Visitors to Ballard on May 17, and there were many of them, could be forgiven for thinking they had been transported to another time and place. Men and women walked Market Street in traditional Scandinavian outfits, waltzes played on an accordion drifted from Bergen Place and Norwegian flags waved from every flag-able surface.

Ballard's annual Syttende Mai celebration took over the neighborhood, starting with crafts and lunch at the Nordic Heritage Museum and culminating in the parade, with its thousands of participants and onlookers.

Ingrid Chamales, who recently moved to Gig Harbor from South Dakota, was checking out the Nordic Heritage Museum with her husband for the first time on May 17.

Her parents are from Norway, and she said she decided to make the trip from Gig Harbor for the festivities because she read about it in a Sons of Norway magazine.

Chamales' husband was disappointed by the lack of lutefisk but said he would be back for the annual lutefisk-eating contest at the Ballard Seafood Fest.

Following are the winners from the 2010 Syttende Mai Parade. Winners may pick up their trophies at Union Bank (formerly Frontier Bank), located at 5602 15th Ave. N.W.

Band
1st: Columbia River High School, Vancouver, Wash.
2nd: Shorecrest Highlander Band & Drill Team
3rd: Chief Sealth High School Marching Band

Drill Team
1st: North Queen's Drill Team
2nd: Lake City Girl's Drill Team
3rd: Highlander Drill Team

Float
1st: Occidental Masonic Lodge

Motorized
1st: Last Resort Fire Dept
2nd: Norwegian Ladies Chorus

Novelty
1st: Swedish Cultural Center Pancake Drill Team

Scandinavian
1st: Norwegian Commercial Club
2nd: Norden 2-002 Sons of Norway
3rd: Leikarringen of Leif Erikson Lodge # 1

Youth
1st: Whittier Wildcats Circus Arts
2nd: Matheia's Ribbons & Rhythm
3rd: Troll's from Ballard Boys & Girls Club & Terjeviken Lodge

Click the image above for more photos from Syttende Mai 2010.