Yulefest? Heck yes.

We're not exactly Scrooges, but most things about the holidays are lame. The music is bad, mandatory hangouts with family are never quite what they are cracked up to be, the human stampedes at the local malls are an unbearable nightmare of consumer frenzy and if we never have to sit through another childrens choir performance it'll be too soon. Decorating is cool and so are parties where people dress up and drink too much, but short of that, we don't exactly look forward to this highest and coldest of seasons.

There are strong hopes that Yulefest, the annual Christmas festival put on by the Nordic Heritage Museum is about to become our favorite thing ever and may finally give us something Christmasy to look forward to. This self-proclaimed jubilee has everything in the recipe books for a grand old time.

There will be tons of musical performances by traditional Scandinavian groups with dancers. Local artisans will be selling hand-crafted Nordic-inspired gifts which certainly someone on your list will appreciate. Kiddies will enjoy pics with Santa and free craft activities. Adults will enjoy glogg, a traditional hot spiced wine as well Nordic beers, because nothing says it's the holidays like condoned afternoon drinking.

Soak up the brews with everyone's favorite, food. Now is your chance to try Æbleskiver, krumkake, and lefse and other things we don't know how to pronounce but which sound delicious.

Ethnic events are always a blast and this one sounds sure to please even the Scroogiest of Scrooges. Just take a good hard look at the picture taken from a Yulefest of yore and don't tell us you don't wish you were there in person.

Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. // Nordic Heritage Museum // $3 adults $1 kids, suggested donation of canned food for the Ballard Food Bank