The Taste of Iceland 2023 Festival Kicks Off U.S. Tour in Washington, D.C., March 8 to 11

The four-day festival will transport visitors to Iceland through a dozen free events inspired by, and in celebration of, the best of Icelandic culture.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Taste of Iceland 2023, organized by Inspired by Iceland, arrives in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, March 8 – Saturday, March 11. The four-day cultural festival celebrates the land of fire and ice with more than a dozen events held at venues across Washington, D.C., showcasing the best of Icelandic culture, including food and beverage, music, literature, wellness, and more.

Taste of Iceland celebrates and shares the traditions and culture of Iceland with the people of North America. In partnership with local Washington, D.C. businesses and Taste of Iceland’s official partners, featured events will be hosted at the Eaton DC, Michele’s, Allegory, and Songbyrd.

Most events are free and open to the public, event tickets are required and guests are encouraged to arrive promptly to guarantee entry. Tickets are available on the Taste of Iceland website. Reservations are required for the prix-fixe Icelandic dinner at Michele’s.

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
(additional event details provided below)

 Wednesday, March 8

• Secrets of the Sprakkar with Eliza Reid, First Lady of Iceland: 7 PM at the Eaton DC, Beverly Snow Ballroom, 1201 K St NW.

Daily March 9-11

• Icelandic Menu at Michele’s: March 9 – 11 starting at 5 PM Michele’s owner and head Chef, Matt Baker, in collaboration with Icelandic Chefs Viktor Örn Andrésson and Hinrik Lárusson, will prepare a four-course prix-fixe dinner inspired by Icelandic ingredients. Reservations are available via OpenTable.

Daily March 10-11

• Wheel of Prizes Presented by Icelandair: March 10-11 at various events, participants will have the opportunity to win various prizes, including a trip for two to Iceland!

Friday, March 10

• When Fiction Becomes Truth: A conversation with Sigríður Hagalín Björnsdóttir about her prescient novel, The Fires: 12 PM at the Eaton DC, Beverly Snow Ballroom.
• Icelandic Cocktail Class with Reyka Vodka: 5 PM at the Eaton DC, Allegory Bar.

Saturday, March 11

• Elemental Sound Bath with Blue Lagoon Iceland and Icelandic Provisions Breakfast Bar: 11 AM at the Eaton DC, Wild Days Rooftop Venue.
• 66°North Presents: Inspiring Female Exploration with Ása Steinars: 2 PM at the Eaton DC, Crystal Room.
• Reykjavik Presents: Iceland Airwaves Off Venue: Discover some of Iceland’s hottest new musical artists, including Eydís Evensen, Arny Margret, and LÓN. 7 PM at Songbyrd located at Union Market, 540 Penn St NE.

EVENT DETAILS

Secrets of the Sprakkar with Eliza Reid, First Lady of Iceland – March 8 @ 7 PM – Eaton DC, Beverly Snow Ballroom. 
Join the First Lady of Iceland and co-founder of the Iceland Writers Retreat, Eliza Reid, as she discusses her critically acclaimed book Secrets of the Sprakkar. Sprakkar is an old Icelandic word that translates to outstanding women. Reid will discuss Iceland’s attitude towards gender equality and why Iceland has topped the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index for the past 13 years. She shares some of the inspiring stories of the women she spoke to for her book. She reflects on what we can all do in our lives to improve equality and equity for all and the areas where Iceland still has work left to do. Click here for more information.

Icelandic Menu at Michele’s – March 9 – 11 starting @ 5 PM – Eaton DC, Michele’s Restaurant.
Michele’s owner and head Chef, Matt Baker, in collaboration with Icelandic Chefs Viktor Örn Andrésson and Hinrik Lárusson, will prepare a pop-up menu inspired by Icelandic ingredients. Reservations can be made at OpenTable.

The four-course prix-fixe menu is $95 per guest and includes:

• 1st course: Lightly smoked Arctic char, dill vinaigrette, kohlrabi and Icelandic wasabi
• 2nd course: Slowly cooked cod, roasted cauliflower, soy and champagne sauce
• 3rd course: Icelandic filet of lamb, potato puree, glazed carrot, crowberry sauce
• 4th course: Icelandic Provisions skyr & blueberries, skyr sorbet, bilberry granite and white chocolate

Click here for more information.

When Fiction Becomes Truth: A conversation with Sigríður Hagalín Björnsdóttir about her prescient novel, The Fires – March 10 @ 12 PM – Eaton DC, Beverly Snow Ballroom.

Join author and Icelandic television news anchor Sigríður Hagalín Björnsdóttir for a conversation about her new novel, The Fires, a heart-wrenching thriller about a woman’s desperate quest to save the people she loves from a natural disaster. Björnsdóttir has spent much of her career reporting on both the scientific and human-interest aspects of volcanic eruptions and other natural disasters in Iceland. She felt compelled to write a story that depicted the people involved and how they might be affected during an eruption. When The Fires was first published, there hadn’t been any volcanic action near Reykjavík for more than 800 years. Four months later, the Fagradalsfjall eruption started only a few kilometers away from the location where it happens in the novel. Click here for more information.

