Sharpen your axes and gather your clan—BERSERK, our epic Viking festival, is storming back into town on Saturday, September 26th!
TWO Rival Viking Encampments will take over the front lawn—witness warriors crafting tools of the past, playing traditional Viking games, and clashing in combat demonstrations throughout the day. It all leads up to an all-out battle to the “death” at 2PM—you won’t want to miss it!
WHEN: 11am – 3pm TICKETS: Adults $20 in advance ($25 day of), Kids 12 & under $10 ($15 day of) get your tickets here!
Want to be part of the raid? We’re still welcoming Volunteers, Vendors, and Food Trucks to join our mighty village. Fill out the form here.
ON THE LAWN:
⚔️ Viking Encampments Step into the world of Norse warriors—explore daily life, tools, and traditions in our rival camps.
🛡️ Crafts, Games & Warrior Training Fun for all ages—test your skills, train like a Viking, and unleash your inner shield-maiden or berserker!
🪨 Stone Lifting with the New England Stone Lifters Think you’ve got Viking strength? Step up and try your hand at lifting legendary stones—glory (and bragging rights) await!
🔥 Climactic Battle at 2PM The rival camps collide in an epic showdown—don’t miss the action!
🧸 KIDS’ CORNER:
ᚱ Rune-Making Station
Create your own Viking message in ancient runes—mystical, magical, and yours to take home!
🧶 Weaving Station
Try your hand at traditional weaving and craft something colorful, cozy, and uniquely yours.
⚔️ Viking Interaction Zone
Meet the Vikings! Ask questions, explore gear, and step right into the world of Norse legends.
🍽️ FEAST-LIKE FJORD-FOLK:
🧇 Waffle Samples from our beloved Kaffestugan (inside) Warm, golden, and impossible to resist—come taste a Scandinavian favorite.
🥖 Nordic Breads, Prepared Foods, Candies & Scandi Goods (inside Kaffestugan) Stock up on sweet, savory, and everything in between—your Nordic pantry starts here.
🌭 Icelandic Hot Dogs from Gunnar’s Icelandic Hot Dogs A true Reykjavík street food classic—juicy hot dogs piled high with crispy onions, sweet brown mustard, remoulade, and more. One bite and you’ll understand the hype.
Prepare your shield, don your cloak, and get ready to go BERSERK! Skål!
Saturday, September 26th | 11am – 3pm | $20 for adults, $10 for kids | tickets
The Scandinavian Cultural Center is proud to present a collection of work by artist Dr. Albert R. Frederick. Along with his wife Suzanne, Dr. Frederick spent many years traveling the world and later resided at the Scandinavian Living Center until his passing this summer. He was prolific in his photography throughout his travels, capturing images on analog and digital cameras and bringing them home to develop in his two darkrooms.
Frederick’s work captures an abundance of subject matter that is united with a singular vision. His artistic signatures draw a line through the collection, connecting high misty mountaintops and coral laden seafloors. There are many passages in his work: doorways and stairwells leading to unknown destinations. The same turquoise and burnt orange appear across continents and decades, again and again.
The photographs have a strong sense of time, whether they capture stillness or motion. There are tranquil images of architecture that feel ancient and permanent, juxtaposed with flashes of movement, like a swirling school of fish or a laugh between locals, that feel like they are a singular and unique instance, never to be repeated. The images ask you to take time to inspect them, inviting you to step closer and notice: a reflection in a window, a broken leg on a chair, a blurred figure—moments that provide surprise, interest, context, meaning.
On display through August. Viewing hours are Wednesdays from 11am to 2pm. For more viewing times, contact caroline@scandicenter.org
All prints are available for purchase. Proceeds from the show will benefit the Scandinavian Living Center’s Suzanne and Albert Frederick Friendship Fund, which helps provide residents with the enriching cultural experiences that define the SLC. The Suzanne & Albert Frederick Friendship Fund provides extra capacity to bring in special programs, guests, and performances that welcome neighboring communities and residents alike and help us achieve one of our core goals: to fight isolation and loneliness. The Fund is at the heart of our mission to provide resources for the entire community to come together, interact, and experience arts and culture together.
The Scandinavian Library and Scandinavian Children’s Library will be open for self-checkout this summer! Self-checkout is limited to library members, so make sure to sign up for your free library membership before visiting.
Coffee will be available in the library and coloring pages and drawing supplies in the children’s library downstairs. A staff member will be on site and can help with basic questions, but librarians will not be available. If you have a question for a librarian, we recommend you get in touch by contacting chip@scandicenter.org via email.
Library hours this summer are scheduled for every other Wednesday beginning July 1st from 11am – 3pm. Regular library hours will resume in September. See below for a list of dates we will be open, and continue to check here and follow us on social media for updates.
Nordic culture has a rich tradition of fiber arts such as knitting and weaving, from Icelandic lopapeysa sweaters to Norwegian selbuvotter mittens. Our monthly Nordic Knit & Craft Gathering celebrates this while also welcoming all crafts, cultures, techniques and styles. Join a group of crafters who are creative and curious and get ready to be inspired!
Bring your own supplies
All types of craft welcome: draw, weave, collage, embroider, bedazzle… we love seeing new ideas!
