2021 Solvang Danish Days canceled

SOLVANG, Calif. - The 2021 Danish Days in Solvang is canceled.

In an announcement on Friday morning, Solvang Danish Days Foundation has made the decision to cancel the annual event due to concerns about COVID-19.

The two-day Danish heritage festival was planned for September 17 and 18.

It would have celebrated its 85th anniversary.

“The decision to cancel this year’s Danish Days, for the second, unprecedented year in a row, breaks our hearts. The festival weekend is a tradition for so many members of our community, and we look forward to welcoming visitors to our city for this annual cultural event,” said Max Hanberg, Solvang Danish Days 2021 co-chair.

Event coordinators say the major part of why the event was canceled was due to the new mask mandate.

“However, with Danish Days scheduled for just over a month from now, and with so many unknowns due to the impending COVID surges, we felt that the safest thing to do for our residents and for our tourists, was to cancel the event," said Hanberg.

Brenda Anderson, Solvang Danish Days 2021 co-chair, added, “Solvang Danish Days annually draws thousands of attendees, a potential crowding situation which we wanted to avoid this year due to the spread of the virus’ Delta variant.”

Danish Days honors the 1911 establishment of Solvang by Danish Americans in the area.

This will be the second year in a row where the big event has been canceled.

“Danish Days is a town-wide celebration, and while we cannot hold this year’s festival as planned, our town’s still here. We do welcome visitors who are traveling safely, and our businesses look forward to giving everyone a taste of our ‘little Denmark," said Anderson.

For more info on the event cancellation, click here.