by Noella Noelophile®
(Photo courtesy of SolvangUSA.com, and used with permission.)
What could possibly be more fun and festive than Solvang Julefest?
How about–Solvang Julefest with newly-added features?
Julefest (pronounced Yule-fest) begins in Solvang, also known as the “Danish Capital of America”, this Friday, November 24th and continues through Twelfth Night, January 6th, 2024.
(Royalty-free image by 5598375 from Pixabay.)
Added to the festivities, this year, are daily free Light and Music shows and extra dates for Solvang’s Evening Candlelight Tours.
“We’ve added daily elements to this year’s Solvang Julefest for locals and visitors in town midweek, in addition to the weekend festivities throughout Julefest,” said Solvang City Manager, Randy Murphy in a recent press release.
“In particular, we expanded one of our most popular Solvang Julefest experiences, the evening Candlelight Tours, with extra dates and for an entire week, keeping in mind families looking for entertainment once schools break for the holidays.”
(Photo courtesy of SolvangUSA.com, and used with permission.)
The evening Candlelight Tours start at 5 pm. Led by a costumed host, participants get to learn Danish Christmas traditions as they explore the streets of the town. Each person receives an LED-lit candle to hold for the duration of the tour, which is accompanied by Christmas carols and some engaging facts about the history of Solvang. Tickets are currently on sale, but if this is part of your Christmas plans, book early! These very well may sell out.
Solvang’s evening Candlelight Tours are scheduled on Friday evenings, December 8, 9, 15, and 16, and then every evening from Monday, December 18, through Saturday, December 23. Here’s the link for information.
Light, sound and showmanship
Royalty-free image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.)
Also, every evening starting this Friday, Solvang Park, at the corner of Mission and First Streets, will host a 10-minute choreographed light and music display. There will be two show variations, with shows starting each evening at 5 and continuing, every hour on the hour, until 9 pm.
In search of Nisse
(Photo courtesy of SolvangUSA.com, and used with permission.)
And of course, those mischievous Nisse (Christmas elves) will be lurking, throughout the entire season.
Starting this Friday, visitors get to participate in Solvang’s now-annual Nisse Adventure.
This is a city-wide quest throughout downtown Solvang, to locate the mysterious elves. You can begin your search at the Solvang Visitor Center, where you’ll receive a list of clues to the Nisse’s various hiding spots.
After finding each of the hiding Nisse, participants receive a Christmasy reward: at the Visitor Center, they receive a special Solvang keepsake.
Cue the tree, Santa and more
(Royalty-free image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.)
Then, on December 1, the Julefest Tree Lighting Ceremony sets the stage for a “hygge” December.
The program begins at 5:00 PM in Solvang Park, with caroling, ballerinas encircling the Solvang Christmas tree and other live entertainment. The tree lighting happens around 6:30 PM.
(Photo courtesy of SolvangUSA.com, and used with permission.)
The following morning, Saturday, December 2nd at 11, the 2023 Solvang Julefest Parade travels along Solvang’s main streets. With the theme of “My Favorite Christmas Movie”, the parade will feature horses, marching bands, floats and classic cars.
(Photo courtesy of SolvangUSA.com, and used with permission.)
There will also be a free opportunity to meet a certain Mr. Claus in Solvang Park, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM that afternoon.
Throughout December, up until Christmas, Solvang Julefest Santa meet-and-greets and photo ops will continue each from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM in Solvang Park. Meet-and-greet dates are December 9th, 16th, and 23rd.
And of course, Julefest wouldn’t be Julefest without the Solvang Julefest Makers Market!
(Royalty-free image by G.C. from Pixabay.)
An open-air night market, inspired by traditional European Christmas markets, this special event happens in Solvang Park, on Wednesday, December 6th from 5 to 7 pm. Expect to find unique gift ideas, seasonal handcrafted treats and more from the exhibiting local crafters and artisans, in a December pre-Christmas evening under the stars.