Scandinavian Events in SoCal

For a list of in-person and virtual Nordic events happening this month, visit March 2024: Virtual Nordic Events & Upcoming In Person Events.


JANUARY

Scandinavian Film Festival LA
January 13 & 14 and 20 & 21, 2024
Writers Guild Theater, Beverly Hills

Scandinavian Film FestivalThe Scandinavian Film Festival LA with BalticFilmExpo@SFFLA returns this winter season for its 25th anniversary celebration! Join fellow film enthusiasts at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills for two weekends in January 2024 (13th & 14th and 20th & 21st) with films from Scandinavia and its Nordic and Baltic neighbors. View the 2024 program.


MAY

17th of May Celebration
Friday, May 17, 2024
Norwegian Church, San Pedro

17mai Sjømannskirken

The Norwegian Church in San Pedro hosts a traditional Norwegian 17th of May celebration every May 17. Enjoy traditional Norwegian food (pølser, rundstykker, brus, bløtkaker, marsipankaker, og kaffe), songs and speeches, a parade around the neighborhood, and of course, games and ice cream for the kids. View details here!

Scandinavian Festival
May 18-19, 2024
California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks

The Scandinavian Festival will return in 2024 to Kingsmen Park at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, CA, on May 18-19, 2024. 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the original 1974 event. Sign up here to receive news about the 2024 festival.


SEPTEMBER

Rekefest og Bryggedans / Shrimp and Dance Party
Saturday, September 16, 2023
Norwegian Church, San Pedro

In the past, this unique event has taken place in March, but now it is scheduled for Saturday, September 16, 2023. Details to follow!

Vista Viking Festival
September 16 & 17, 2023
Vista (Northern San Diego)

Hours — Saturday 10am to 8pm, Sunday 10am to 6pm
Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum
2040 North Santa Fe Avenue, Vista, CA 92083


NOVEMBER

Julebasar / Norwegian Christmas Market
Friday, November 10 – Sunday, November 19, 2023
Norwegian Church, San Pedro

Once again the annual Norwegian Christmas Fair, or Julebasar, at the Norwegian Church will be a multi-day event. Mark your calendars for Friday, November 10, – Sunday, November 19, 2023. The church will be turned into a huge Christmas shop with baked goods, Norwegian groceries, Christmas goods, and much more. They guarantee a true Christmas atmosphere and a great experience!


DECEMBER

SWEA Los Angeles Christmas Fair
Saturday, December 2, 2023
The Santa Monica Bay Women’s Club, Santa Monica

Unraveling tombola tickets

SWEA Los Angeles is once again hosting a Christmas Fair after a long intermission! It will be held on Saturday, December 2, 2023, at The Santa Monica Bay Women’s Club in Santa Monica. With the Christmas Fair, SWEA celebrates Swedish heritage and Swedish food.


Are you familiar with any other events in the Los Angeles area that highlight Norwegian or Scandinavian culture? Please let me know so I can check it out. Thank you!

14 thoughts on “Scandinavian Events in SoCal

  1. There is a Nordic Symposium in Thousand Oaks about Scandinavian Design Feb 10 & 11. If interested go to Eventbrite and type in Nordic Symposium. It is also listed on Facebook. Thank you, Karen

    • Hi Karen. The Nordic Symposium looks great this year! I’ve included it on the most recent monthly posts about Nordic events.

  2. Was very interested to see your site! My wife and I have been taking part in SoCal events and its always nice to see what is happening. My wife and I volunteer at the CalLutheran event in April and Danish days in Solvang. We don’t sell anything but I bring stuff that I have carved, made, drawn or purchased, Things that might catch a adult or childs interest in relation to Ancient Scandinavia!

    • That’s wonderful to hear! I’ll have to keep an eye out for your items the next time I’m at the Scandinavian Festival at CalLutheran, hopefully this year. I admire Solvang’s Danish Days from afar. It’s little too far for us.

  3. Hello my name is Arianna and I’m working for Welocalize.
    We are looking for Norwegian speaker. I’ve been looking everywhere and haven’t been lucky. I just came across your blog. I’m sorry I’m using this platform for this, but I was wondering if you might know somebody for Music content reviewer.
    Please let me know.

    Thanks,
    Arianna
    arianna.ciccu@welocalize.com

  4. Hi, my name is Jessica and I work for an interpreting agency in Los Angeles. We’re looking for a Norwegian male speaker for a voice over, and I just came across your blog. I’m sorry I’m using this platform for this, but honestly I’ve been looking everywhere and haven’t been lucky. I was wondering if you might know somebody who could it? We don’t need professional voice over artists, we just need a male Norwegian speaker. If you could help me, it would be great. My email address is info5@alsglobal.net. Thank you!

    • Hi Jessica. I realize this post is good and ripe now, however, I’m Norwegian and I live in Riverside. I’d be happy to help if you ever needed anything like this is en future.

  5. Scandinavian Film Festival L.A. “Surfs the Celluloid Sea”
    15th Scandinavian Film Festival L.A. – Jan 18, 19, 25, 26 at WGA Theater in Beverly Hills

    Where Nordic Film ‘Winters’ in Southern California
    Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) January 05, 2014

    The 15th Anniversary Scandinavian Film Festival L.A.(SFFLA) “Surfs the Celluloid Sea” with cinema from across North Atlantic and Baltic waters Jan 18, 19, 25, 26 at the Writers Guild Theater 135 S. Doheny in Beverly Hills. The annual immersion into Nordic films from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden adds “Hanseatic happenings” to the mix with a Norwegian/German co-production, and “Baltic Film Expo@ SFFLA” offering a film from each of the Baltic neighbors– Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.

    “Northern European countries have often taken to the seas with a cargo of culture, commerce, and collaboration,” says festival founder/director James Koenig. “And we have an exciting program that follows old routes to new worlds and around the North Atlantic/Baltic neighborhood. We are pleased to be ‘nosey neighbors’ and see what’s going on next door!”…

    Complete schedule and ticket ordering information available at http://www.sffla.net.

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