Seattle celebrates its friendship with sister city Bergen on the 17th of May
- Lori Ann Reinhall
- 18 hours ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 7 hours ago
Once again, it was one for the books. Not even cloudy skies and some serious rain could dampen the spirit of Seattle on Norwegian Constitution Day, known to most as the 17th of May. The entire Ballard community, historically the home to Norwegian immigrants, came out in full force, waving red, white, and blue Norwegian flags. Throughout the day, shouts of “Hipp hipp hurra!” were heard through the streets.
Norway’s national holiday, the 17th of May (in Norwegian called “Syttende Mai,” pronounced roughly like the English words SOOT-TEN-DUH-MY), is celebrated everywhere in the world where Norwegians and their descendants live, commemorates the signing of the Norwegian Constitution north of Oslo at Eidsvold Manor on May 17, 1814. The day focuses on children and community joy, with parades, and marching bands. And the situation in Ballard is just as festive in its own way, with a grand party that has taken place there each year for over a half-century. Celebrations started in Seattle already in 1889.
This year was a big day for the Seattle-Bergen Sister City Association (SBSCA) at Bergen Place, a City of Seattle park in the heart of Ballard. For many years, the SBSCA has organized a musical program there. It features some the area’s most popular Nordic musicians performing against the backdrop of a colorful mural depicting the Nordic immigrant history in Ballard. This folk festival is free and open to the public, designed to appeal to young and old alike. Many people in attendance have no Norwegian or Nordic heritage but are attracted to the open-air venue.
The program at Bergen Place presents an opportunity to learn about the Norwegian Constitution, the second oldest living constitution in the world, with the U.S. Constitution the oldest. The Norwegians took inspiration from the Americans as they were forming their new nation, and the relationship between the two countries has remained strong to this day.
Fun facts are also shared, including the tradition that the 17th of May is the one day when Norwegian children can eat all the ice cream they want — and enormous quantities are consumed.
For many years, I have had the pleasure of serving as music director at Bergen Place, often working together with my friend and colleague Eric Stavney, producer of the NordicOnTap.com podcast. This year, Eric had extra duties, as I was privileged to serve as honorary marshal for the parade. While I was attending an elegant luncheon at the National Nordic Museum, Eric served as emcee at Bergen Place.
At the luncheon, Norway’s Ambassador to the United States Anniken Huitfeldt, the grand marshal for the parade, gave a moving speech about the history of the 17th of May and the friendship between our two countries, emphasizing that the relationship has never been more importance than it is today.
Afterward, when the ambassador joined us at Bergen Place, the focus turned to our two sister cities. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell was on hand to introduce her and talked about his trip to Bergen in 2023 and importance of exchange between our municipalities. Ambassador Huitfeldt once again confirmed the strong bond between our two sister cities and countries, underlining our shared values of democracy, freedom, and equality.
In addition, there were performances by the Norwegian Ladies Chorus and Seattle Mannskor to heighten to the atmosphere, as rays of sunshine broke through the clouds. There was an intensely festive feeling in the air.
City Councilmember Dan Strauss was also there to present a proclamation from the City of Seattle to officially declare May 17 Norwegian Constitution Day.
Strauss talked about recently traveling to Bergen with an official delegation for the One Ocean Week conference and the unveiling of Seattle on Bergen’s city signpost at the top of Mount Fløyen, an initiative of the SBSCA. He also referenced the newly refurbished sign at the entrance of Bergen Place Park, another tribute to our sister cities.
But while there were many moving moments at Bergen Place, in the end, it was not only about VIPs but about all the people who gathered there.
“You are the ones who make all of this possible,” I said. “It is not about any single one person but about all the musicians and other volunteers who support this folk festival and all our activities throughout the year. That is what sister cities are all about.”
Finally, it would be remiss not to mention that in Norway, the 17th of May is called “Barnas dag” — children’s day — and we did not forget our lttle ones in Ballard. After all, the children performing in Barneleikarringen, a Norwegian children’s dance group, had, in the minds of many, upstaged everyone. And one of the most fun things about being at Bergen Place was handing out Norwegian flags, pinwheels, stickers, backpacks, and lollipops to the kids — everything with the colors red, white and blue.
The day ended with the grand parade through the streets of Ballard, lined with thousands of spectators, despite a sudden downpour. Seattle, like Bergen, is a city known for its rain, and there were plenty of umbrellas on our special day. There were even more smiles, waving, and cheers from the crowd, as brass bands, vintage cars, clowns, floats, and flag-bearing marchers in colorful Norwegian costumes passed through the streets. It was a day of joyful celebration for the SBSCA and the people of Seattle. Hipp, hipp, hurra for Syttende Mai!”
Learn more about 17th of May Seattle at their website: 17thofMay.org
See scenes from the 2025 17th of May Seattle parade on YouTube:
