photo by: John Young

Christie Ghrist, Olathe, and Ed Reider, Prairie Village, partake in a Scandinavian Mixer Dance during the Nordic Heritage Festival on Saturday. Ghrist and Reider, who are members of the dance group Kansas City Scandinavian Dancers, were teaching festivalgoers traditional folk dances.

photo by: John Young

Kerstin Messmer, 15, Olathe, smiles as she stands next to Swedish and Finnish flags while waiting to participate in a play during the Nordic Heritage Festival.

photo by: John Young

Six-year-old Karsten Hunstad, Lee's Summit, Mo., listens as Regina Shaver, Lawrence, explains how her spinning wheel works during the 2011 Nordic Heritage Festival.

photo by: John Young

Regina Shaver, Lawrence, demonstrates how a spinning wheel works during the Nordic Heritage Festival held Saturday at the Douglas County Fairgrounds.

photo by: John Young

Five-year-old Alex Chanthavong, Overland Park, works on creating a masquerade mask during the Nordic Heritage Festival on Saturday at the Douglas County Fairgrounds.

photo by: John Young

Five-year-old Alex Chanthavong, Overland Park, peers through the eyeholes of the masquerade mask he created during the Nordic Heritage Festival on Saturday at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. The festival offered food, fun, information and demonstrations about Nordic cultures.