Scan Design Foundation is a proud sponsor of the Danish programs by Nordic Northwest (previously the Scandinavian Heritage Foundation). Programs sponsored have included film festivals, exhibitions, cultural celebrations, Danish language classes, and other Danish cultural activities.
Nordic Northwest is a non-profit corporation focused on the five Nordic nations of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The mission of Nordic Northwest is to:
- Highlight, honor, educate, communicate, promote and celebrate Nordic culture and traditions, ancestral, modern and contemporary.
- Provide value and serve members by developing and making available and accessible Nordic cultural and educational programming that is rich, authentic and forward thinking.
Programs by Nordic Northwest that have been funded by Scan Design Foundation include:
Travels with Rick Steves – Spring 2021
Nordic Northwest is developing a Travel Series program. The Travel Series kicked off in 2021 with a living streaming lecture and questions and answer segment with Rick Steves regarding travel to the Nordic regions, including Denmark. Rick Steves is a renowned author of travel series books, Europe Through the Back Door and has a long-running widely syndicated, family-friendly public-television travel series, Rick Steves in Europe as well has operating travel tours in Europe. Rick Steves is of Nordic heritage and proudly admits the Nordic region is his favorite place to travel. His low budget travel advice, education on the region’s history and how to capture an authentic cultural travel experience makes Rick Steves vastly popular. The Travel Series will continue with other educational opportunities and include local, regional, national and international travel when Pandemic mandates are lifted.
Scandinavian Midsummer Festival
Nordic Northwest's Scandinavian Midsummer Festival is a Nordic solstice celebration in Oregon. Vendors, musicians, and other organizations participate to bring Nordic solstice traditions to the Pacific Northwest for three days each June. Midsummer is a fun, family friendly and important day with centuries-old traditions, celebrating the summer solstice. Delicious Nordic cuisine and beverages are available each year. Activities include crafts such as making colorful flower crowns. The celebration includes raising of the May pole, singing Nordic folk songs and dancing.
Fastelavn
Fastelavn is a Danish Carnival where kids dress up in costumes, play games for prizes and make fun crafts, and eat traditional buns called fastelavnsboller.
Portland Film Festival
Nordic Northwest works with Portland International Film Festival (PIFF), to sponsor Danish film screenings each year at the festival.
ScanFair
ScanFair is Nordic Northwest's biggest festival of the year. In 2019 there was a record-breaking attendance of more than 7,000 participants. In 2021 the festival will be moved to the Conventional Center to accommodate a larger crowd and and room for a better guest experience. Guests will experience the sights, sounds, tastes and traditions of Nordic Christmas season. ScanFair provides the opportunity to both grow and attract people outside our normal sphere of influence, introducing Nordic culture to ever expanding attendees.
Nordic Northwest
