by Noella Noelophile®
(Photo courtesy of SolvangUSA.com, and used with permission.)
In Solvang, Christmas lasts for over a month.
On November 30th, Solvang kicks off its “Julefest” (pronounced Yule-fest). And it’s going to be a month-long celebration.
Not familiar with Solvang yet? Known as the “Danish Capital of America”, it’s located in the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County. With its Old World bakeries, restaurants and stores, Solvang has been billed as “a taste of Denmark in Southern California”.
Add in its walkability, and at Christmastime, it’s magical.
That magic, for the 2019 Christmas season, is going to show up in all kinds of festivities.
Mr. and Mrs. Jolly Old Elf
(Photo courtesy of SolvangUSA.com, and used with permission.)
For instance, Solvang will host free visits and photo opps for the whole family with a certain Mr. and Mrs. S. Claus.
Every Saturday from November 30th to December 21, the cheery couple will be on hand in Solvang Park, on the corner of Mission Drive and First Street. Pictures with Santa will be on a first-come, first-served basis, every Saturday from 12 noon to 7 pm.
New this year, for additional photos, is “Santa’s Village”, which is a scene set up for additional photos in the Solvang Park Gazebo.
There’s also “Santa’s Barn” (“Santa’s Lade”), which is a paid-admission play area with real snow and live animals.
Time for some detective work
(Photo courtesy of SolvangUSA.com, and used with permission.)
Meanwhile, from November 30th through January 3rd, a dozen mischievous “nisse” will be hiding throughout downtown Solvang.
And visitors are tasked with finding all twelve of them, in the annual “Nisse Adventure” scavenger hunt.
Nisse are Danish Christmas elves. They’re each about 16 inches tall, and they’ll have various hiding spots. All Julefest long, visitors of all ages can go to nisseadventure.com for clues.
How does this work? Well, once you spot a Nisse, you’ll scan in a QR code. The code lets you continue the hunt–and gives you a prize at each spot you’ve found one of these cute little guys.
You’ll have some time to find them all. According to a press release from the City of Solvang, the Nisse Adventure can be completed at your leisure. The only restriction, is that it must be completed by January 3, 2020.
Tradition and history
Royalty-free image by Susanne Jutzeler, suju-foto from Pixabay
A beloved part of Christmastime in Solvang, for locals and visitors alike, are the “Candlelight Tours”.
These are free, 60-minute guided tours. A costumed guide gives guests an LED candle and escorts them. promptly at 5 pm, from the Solvang Park Gazebo, for a stroll along village sidewalks. Caroling and a look at Solvang’s history and fun facts are spotlighted. Every Saturday from November 30th through December 28th.
VIP Candlelight Tours are also available for a fee. These are 90-minute tours which offer a more intimate experience and a “meet and greet” with Santa, with cookies and cocoa provided. Tickets are $25; here’s the link for information.
Looking like Christmas
Royalty-free image by Kelsey Vere from Pixabay
Of course, no Christmas celebration is complete without a tree lighting.
Solvang’s Annual Tree Lighting happens on Friday evening, December 6th, from 5:00 to 6:30 at First Street and Mission Drive.. Local bands and choirs will provide live entertainment and caroling. The program will culminate in a ballet routine featuring dancers from Fossemalle Dance Studio. And Mr. and Mrs. Claus will arrive in time for the lighting of the tree.
(Photo courtesy of SolvangUSA.com, and used with permission.)
The following morning, Saturday, December 7th at 11:00, Solvang’s Julefest Parade takes place! Currently, there are more than 400 participants and more than 50 entries.
Starting off at Solvang Veterans Hall, at 1745 Mission Drive (near Mariposa), the parade will travel west on Mission to Fourth Place, then east on Copenhagen Drive and end on Alisal Road, near the Solvang Village Post Office.
A new addition
Royalty-free image by by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Then, on Friday evening, December 13th, at 6:30, a different type of procession takes place.
December 13th is “Saint Lucia Day”. Solvang will mark the occasion with a new celebration: a children’s parade, led through town by a young woman portraying the third-century martyr “Saint Lucia”. “Saint Lucia” will be dressed in white with a red sash, and wearing a crown of candles. Illuminated floats and parade entries will follow the marchers.
Light and sound
Royalty-free image by Klaus P. Rausch from Pixabay
There’s yet another reason to plan a weekend in Solvang during 2019 Julefest.
Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday in December, Copenhagen Drive will host the “Christmas Market Light Show”.
Every night, there will be several shows, each featuring a unique song and light choreographed from various sources. Show times will be posted soon on the Julefest website.
And…an exciting “first”
Solvang, among all its special “gifts” for visitors, has another new one waiting to be experienced.
On Saturday evening, December 21, at 6:30, the new Solvang Julefest Christmas Drone show is happening!
Called “Aurora Dronealis”, the show will be a lights spectacular. This one-night-only family event will be viewable for five miles in all directions from its base point in central Solvang. Limited VIP grandstand viewing is available for purchase. Here’s the link for details.
Raindate for “Aurora Dronealis” will be Sunday, December 22nd. Though I personally hope it wouldn’t dare rain on this, or any of Solvang’s other cheery festivities to welcome Christmas season 2019.