September 5-18, 2017
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DANISH MAID
She thought she didn’t have a chance After her sister was selected in 2014, Gabrielle Heron thought she was ineligible for the role she had dreamed about for years By Raiza Giorgi
news@santaynezvalleystar.com
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abrielle Heron can remember as a little girl picking up copies of the Danish Days magazines that had pictures of her mother on the cover and wanting so badly to be the Danish Maid. Photo by Mike Mesikep Photography When her sister Angelique Heron was “As a young girl watching the lovely Danish Maids in their spectacular costumes, I couldn’t help wanting to be like them,” chosen in 2014, Gabrielle was happy she says Gabrielle Heron, the 2017 Danish Maid. was picked but at the same time a little ant to me because our Danish heritage is celebrates Solvang’s Danish heritage with sad, as the rules of the organization at the a big part of my life. Our family is really authentic food, music, dancing, parades, time said only one sibling can be Danish close and we cook Danish food together on live entertainment and family activities. Maid. special holidays and are always Gabrielle’s hand-made Danish Maid “I was obviously right by there for each other. I love dress is inspired by traditional wedding her side helping Angelique taking pictures with tourists gowns from 1750 to the 1900s. Her dress the whole time because I was and telling them a bit about our will be a traditional black and red, inspired thrilled she was chosen, and town and the history of how we by her mother, Betina Heron, who was also I got to help again when my Read more about came to be,” Heron said. Danish Maid in 1988. cousin Natalya was picked last Danish Days on Her great-grandfather, Axel “I loved working on coming up with the year. We all grew up running Pages 14, 15 Nielsen, started the festival as a design of the dress and incorporating my around Solvang during Danish celebration of the village’s 25th mom and my grandmother’s pieces for the Days together and it was even anniversary in 1936. dress,” she said. more special,” she said. Heron’s grandmother Ann Nielsen was The weekend festival has several acThen, when Gabrielle learned the rules tivities that Heron loves participating in, had changed and she had been picked to be the first Danish Maid, “unofficially” the ranging from walking Friday evening in hostess for the 1961 celebration. The the 2017 Danish Maid, she was so excited Danish Maid became an official position in the Torchlight Parade from Alisal to the she could barely stand it. She says she is Midgaard Pavilion Stage for the opening 1967 with Anne Jensen Fielding. confident she will do a great job, and is ceremonies, to the aebleskiver-eating conGabrielle will preside over this year’s excited to represent the Danish Days Fountest (Gabrielle’s best is five in one sitting) Danish Days, which marks its 81st andation and Solvang. and making the aebleskiver breakfast for niversary with a three-day weekend that “Continuing tradition is really import-
FYI
5 things to know about the Danish Maid Gabrielle Heron She loves Figueroa Mountain for hiking the many trails or having picnics.
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“Remember The Titans” is her favorite movie.
She has an affinity for the 1980s — including the music, movies, style and culture of that decade.
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Her favorite Danish food is a traditional cake.
She rebuilt her car, an International Scout, with her dad and loves being able to fix her own vehicle.
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the throngs of people every morning with her family. “Those are some of the best memories of my life, is being with my family making sausage and aebleskiver and visiting with locals and tourists that come through the line,” Heron said. Preparing for Danish Days has been coinciding with her transition from high school to college as she spent her summer working at Nielsen’s Market and she started at Biola University on Aug. 28. She has a plan to major in mathematics and get her teaching credential to become a math teacher. “I was an academic mentor and it just seemed like it was my calling to be a teacher. I am a leader in my church youth group and I love volunteering and helping people,” she said.