For 127 years, the Seattle neighborhood of Ballard has hosted a parade on May 17 celebrating Norwegian Constitution Day. That's longer than Norway has been an independent country. It's a testament to the deep Scandinavian roots in the Pacific Northwest.
But Ballard is changing because Seattle is changing. Seattle gains about 15,000 new residents every year. Ballard was chosen by the city of Seattle as a neighborhood that can handle new, high density residential buildings. Tens of thousands of new residential units have gone into Ballard in the last few decades. These new residents demand amenities that push out traditional businesses, including many Norwegian stores, bakeries and bars.
But there are still remnants of the neighborhood's Scandinavian heritage. There's the bust of Leif Erickson outside the hall of the Sons of Norway. There are Nordic flags at Bergen Place Park. And there's the annual 17th of May Parade which shows no signs of stopping.
If you attend the festivities, be sure to say, "Happy birthday" to everyone. And have some ice cream. It's part of the tradition on this special day, also known as Syttende Mai and pronounced "Soot-n-duh May!"
This story is part of the KPLU-PLU student reporting project.
