How to Attend the Danish Days Celebration in Solvang, California

Danish Days in Solvang, California celebrates the founding of "The Danish Capital of America" in 1911. The three days of festivities on the third weekend of each September include a torchlight parade, concerts featuring authentic Danish folk music and dancing, crafts and a bounty of Danish cuisine and pastries. The picturesque little village in the Santa Inez Valley preserves the architecture of the homeland the original Danish settlers left to establish a farming community and Danish school in the new world. Everyone can become a Dane for the weekend during Danish Days.

Instructions

1. Take a tour of the village in the "Honen," a 1915 replica of the horse drawn trolleys once popular in Denmark. Two blonde Belgian draft horses power the trolley through the streets of Solvang, and the ride is slow enough to enjoy all the sights, including town's the four windmills and the traditional half-timbered shop buildings along the flower-lined streets. There's an extra flourish of color during Danish Days, when every lamp post and flagpole flies the red and white Danish flag along with the Stars and Stripes to emphasize the residents' Danish-American heritage.

2. Begin the celebration on Friday afternoon with a stop at the carving exhibition on First Street. You'll see both traditional carvers whittling colorful characters from Danish folklore and chainsaw artists turning tree trunk sections into amazingly intricate statues. Afterward, enjoy the Concert at the Park featuring well known Danish musicians playing traditional Danish music. After the concert, catch the shuttle to the starting point of the Torchlight Parade through town. The official opening ceremony ends the evening in Solvang Park, where the year's Danish Maid is introduced and colorfully costumed Danish folk dancers entertain the crowd.

3. Enjoy the Traditional Danish Days Breakfast on Saturday morning. Don't miss the medisterpoise sausages and the aebelskievers, the spherical Danish pastry balls smothered in blackberry jam and dusted with powdered sugar. The day is filled with music, dancing, art and craft exhibits and demonstrations of traditional Danish culture. There's also plenty of time to browse the shops in towns for all things Danish and do a little wine tasting in several tasting rooms scattered throughout town. You can also take time to drive through other parts of the Santa Inez Valley which has become a first class wine producing region. Many of the wineries offer tastings of their best vintages year round. Be sure to get back in time for the Danish Days Parade at 2:30 p.m. through the center of town.

4. Save time on Sunday for a tour of the Elverhoj Museum and the Living History Festival to see how the early settlers lived and learn traditional spinning, weaving and Scandinavian holiday crafts. The museum is located at 1624 Elverhoy Way, and admission is free. Visit the Hans Christian Anderson Museum above the Book Loft shop. Anderson is Denmark's most famous author, and he wrote many familiar fairy tales, including "The Little Mermaid," and "The Emperor's New Clothes." Sunday's events also include the Children's Parade, an aebelskiever eating contest, and the closing ceremonies at the end of the day at Solvang Park.

5. Visit one of the many bakeries in town to stock up on the wide variety of Danish pastries before leaving town. You can also visit the Santa Inez Mission adjacent to town. The well preserved mission was established more than 200 years ago as the 19th of the 21 missions founded by Fr. Junipero Serra, "the Father of California Missions."