North County’s beloved celebration of Vikings and Nordic heritage returned to Vista over the Sept. 16-17 weekend with mead, warriors, and axe throwing aplenty.
The 21st annual Vista Viking Festival was twice as large as usual, moving from its standard location at Norse Hall to the sprawling property of the Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum, leaving room for more activities and vendors.
Throughout the two-day festival, hundreds of visitors clad in leather and chains enjoyed live folk music by the Silk Button Butchers, sparring battles by local guilds Drafn and Wolves ov Odin, and a variety of libations in a sprawling sea of red and brown tents.
There were various opportunities for folks to demonstrate their strength, including the log toss and Highland Games Federation athletes participating in the men’s stone lifting championship.
Visitors also had the chance to get into the action on the weapons range themselves with archery, spear, and axe throwing while members of the Bandy Blacksmithing Guild forged nearby.
Those needing accessories like horns, jewelry, apothecary goods and other essential Viking gear wandered the vendor market, sprawling through the event space.
At the center of the festival, a large landborne Viking ship allowed visitors to envision their adventures on the high seas — just without the danger.
