VISTA — Vikings in armor and shield-maidens in corsets flocked to the annual Viking Festival hosted by the Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum on Sept. 21-22.
People from all over the county had the chance to step back in time, dress up in costume and stroll through three acres while exploring the numerous events the festival had to offer.
Activities ranged from a food and drink aisle filled with cider and mead to bands providing ambiance for dancing. Adventurous attendees could test their strength in the strongman competitions by tossing a fish or wielding weapons such as axes, swords or spears. Craft lovers could spin wool into yarn or browse the handmade products of local venders.
Children were also welcome to join in by listening to storytellers, trying fiber arts and crafts, or even throwing their own spears and axes.
“It is really fun to be a part of a community of people who come out to these events,” vendor Haley Hudkins said.
The Viking Festival began in 2002 when a small group of women from the Sons of Norway Hall put on a fall festival. Soon after, groups of Viking enthusiasts joined the festival to spread awareness about Viking and Scandinavian Culture.
Over time, new groups formed around hobbies like blacksmithing and geneology, tracing their ancestry through Scottish clans.
The event, once held at the small Norway Hall, has since grown into a major annual festival now celebrating its 23rd year.
This year’s theme, “The Year of the Valkyrie,” honored the importance of women in Viking culture. In Norse mythology, Valkyries were women who came to the battlefield to take fallen soldiers up to Valhalla, the Vikings’ version of Heaven. Beyond myth, women managed farms, enslaved workers and wool production, —the main export out of Scandinavia.
The festival highlighted the women-owned businesses, many which started as small hobbies.
Among them was Hudkins, who has participated in the Viking Festival for the past two years. Her fantasy-inspired candle brand, Will-O-Wicks Candle Company, was an easy fit with the event’s mythical theme.
Another vendor, Deb Wallace, created her business as a solution for her daughter’s allergies. Using all-natural items, her soaps, lotions, sprays and salves grew into the business known today as The Surly Herbalist.
“Come on in and sniff everything,” Wallace said.”I have something for every nose,”
The Viking Festival relies on about 600 volunteers to bring the celebration to life each year. James Jerpseth, who has served as president of the Norway Hall Foundation for the past 18 years, said volunteer dedication is what makes the event possible.
“As far as we know, this is the only — more than 10,000 people on a weekend — event that is run solely by volunteers,” Jerpseth said.
The Viking Festival is set to return to Vista in September of 2026.
Oct. 4, 2025 @ 3:50 p.m. — a correction has been made to this story, this is the most current version.
