Festival Leadership

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!

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.

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