Icelandic Cocktail Class with Reyka Vodka – March 10 @ 5 PM – Eaton DC, Allegory Bar.
Join a free two-hour Icelandic cocktail class where Reyka Vodka’s brand ambassador and mixologist, Jeffrey Naples, will make cocktails for attendees to sample. Jeffrey will shake up some tasty Iceland-inspired cocktails and teach attendees how to make these drinks at home! DJ Hermigervill will welcome guests with his signature style, synth music, and vegan tape loops that will surely get you moving. Sit back and enjoy Icelandic tunes curated by the experts at Iceland Music while tasting delicious drinks inspired by Iceland. Guests must be 21 years old with a valid ID to attend and consume alcohol. Click here for more information. 

Elemental Sound Bath with Blue Lagoon Iceland and Icelandic Provisions Breakfast Bar – March 11 @ 11 AM – Eaton DC, Wild Days Rooftop Venue.
Join us for an hour of inner peace and healing meditation. Icelandic energy healer, Jósa Goodlife, will take guests on an elemental journey, guiding them through a deeply relaxing, supporting, and uplifting journey with the healing sounds of nature. Sound Bath attendees will receive a complimentary Blue Lagoon Iceland yoga mat, an Icelandic Provisions beanie, an Icelandair blanket, Icelandic Glacial water, and a Blue Lagoon Iceland gift. After the Sound Bath, guests are invited to the Icelandic Provisions Breakfast Bar at the Eaton House co-working space, where they can build their own bowl using Icelandic Provisions Skyr – a type of Icelandic yogurt that has sustained Icelanders for nearly 1,000 years. Click here for more information. 

66°North Presents: Inspiring Female Exploration with Ása Steinars – March 11 @ 2 PM – Eaton DC, Crystal Room.
Join 66°North Brand Ambassador, Icelandic adventurer, and content creator Ása Steinars for a fireside chat. In her talk, “Inspiring Female Exploration: How Ása Steinars encourages others to connect with nature and adventure,” Ása will speak about her connection with nature and the thrills—and challenges—of living an “adventure lifestyle” year-round in Iceland while showcasing a collection of her work. She will share magical moments from Iceland and discuss how she has become an influential figure in the photography and exploration world. She will share her experiences traveling around Iceland and how they shaped her identity and career. She will discuss how she has used social media to share her work and inspire others to pursue their dreams. She will also discuss her success in becoming a sought-after photographer and drone pilot, shooting for well-known brands. Click here for more information. 

Reykjavik Presents: Iceland Airwaves Off Venue – March 11 @ 7 PM – Songbyrd Music House.
Enjoy a free concert with artists curated by the Iceland Airwaves music festival, featuring Icelandic artists Eydís Evensen, Arny Margret, and LÓN. In line with the traditions of her homeland, Eydís Evensen achieved an outstanding feat of tonal expressiveness with her debut “Bylur” last year. Arny Margret is a 21-year-old singer-songwriter from the Westfjords of Iceland. Her music and lyrics paint beautiful yet painful images inspired by her personal experiences and surroundings. And, with decades of experience in the music industry and a handful of university degrees in music between them, the members of LÓN have played in countless bands and toured Europe and North America. DJ Hermigervill will welcome guests as they enter the concert and entertain throughout the evening with Icelandic music. Click here for more information. 

Wheel of Prizes Presented by Icelandair – March 10 – 11
Presented by Icelandair, the Wheel of Prizes offers participants a chance to win a range of prizes, including Blue Lagoon Skincare products, an Icelandic wool blanket, a year’s supply of Icelandic Provisions skyr, cases of sparkling and still water from Icelandic Glacial, a Reyka Vodka package, a Tindur shearling jacket and Surtsey knit cap from 66°North, or the grand prize, a trip for two to Iceland from Icelandair, including a stay at the Silica Hotel at the famed Blue Lagoon Iceland, and a 72-Hour City-card from Visit Reykjavík! People can sign up for a chance to win before the spins take place at the times listed below. Click here for more information. 

• March 10 at 4:50 PM, at the Eaton DC, Allegory, before the cocktail class
• March 11 at 1:50 PM, at the Eaton DC, Crystal Room, before 66°North Presents: Inspiring Female Exploration with Ása Steinars
• March 11 at 7:50 PM, at the Iceland Airwaves Off Venue at Songbyrd

Taste of Iceland is an annual festival that celebrates Iceland’s vibrant culture. The festival is organized by Inspired by Iceland, which promotes Iceland and Icelandic products. It is presented in partnership, and with support, from Icelandair, Visit Reykjavík, Icelandic Trademark Holding, Business Iceland, Reyka Vodka, Blue Lagoon Iceland, 66°North, Icelandic Provisions, Icelandic Lamb, Icelandic Glacial, Landsvirkjun, and Isavia Keflavik International Airport. Additional Taste of Iceland events will be held in New York, NY (May 10-13), Chicago, IL (September 7-10), and Seattle, WA (October 4-7).

For more information about Inspired by Iceland and Taste of Iceland, visit www.inspiredbyiceland.com.

To learn more about Business Iceland, visit www.businessiceland.is.

For media inquiries or to attend Taste of Iceland events, contact [email protected].

CONTACT: Robin Crawford
703.966.7616 | [email protected]

SOURCE Taste of Iceland