Festival Leadership
Image

Carla Oja

2024 Festival President


Carla Oja is the president of the Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer Festival. Oja has a degree in resource recreational management and is an instructional assistant at Lewis and Clark School in the Astoria School District. She’s former manager of th City of Astoria Tapiola Pool and a long-time swim teacher and coach. Oja’s husband Alan is of Finnish descent and Carla recently found out through ancestry testing that she is also of Scandinavian descent. All four Oja children were active in the festival dance groups, courts, and flag ceremonies when they were growing up and their mother says they would rather miss Christmas than the Midsummer Festival!

Image

Sirpa Duoos

2024 Festival Vice-President


Sirpa Duoos is vice-president of the Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer Festival Association. Duoos recently retired from Clatsop County after over twenty-five years in public service. Sirpa moved from Kalajoki, Finland, to Oregon in 1969 with four siblings and her parents. She enjoys sewing, knitting, and weaving and has made numerous authentic Finnish folk costumes and one Norwegian bunad. Sirpa’s daughter Emilia was Senior Miss Norway and her daughter Essi was Junior Miss Finland. Sirpa is proud of all local Scandinavians for keeping up their heritage and for putting on and attending the festival each year.
Image

Coreen Bergholm, 2024 Grand Marshal


Coreen Bergholm

2024 Grand Marshal


Coreen Bergholm has attended 55 of the 57 Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer Festivals since its inception and performed on accordion at every festival since 1978. Festival president Carla Oja says, “That’s quite a record! We’re honoring Coreen for her love, dedication, and participation.” Coreen says, “This is a fantastic honor. I’m always thrilled to be part of the Midsummer Festival. Local Scandinavians know to plan their life around the third weekend in June when the festival happens and let the rest of life’s activities take place before or after.”

Bergholm will preside at the Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer Festival Stationary Optog Parade at 12 noon on Saturday, June 15, in front of the Columbia River Maritime Museum and at the Optog Walking Parade on 11:30 AM at the Midsummer Festival on Saturday, June 22, at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds. Her band Scandinavian Country will perform dance music for the Queen’s Ball from 8-11 PM on Friday, June 21, in the Exhibit Hall. Coreen Bergholm’s Astoria Nordic Accordion Band will perform 5:30-7 PM on Saturday, June 22, in the Exhibit Hall and her newest band, Squeezer and Friends, will perform 9:15 – 10:30 AM on Sunday, June 23, in the Exhibit Hall during the Sisu Breakfast catered by Scandinavian Café.


Festival Committee 2024
Image

Barbie England
Admissions

Image

Bonnie Fisher
Decorations


Image

Brenda Higgins
Treasurer, Vendors


Image

Tara Johnson
Voting Member, Sunshine, Vendors


Image

Liz Jolley
Princess, Sankta Lucia


Image

Bernadeth Ladd
Voting Member, Barne Fest


Image

Katie Lane
Raffle


Image

Nancy Lane
Raffle


Image

Tony Larson
Past Chair, Voting Member


Image

Berit Madsen
Voting Member


Image

Loran Mathews
Budget, Logistics, Downtown Flags


Image

Scott McMullen
Signs, Audit


Image

Donna Moberly
Troll Run


Image

Carla Oja
President, Contests, Optog


Image

Yvonne Sundstrom
Publicity


Image

Marci Swenson
Secretary, Princess


Image

Cathy Oja Williams
Flag Raising


Image

Nettie Blair
ASHA Board


Image

Janet Bowler
Entertainment, ASHA Vice-President, Astoria Nordic Heritage Park Co-Chair


Image

Angie Cereghino
Scholarship


Image

Leila Collier
2017 Past Festival Chair


Image

Scott Docherty
Web Design, Festival Photographer


Image

Judie Dreyer
ASHA Board


Image

Sirpa Duoos
Vice-President


Image

Judi Lampi
Astoria Nordic Heritage Park Co-Chair


Image

Carole Lyngstad
ASHA Treasurer


Image

Sonja Madsen
Historian


Image

Janet Todd
Troll Run


Image

Rebecca Sprengeler
Admissions Co-Chair