OCTOBER 3- OCTOBER 16, 2023
INSIDE
Making Communities Better Through Print.™
SANTA YNEZVALLEYSTAR.COM
Danish Days Parade adds old fashioned charm to fun-filled weekend
Community | Pg. 12 Los Alamos Old Days Parade comes back to Bell Street News Briefs . . . . . . . . . Pg. 2 • Solvang City Council OKs contract with Sheriff's Department News . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 4 • Prune farmers in California worry about overplanting Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 6 • Extreme eating event puts a capper on this year's Danish Days Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 8 • Pirates' 'Hail Mary' makes for happy Homecoming Education . . . . . . . . . Pg. 10 • Cottage Hospital Foundation awards health-care scholarships to 11 local residents Community . . . . . . . . Pg. 14 • Car show on Los Olivos ranch helps out local Meals on Wheels Arts & Nonprofits . . . . . Pg. 18 • 13th annual SLOPOKE art show wraps up at Flag Is Up Farms Calendar . . . . . . . . . Pg. 23 • Government meetings and events
Danish Maid Stephanie Pedersen led Solvang's Danish Days Parade atop a vintage yellow Mustang. Photo by Devyn Marseilles
Viking ships, ‘Hans Christian Andersen,’ and even a cheeseburger float among the parade sights By Pamela Dozois Contributing Writer
T
he 86th annual Solvang Danish Days, a three-day cultural event, was held Sept. 15-17 in celebration of the establishment of Solvang by Danish Americans in 1911. The multiple weekend events were well attended with one of the highlights of the event being the Danish Days Parade on Saturday, Sept. 16.
People, young and old lined the streets of Solvang as approximately 19 entries from across the Santa Ynez Valley and beyond participated in the parade, which honored the 1911 founding of Solvang by Danish Americans. This year’s theme was “Kom Sammen” (Come Together). The parade started at 2:30 p.m.
with the Color Guard in the lead, followed by 2023 Danish Maid Stephanie Pedersen, 2023 Grand Marshal Bill Villa, Randel McGee as Hans Christian Andersen sporting a very large top hat, all riding in various vintage automobiles. The Solvang Village Band entertained atop the Carlsberg Pilsner Beer CONTINUED ON PAGE 22