The Danish American Cultural Retreat (DACR) is an annual opportunity to learn about topics related to Denmark and other Nordic countries.

A true Pacific Northwest tradition, DACR has been held at the Menucha Retreat and Conference Center for over 40 years. The Menucha Retreat is in Corbett, Oregon – overlooking the Columbia River Gorge.

Due to COVID-19, DACR 2020 is a virtual event! Join us for an educational weekend from the comfort of your own home.

DACR offers:

  • A rich program to illustrate the significance of Denmark on the global stage
  • An annual opportunity to learn about Denmark and its links to the U.S., today and in the past

Join us for this year’s virtual DACR:
September 18 – 20, 2020!

What DACR attendees are saying:

“The cultural retreat is one of the best events I have attended!” –Rasmus Thøgersen, CEO, Museum of Danish America, 2018

“It was so enjoyable in many ways, the program was interesting and diverse, the speakers were engaging, but even more so, the atmosphere was fun and friendly…“ -Georg and Nina Pedersen, 2018

“I enjoyed myself enormously and really appreciate the chance to attend.” -Ingrid Salmon, 2018

2020 Program Announcements

Details about the program are released via our e-bulletin mailing list. Registrations open mid-August. More program announcements to come!

Gone Viking: A Travel Saga by Bill Arnott


Best-selling non-fiction author, Bill Arnott, will lead an exploration of his book, Gone Viking: A Travel Saga. Arnott will share a series of readings and mini-tours from his book. In a live virtual event, Arnott will interlace entertaining stories and spoken-word pieces from his journeys across the Nordic countries. Click here to read more about Bill Arnott.

Author Bill Arnott

“This is definitely one of the best reads of the year.” –Candice James, Laureate Emerita, Silver Bow Press

About Gone Viking: A Travel Saga: “Bill Arnott guides readers on an epic literary odyssey following history’s most feared and misunderstood voyageurs: the Vikings! To ‘go Viking’ is to embark on an epic journey. For more than eight years, Bill Arnott journeyed throughout the northern hemisphere, discovering sites Scandinavian explorers raided, traded, and settled – finding Viking history in a wider swath of the planet than most anthropologists and historians ever imagined…” Read more by Rocky Mountain Books.

Add the book to your summer reading list and join us for the discussion at DACR! You can buy Gone Viking: A Travel Saga on Amazon.

Book Talks by Bodil Jelhof Jensen

Bodil Jelhof Jensen will present two 30 minute lectures at this year’s Danish American Cultural Retreat (DACR) about five books written by her mother, Agnes Jelhof Jensen. The books are memoirs of her mother’s life in Denmark in the 1920s and 1930s, her life through WWII, and her post-WWII immigration to Canada from Denmark.

Read more about the DACR 2020 book talks.

Read more about Bodil Jelhof Jensen.

The book talks will cover the following books by Agnes Jelhof Jensen:
Huset i Canada
Hallo Canada!
Midt Mellem Le og Græde
Dilemma
Glemmebogen

Purchase the books online via:
Saga Egmont (E-books in Danish)
Amazon
AbeBooks

A typical year at DACR:

Program Features:

The rich DACR program has included presentations by CEOs, presidents, or other representatives from key players in the Danish American community, such as:

Museum of Danish America

Nordic Museum

Scan Design Foundation

Embassy of Denmark, USA

Novo Nordisk

 
Diverse topics covered by experts in each field, such as:
  • WWII and the Danish Resistance Movement -Author Nathaniel Hong
  • Hans Christian Andersen -Dr. Marianne Stecher, UW Scandinavian Studies Professor and Head of UW Danish Program
  • The Golden Era of Danish Silent Films -Kristian Næsby, UW Scandinavian Studies Visiting Danish lecturer
  • Vikings in Denmark -Author William Sullivan
  • Falck: Danish Emergency Services -Peter Jorna, Falck USA
  • Danish Cheeses -Dr. Lisbeth Goddik, OSU Dairy Processing Extension Specialist and Associate Professor in Food Science
  • Nimbus Motorcycles –Nimbus Motorcycle Club, USA
  • Danish Defense Policies –Niels Ulrik Olsen, Royal Danish Embassy
  • The Greenland Ice Sheet and Climate Change -Dr. Christina Hulbe, Porland State University

Learn or Practice Danish. DACR offers optional classes for those who would like to learn some Danish at the retreat! Many Danish speakers attend DACR allowing ample opportunities to speak the language. 

Field Trip to Latourell Falls


Nature Walks
Experience waterfalls and lush green surroundings at DACR. We take a field trip to one of the waterfalls each year and to the nearby vista house with spectacular views of the Columbia river.

Evening Entertainment
Each year we have evening entertainment for guests to enjoy before ‘Kro Aften’. On Friday we celebrate Sankt Hans with snobrød and traditional Danish midsommer songs around the fire.

Kro Aften
To wind down from all the daily activities, guests are invited to join us in the ‘Kro’ each evening for beer, wine, and bar snacks.

Conference Schedule
Friday check-in: Begins at 11:00 am followed by lunch at noon.
Friday programs: 1:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Saturday: 8:00 am to 10:00 pm
Sunday: 8:00 am to 1:30 pm

The Menucha Retreat and Conference Center

DACR is held at the Menucha Retreat and Conference Center in Corbett, Oregon. Menucha Retreat offers a variety of amenities and lodging options. Lodging options include rooms that are private, semi-private, or dormitory style.

The beautiful grounds at Menucha have so much to offer, including:

  • Panoramic views
  • A swimming pool and courts for a variety of sports
  • Hiking trails, fire pits, and much more

Getting to DACR

The Menucha Retreat and Conference Center in Corbett is located right on the Washington-Oregon state border.

DSC_3644

Approximate travel times:

  • From Seattle: Less than 4 hours by car
  • From Portland: 30 minutes by car

For those who need a ride from Seattle or Portland, we can help arrange carpools. Guests can also fly in to Portland International Airport. We can help arrange rides from the airport, if needed.

Pricing

All meals are included in the conference fee. There are two meals on both Friday and Sunday. Saturday includes 3 meals. Authentic Danish pastries, snacks, coffee, and other refreshments are provided throughout the weekend. The conference fees also include beer and wine in the Kro!

Sunset lighting over the Columbia River Gorge from DACR

Watch for mailed postcards, website information, The Little Mermaid, and e-bulletin announcements with updates! To receive the most up to date information on DACR and other NWDA programs, events, and activities, sign up for our e-bulletin mailing list.