Viking Fest carnival should stay put

Published 10:00 am Saturday, October 14, 2006

It’s Poulsbo biggest celebration of the year, bringing tens of thousands of visitors to Little Norway to celebrate Syttende Mai and the city’s “Viking” heritage. It’s also a grand time.

And while finding a prime parking spot during the event is about as likely as hearing the North Kitsap High School band strike a sour note during the parade or Eric Perkins oversleeping and missing the lutefisk contest, moving the successful carnival from scenic Anderson Parkway to Olhava would have been a huge mistake.

We’re glad representatives from Viking Fest Corporation piped up on this because the relocation would have not only been a detriment to the carnival but the numerous vendors which sell food at the event to support their local organizations.

The two go hand in hand with the parade, the road race, the lutefisk eating contest and just the overall setting. Viking Fest belongs in historic downtown Poulsbo. The quaint feel of the district gives the whole event a real Norwegian flavor that few stateside communities can offer when they celebrate.

While moving the carnival etc. might open up parking, it would cut the whole event in two — creating a commuting issue between Olhava and downtown. Not everyone is hip to riding the free buses either, something that would put more cars on the road during an already busy weekend.

Splitting things for even a year could have negative impacts as well because newbies to Viking Fest would likely find the discontinuity enough reason to look elsewhere for entertainment in the future.

Even so, we don’t blame Poulsbo City Councilman Mike Regis for raising the suggestion, either.

Regis is definitely a man of the people and if his constituents’ wheels are squeaking, he goes for the oil.

As far as State Route 305 construction impacting the event goes, this is a legitimate concern, but one must keep in mind that, dividing the event simply makes it more inconvenient for visitors.

Speaking of inconvenience, it is true that some downtown store owners view the carnival as too noisy and even a detractor from their businesses — if for only a single weekend. But what of those businesses that thrive during the festival?

Either way, it’s good to hear that the carnival is staying put in downtown Poulsbo and the successful festival will continue as it has for years becaus, truly, two is not always greater than one.