2021 Scandinavian Court

2021 Senior Court

2021 Junior Court

Miss Finland Sofia Morrill from Warrenton was crowned Miss Scandinavia 2019 at the Queen’s Coronation on June 21, 2019, and since there was no Coronation in 2020 due to the pandemic, she remained Miss Scandinavia until the 2021 Miss Scandinavia was crowned at this year's Coronation on Friday, June 18, 2021. Miss Sweden Kaisa Liljenwall was crowned Miss Scandinavia for 2021. Grace Maier was Runner-up and served as Lucia Bride in November 2021.

Find out more about the 2021 Court below.

Miss Sweden 2021 / Miss Scandinavia 2021

Kaisa


Kaisa is a member of and is sponsored by Astor Lodge #215 of the Vasa Order of America. In addition to serving as Junior Miss Sweden in 2010, Kaisa has enjoyed dancing with the Viking Nordic Dancers since second grade, performing at the Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer Festival, and volunteering at the dancer's booth as well as at the Barnefest. As Senior Miss Sweden, Kaisa looks forward to celebrating her Scandinavian heritage and making new friends in the community. Family Scandinavian roots are Swedish, Finnish & Norwegian family traditions include making pannu kakku, krumkake & cardamom bread/rolls, as well as leaving porridge out for the Tomten at Christmas. She is named after her Swedish emigrant grandmother.

Just completing her freshman year at the University of Southern California, Kaisa is studying Biomedical Engineering where she is active in the university’s Naval ROTC Battalion and Women in Engineering organization. She’s an avid piano player and outdoor enthusiast and aspires to backpack on the Pacific Crest Trail!'


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Miss Norway 2021 / Sankta Lucia Bride 2021

Grace


Miss Norway Grace is a senior at Tigard High School. She has been a heritage member of Greig Lodge since 2010 and is sponsored by Nidaros Lodge #16, Sons of Norway. Nidaros is close to her heart because at the age of eight she attended language camp there every summer for five years. Both of Grace’s parents are half Norwegian, making her half Norwegian as well. In addition to the five years at Nidaros, she attended two years of language camp at Trollhaugen Lodge in Washington. She has participated in Leikarringen and served as co- captain of the dance troupe for three years. Grace’s favorite part about her culture is the traditional dances, arts and crafts, and of course the food! She and her family make lefse every Christmas. She will attend Boise State University in the fall and major in education to teach high school mathematics.

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Miss Denmark 2021

Lila


Lila June is Senior Miss Denmark and a Junior at Astoria High School. She’s sponsored by the Lower Columbia Danish Society. Her family heritage includes Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian by marriage. Lila June has lived in the local area for only a few years but one of the first things she did when she moved here was to attend the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival. She loved watching the dancers and trying the different foods. She thinks serving on the court is a great way to meet new people, interact with the community and make fun memories. Lila June enjoys playing piano and likes photography, snow skiing, skateboarding and is the only redhead in her family!

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Miss Finland 2021

Emma


Emma is a Senior at Astoria High School. She’s attended many festivals in the past with her cousins and enjoys learning about her heritage. Her great-grandmother was 100% Finnish and Emma enjoys hearing her grandmother’s stories of growing up with a Finnish childhood. Emma has not yet visited Finland but would love to go there someday. She plays varsity soccer and softball and also participates in 4-H. Emma excels at academics at school and intends to attend Oregon State University in the fall to major in Kinesiology and pursue a career in physical therapy. She looks forward to making new friends on the court.

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Senior Court Chaperone 2021

Carole Chase


Senior Court Chaperone is Carole Chase of Warrenton. She graduated from Warrenton High School and Oregon State University and is public relations / marketing specialist for the Pacific County Health Department. Carole’s paternal great-grandmother was Icelandic and her maternal grandparents were both Finnish. Carole was Junior Miss Iceland in 1987 and Regatta Queen in 1997. Her daughter was Junior Miss Iceland in 2017. Carole plans to take her children to visit Iceland in 2025. Carole has good memories as a child working with family members on preparations for the festival. She thinks preserving heritage is important and is excited to help foster that continued spirit.