Drop in anytime between 10am and noon
You’re welcome to get coffee, pastries, and open-face sandwiches from the Kaffestugan and bring them into the Nordic Hall to enjoy. You can also bring food or coffee from home if you prefer!
All experience levels welcome–all you need to do to fit in here is be kind and respectful 🙂
Saturday, September 12th | 10am-12pm | free | BYO supplies | donations to support free programming are welcome
Repeats on the 2nd Saturday every month
Upcoming dates: October 10th, November 14th, December 12th
🌻Join us at the SCC&L for our outdoor Midsummer festival!🌻
Celebrate the summer solstice adorned in a flower crown and dancing around the maypole, or sit back and enjoy your picnic lunch while listening to the live music. There’s something for everyone, and all ages are welcome.
🎁boxed lunch prepared by Kaffestugan
🎶live musical performance by Merulae
🌷singing and dancing around the maypole
🍬Swedish candy and pantry goods for sale
⚽Sweden vs. Netherlands World Cup game showing in the Nordic Hall
Meet us at Boston City Hall Plaza for a ceremonial flag raising to celebrate Sweden’s National Day. Hosted by the Honorary Consul of Sweden in New York, Ann-Kristin Lund, this free event will feature remarks and a musical performance in addition to the flag raising.
Excited to spend a morning with your current craft project,
Or need inspiration for a new one?
If the answer to any of the above is YES, head to the Scandinavian Cultural Center & Library for our Nordic Knit & Craft Gathering! This event is hosted in our Nordic Hall on the 2nd Saturday of every month from 10am to noon. Bring some supplies, whether it’s something you’ve been working on or something brand new, and be ready to show off your project to other curious crafters! Feel free to take a break and head to the Kaffestugan for a coffee, pastry or sandwich to enjoy while you work and chat. This event is open to all, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist–you might learn something new!
Saturday, June 13th | 10am-12pm | free with registration | donations to support free programming are welcome
Repeats on the 2nd Saturday every month through June
*This will be our last craft gathering of the season!
We are thrilled to host a screening of Kings of Kubb, featuring a personalized recorded introduction from directors Steve Dayton and B.J. Hollars. If you’re already a kubb pro, we know you’ll want to see this exciting documentary and join us for some games of kubb (also called “viking chess”) on the lawn afterwards. If you’re confused and wondering what kubb is, come find out! The Swedish lawn game has taken hold over the small city of Eau Claire, Wisconsin–with a population of just 70,000, it hosts the largest weekly kubb league in the world, with 144 teams competing. Filmmakers Dayton and Hollars illuminate the formation of the U.S. National Kubb Championship and what the sport means to its players, four in particular who are vying for the championship.
“It’s not quite bowling. It’s not quite bags. And it’s far more than “throwing sticks at blocks.” When the Nordic lawn game arrived in the United States, American players quickly discovered that—even with skill, strategy, and mental toughness—kubb can break your heart… or heal it.
KINGS OF KUBB follows four elite competitors, each willing to risk everything for a shot at the U.S. National Kubb Championship, held in the Kubb Capital of North America (Eau Claire, WI). As the stakes rise on the pitch, real-world pressures beyond it reveal a powerful story of legacy, rivalry, and the fragile line between friendship and ambition. What does it cost to be the best? And how high a price will one pay to be crowned the King of Kubb?”
Saturday, June 6th | 1pm | $10, $5 for members | tickets
EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholders receive free admission. To reserve free tickets, email caroline@scandicenter.org
As June settles in and the city air turns thick with heat and possibility, join us for a screening of Summer with Monika, Ingmar Bergman’s sensual, restless portrait of young love and fleeting freedom.
Released in 1953 and considered groundbreaking in its frank depiction of sexuality and desire, Summer with Monika follows two young lovers who escape Stockholm for an idyllic summer by the sea, chasing a life untethered from responsibility, routine, and expectation. What begins as sun-soaked romance slowly shifts into something more raw and aching as summer fades and reality presses in.
Dreamy, rebellious, and deeply atmospheric, the film captures the intoxicating feeling of youth suspended in time — cigarette smoke curling through warm air, long Nordic evenings, the shimmer of water, and the quiet sadness that often lingers beneath beautiful moments.
A landmark of Swedish cinema and an early glimpse of Bergman’s emotional brilliance, Summer with Monika remains as provocative, intimate, and haunting today as when it first premiered.
97 minutes | Swedish with English subtitles
Saturday, June 13th | 1pm | $10*, $5 for members | tickets
*Free admission for anyone who qualifies for WIC, EBT, or ConnectorCare. Email caroline@scandicenter.org to reserve a ticket free of charge or request tickets in person at the event.
BERSERK RETURNS! 
TWO Rival Viking Encampments will take over the front lawn—witness warriors crafting tools of the past, playing traditional Viking games, and clashing in combat demonstrations throughout the day. It all leads up to an all-out battle to the “death” at 2PM—you won’t want to miss it!
WHEN: 11am – 3pm
TICKETS: Adults $20 in advance ($25 day of), Kids 12 & under $10 ($15 day of) get your tickets here!
Want to be part of the raid?
