We are heading to Scandi Fest!
- Laura Wayte
- Aug 8
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 14
Deck Family Farm will be joining in the fun at Junction City's Scandinavian Festival this year August 14-17 in downtown Junction City! Plan to come eat our Swedish dumplings and check out your favorite farm hands wearing Swedish traditional garb!
We are busy preparing our Kroppkakor, which are Swedish Sausage Potato Dumplings, served with Lingonberry Jam, Sour Cream, and Dill and Green Onions. Drinks will be BNF Kombuchas and "Swedish" real-sugar Coca-Colas.
The Scandinavian Festival - or Scandi Fest - is held each summer in Junction City celebrating the cultural roots of the city with dancing and music and food.
"It has been fun to prepare the themed booth and order costumes and prepare the meal," said Jeremy Hyland of Deck Family Farm, who was assisted by Stephanie Sook our farmers market lead representative. Jeremy is our processing manager and farm chef whose regular products are our fresh pork sausages. "This menu is right up my alley, and was interesting to research!"
Jeremy's wife, Carly Hyland, who is also a chef, found the potato dumpling recipe in an old Swedish cookbook on her shelf.
"We have tried to attend for a few years now," said Christine Deck, owner of Deck Family Farm. "But it takes a lot for us to add a big event during the high season of farming. We are so grateful to Jeremy and Stephanie for getting it done this year!"
Jeremy's team produced 3000 servings in two days which are hanging out in the freezer ready to be cooked fresh for customers next weekend.
In 1902, the real estate developer Anders Christian Nielsen founded a Danish settlement here in Junction City, which was named for a railway intersection that never happened. He divided 1,600 acres into smaller parcels and advertised them in a Danish newspaper in Iowa, drawing immigrant families to the Willamette Valley. And so Junction City established its Scandinavian roots.
The Scandinavian Festival is hosted by the Scandinavian Cultural Foundation of Junction City (SCF). The festival was established in 1961 to counter the effects of removing traffic from Route 99 when Interstate 5 was constructed. The interstate left Highway 99 much less traveled, reducing the amount of business that passed through Junction City.
To counter the effects of Interstate 5 on the town, Gale Fletchall (and many other Junction City residents) organized the first Scandinavian Festival. Four thousand attendees were expected. Ten thousand came!
Gale Fletchall set the date of Festival for the second weekend of August, after scanning the Farmer’s Almanac for the weekend least likely to rain. He was right! It can often be quite warm, so dress accordingly!
The Festival is free (including the music performances) and is always the second Thursday-Sunday in August. During the event, many local nonprofits participate as vendors, so you can support the community with your visit! The entertainment is free, and various performances are featured throughout all four days. Click here for the schedule.
