Once the excitement of Christmas and New Year's Eve has passed, many of us sit around wondering how we are going to get through the long, bleak period between the end of the festive season and the long-awaited arrival of spring.
In one town in the U.S., however, they already have a plan, and it involves Vikings.
Held annually in the last week of February, the Michigan Nordic Fire Festival attracts up to 15,000 people to the Eaton County Fairgrounds in Charlotte, Michigan. Over three days, attendees enjoy fabulous fire displays, a ceremonial boat burning, copious mead consumption, and an enormous mid-winter feast.
To find out more about the festival's origins and what you can expect to find here, The Viking Herald spoke to co-founder Bryan Myrkle and merchandise, marketing, and volunteer director A'me McGill-Austin.
To combat post-holiday blues, Charlotte's Michigan Nordic Fire Festival, born from local demand and a significant Scandinavian presence, offers a unique Viking experience in February. Photo: Courtesy of Michigan Nordic Fire Festival
Bridging the gap
Just a few short years ago, Bryan, who works for Charlotte's municipal government and is responsible for community development, identified a large gap in the calendar between the end of the Christmas holidays and the start of spring.
"People don't tend to go out too much at this time – too many people are just sitting at home alone," Bryan tells us. "I thought, boy, we really need to do something."
Bryan contacted a research specialist, William SaintAmour, whose company, Cobalt Community Research, canvassed people in the local area about potential ideas.
To Bryan's immense surprise, the possibility of holding a Viking or Nordic festival came near the top of the pile.
Yet there was also a certain logic to the idea: in addition to the growing interest in fantasy thanks to shows like Game of Thrones and Vikings, there is also a significant Scandinavian population in America's North-West.
Indeed, Bryan was soon made aware of one potentially crucial Nordic contact in the local area.
- READ MORE: The history of Vikings in North America
The festival had its humble beginnings in 2015, started by enthusiasts who invested their own funds, and has since blossomed into a major cultural event, drawing over 15,000 visitors by 2023. Photo: Courtesy of Michigan Nordic Fire Festival
An instant hit
"There is a living history encampment, Frontier Days, which is held in Charlotte in September," Bryan explains.
"Someone told me I should talk to Olaf Thorson, the big Viking guy from the camp. I asked around a bit, then two weeks later, this large Scandinavian man walked into my office and said, 'I hear you've been looking for me.'"
"I knew immediately who he was, and within a half hour of talking, we had dreamed up the framework for the festival."
So it was that in 2015, the Michigan Nordic Fire Festival was born. "We put the first event on with a shoestring budget," explains Bryan.
"Two of us financed it on our own personal credit cards and just crossed our fingers it would work out. Luckily, a lot more people showed up than we expected, and it suddenly seemed like it could be a sustainable thing."
The ceremonial boat burning, a central spectacle of the festival, involves a small Norse-style ship filled with messages from organizers and attendees, symbolically releasing the year's memories in flames. Photo: Courtesy of Michigan Nordic Fire Festival
Up in flames
The Nordic Fire Festival is launched on Friday night with a ceremonial boat burning. The miniature Norse-style ship is made each year by the original Viking, Olaf Thorson, who also happens to be a skilled amateur carpenter.
The boat is filled with the messages of the organizers and attendees, who each write down something that has meant something to them in the year or an event they would like to forget.
Visitors can also look forward to a mead hall, live music, and fire shows on Friday and Saturday. Sunday is family day, with a special Kids Quest to enjoy and the famous Mid-Winter Feast, a five-course Nordic-themed meal, with mead served throughout.
The devotion to mead is only logical, given that Michigan is believed to have the most meaderies of any US state.
The festival has grown to the extent that more than 15,000 visitors from far and wide attended the 2023 event.
"We have had a few overseas visitors over the years, and we get them from Canada and all over the U.S.," A'me tells us.
"Most of my volunteers come from over two hours away to help. I love asking where everyone is from so I can see how far we reach. I remember we've had people from as far away as New Jersey, Colorado, and Canada, and even a few European visitors, too."
While the festival honors Norse history with authentic Viking encampments, its primary focus is on enjoyment and entertainment, offering a range of activities alongside live music, merchants, and re-enactors. Photo: Courtesy of Michigan Nordic Fire Festival
In it for the fun
While the festival does celebrate true Norse history and has historic encampments where people present an authentic Viking experience, the organizers prefer not to take things too seriously. As Am'e explains, the festival's main ethos is based around sheer enjoyment and entertainment:
"We focus on winter, fire, family, and fun. As the days start to get longer, it's an opportunity for families to throw axes/spears and enjoy a variety of entertainment, with live music, merchants, and re-enactors."
Bryan also notes that many attendees of Renaissance fairs in the summer see the Nordic Fire Festival as their chance for a winter reunion.
"We have a bunch of entertainment that is only loosely on theme and fire-related activities, including fire spinners. It isn't really Viking at all, but we cram it all together," Bryan admits.
"We're not trying to be only Viking; we want it to be fun. If you want to come dressed up as a very authentic Viking, we'd love to have you. But a silly fantasy Viking is great as well."
Centering on winter festivities and fun, the event invites participants to embrace both authentic and fantasy Viking personas, fostering a family-friendly and inclusive atmosphere. Photo: Courtesy of Michigan Nordic Fire Festival
From strength to strength
The team is currently hard at work, planning the Ninth Annual Michigan Nordic Fire Festival and setting the dates for February 23-25, 2024.
Despite the event's undoubted success, there has been no real move towards genuine commercialization.
"We are 100% a volunteer organization," Bryan tells us. "We have an army of volunteers for the festival itself, but only about ten of us in the team get together throughout the year. The festival is profitable, but all of the money we make is put back in."
"We experienced a few years of very rapid growth. The mantra now is: we're not trying to make it bigger; we're trying to make it better."
"I would also point out that we're not at all political or religious, and we're certainly not promoting any political agenda," Bryan adds. "We would like to be open – all we want is for it to be meaningful to you as an individual."
"The crowd is actually usually pretty chill, even when the mead is flowing freely. One thing I have learned, though, is that if you throw a kick-ass Viking party, a bunch of Vikings are going to show up, so you better be prepared to handle it!"
To find out more about the Michigan Nordic Fire Festival, please visit their website or Facebook page.
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