golden's Staff

According to a media release from his office today, State Senator Marty Golden has hired Bay Ridge native Arlene Rutuelo, former proprietor of Third Avenue specialty store Nordic Delicacies, as an executive assistant at his Bay Ridge office at 7408 5th Avenue in Bay Ridge.

Golden said he looked forward to working with Rutuelo, who recently retired after nearly 30 years as a Third Avenue merchant, praising her as an "outstanding local leader" who has made a difference in the neighborhood.

Rutuelo, a dedicated community activist, is the president of The Guild for Exceptional Children; a member of the 68th Precinct Community Council; and a member of the board of The Merchants of Third Avenue. 

She has also served as New York City coordinator for The Dina Foundation, a Norwegian organization with global reach that works to combat sex trafficking; as vice chair of the executive board of the Norwegian Christian Home and Health Center, as a board member of the Scandinavian East Coast Museum; as co-chair of the Miss Norway Contest; and as co-chair of the annual 17th of May (Norwegian Constitution Day) Parade.

Thanking Golden for the opportunity, Rutuelo called it "a privilege" to continue to serve the community she loves.

2014 Norwegian Constitution Day Parade

Scandinavian East Coast Museum's Annual Viking Essay Contest

Gunnar Sonsteby

The Norwegian population of southwest Brooklyn dates back to the original Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam more than 400 years ago.  Brooklyn Norwegians founded Lutheran Medical Center, the Norwegian Christian Home and Health Center and many other local institutions.

Every October, the Scandinavian East Coast Museum hosts an Essay Contest for children grades 4 through 6 honoring the legendary Norwegian explorer Leif Eriksson, for whom Bay Ridge's Leif Eriksson Park was named.

The topic of this year's essay is “200 Years of Democracy - Cut By the Occupation.”

Norway, after becoming a kingdom in 1030, fell under foreign rule from 1380 until 1814, when it adopted its first constitution. The country's hard-won independence was again lost from 1940-1945 during the Nazi occupation.  Norway, with a population of less than five million, nevertheless mounted a resistance movement so fierce it was held up by U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt as an example to the world. In his "Look to Norway" speech, FDR said:

"If there is anyone who still wonders why this war is being fought, let him look to Norway. If there is anyone who has any delusions that this war could have been averted, let him look to Norway; and if there is anyone who doubts the democratic will to win, again I say, let him look to Norway."

Essay contests are expected to research the history of the Nazi occupation of Norway; identify a person or an event that exemplifies the Norwegian Resistance Movement; and explain why this person or event was important.

All essays are due by November 30 and must be no more than 2 typed or handwritten pages.

Mail all entries to:

SECM
440 Ovington Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11209

Two winners will be selected. Prizes include a Nordic Delicacies gift certificate, Viking memorabilia, and a ride on the Viking ship in the Norwegian Day Parade in May, 2015.

Contact Victoria Hofmo at 718-748-5950 for more information.