Scandi Life: Spend an afternoon at Nordia House in Portland
When my family relocated to Oregon over 5 years ago they quickly sought out the local Scandinavian organizations and were thrilled to discover Nordic Northwest’s Nordia House in Portland. It quickly became a resource for our family for cultural events and exhibits and an opportunity to enjoy the Scandinavian food we love at Broder Söder, the restaurant located inside. The grounds and building are really beautiful and the organization’s mission is one of education, sustainability and building community.
Start your visit with breakfast or lunch at Broder Söder. When you arrive, I suggest putting your name in at the counter as they can get busy at peak mealtime hours. If there is a wait you can walk around the grounds until your table is ready. I like to look at the latest exhibit and stock up on imported Scandinavian candy at their gift shop Finn Ware while I wait.
After your meal head outside to walk the grounds to walk by the historic Fogelbo home and see Ole Bole the giant Troll installation by environmental artist Thomas Dambo. I had been wanting to see one of Thomas’s trolls for many years and was so excited when they installed one at Nordic Northwest in the summer of 2023.
Before you leave grab some flyers for some of their upcoming events. Nordic Northwest puts on a variety of social community events throughout the year like Nordic Coffee Hour, Craft workshops and Family Movie Nights. Make sure to also check out their popular annual Festivals and Fundraisers like The Viking Beer Fest, Midsummer Festival and ScanFair.
As a Norwegian American I grew up loving the culture, folk art, design, food and general way of life in Scandinavia. I wanted to share my discoveries of all things Scandinavian here in a series called“Scandi Life.” I hope you enjoy reading.
Hi I’m Heidi!
Designer and creator behind Nordic Fox Design Co., lover of nature, adventure, creating, and all things Scandinavian. Thanks for being here.
