Seattle's annual Fishermen's Festival was first held in 1929, hosted by Reverend Olai Ludvig Haavik (1886-1977), minister at Ballard First Lutheran Church from 1921-1947. Initially a simple gathering of fishermen and their families to receive the blessing of the church for a safe and successful voyage north and to give thanks for the past years' harvests, the festival evolved to include musical performances and was opened to the general public. The tradition of the festival has continued in modern times with the annual Fishermen's Fall Festival, held every September to celebrate the return of the North Pacific fishing fleet to Ballard.
The festival program pictured here outlines the schedule of the service, which included greetings from then-Governor of Washington Arthur B. Langlie (1900-1966) and performances by the 60-member Norwegian Male Chorus. An estimated 1,300 people attended the service that year, which was conducted by Rev. Haavik and his successor at Ballard First Lutheran Church, Rev. Arnold Flyen Anderson (1912-2002).
Caption information source: "Fishermen's Festival Program Set," The Seattle Daily Times, March 17, 1950, p. 37. Caption information source: "Rev. Dr. Olai Haavik dies; initiator of Ballard rites," The Seattle Times, October 25, 1977, p. 20.
Physical Description: 1 folded program ; 6 x 10 in.
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant. Metadata updated as part of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Library Services and Technology Act, through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.