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2021 Scandinavian Junior Court

Junior Miss Denmark 2021

Salome


Salome is the 3rd generation Junior Miss Denmark in her family. Her great grandparents immigrated from Norway and Denmark in 1963 and settled in Astoria. Salome loves spending time with them and learning things the “Scandinavian way”. She especially appreciates grandma’s cooking, grandpa’s accordion, and talking at the table over coffee and pastries. Salome is a budding pianist and dancer, loves reading, horses, and playing with her three brothers. She is excited and grateful to the Lower Columbia Danish Society for this opportunity.

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Junior Miss Finland 2021

Avery


Avery is sponsored by Finnish Brotherhood. She loves attending the Midsummer Festival and seeing the Troll. Celebrating her heritage and eating Finnish foods are her priorities. Avery loves to help her Grammy make prune tarts, pannukakku, meatballs and pulla. Both her maternal and paternal great-great-grandparents immigrated from Finland to the United States at the turn of the 19th century. Avery plays basketball and softball and loves to read and play Pokemon. She’s very unique and creative and loves to take care of her farm animals. She’s a hard worker with very strong SISU!

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Junior Miss Norway 2021

Kilee


Kilee is from Astoria and is a 4th grader at Lewis and Clark school. She is sponsored by the Sons of Norway, Nidaros Lodge #16. Her sister, Hailey was Junior Miss Norway in 2016 and her mother was Junior Miss Norway in 1990. They have all shared the Norwegian costume Kilee will be wearing this year. Her great, great-grandfather immigrated to the U.S. from Norway in 1921. Her family heritage also includes Finnish and Swedish. In her free time, Kilee loves playing basketball and softball and is looking forward to learning more about her Norwegian heritage.

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Junior Miss Sweden 2021

Petra


Petra lives in Astoria and is sponsored by the VASA Lodge. She dances with the Nordic Dancers and has been involved with all aspects of the festival since her parents and grandparents are long-time festival volunteers. Petra is excited to be a princess and especially looks forward to the parades. Her heritage is Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian and she’s met Swedish cousins who came to the US to visit. Petra stays busy with church and family activities and her Scandinavian heritage is very important to her.

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Crown Bearer 2021

Max


Max is a student at Hilda Lahti Elementary School in Knappa, Oregon. Max is of Finnish descent through his grandmother, Constance Waisanen. Her grandparents came from the west central regions of Karstula and Paavola, Finland and settled in northern Minnesota. At past festivals Max has enjoyed the burning of the hexes and the barnefest for children. He enjoys the Vikings and loves to play with the sword and dagger he got at the festival. A special treat has been getting to know musicians from the other side of the world when they stay at Grandma’s house during the festival. Max’s favorite subject is math and he loves to do science experiments, build projects and spend time in the woods hiking and foraging with his family. Max is honored to represent his culture and excited to be part of the Court.

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Junior Court Chaperone 2021

Constance Waisanen


Constance was born in Moose Lake, Minnesota, to Lauri Waisanen and Walma Penttinen Waisanen. Her father’s family emigrated from the area around Paavola, Finland, to northern Minnesota in the mid 1800’s. Her paternal grandparents raised nine children in Split Rock Township, Minnesota. Her maternal grandparents married in Karstula, Finland, and moved to the Minnesota Iron range with four of their daughters in 1917. Constance was given an English name because of the difficulty her parents faced in America with their distinctly Finnish names. She lived in Minnesota until attending the University of California where she majored in Chemical Engineering. After graduation, Constance’s first job brought her to the paper industry in Oregon, where she was delighted to reconnect with her Finnish roots. Constance has two sons who are both foresters and two grandchildren whom she encourages to believe that they are 100% Finnish. Constance is an active member of First Lutheran Church, sings with the North Coast Chorale, gardens, and makes art. In 2018, she traveled to Finland with her brother and connected with her cousins. A highlight of the trip was visiting Juoksuaho, the family homestead her grandmother left in 1917, where her cousin lives and which remains virtually unchanged.

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