This may be the only weekend of the year when the entertainment balance tips away from Bainbridge Island and toward the mainland. This is the weekend when Poulsbo and Bremerton take center stage, hosting the two biggest events on the festival calendar for the entire year.

Poulsbo hosts the three-day Viking Fest extravaganza, May 19-21, while Bremerton is the site for the huge Armed Forces Festival the same three days.

Viking Fest is a hugely popular event for locals and tourists alike. What’s not to love about a Viking camp set up on the shores of Liberty Bay, Scandinavian dancers, freshly made Norwegian delights and a parade down Front Street.

Viking Fest commemorates Constitution Day in Norway, which is May 17. On that day in 1814 Norway’s parliament adopted its own constitution, paving the way for independence from Sweden in 1905.

In Poulsbo, it’s cause for celebration of the community’s Norwegian heritage, and an occasion for the town’s only parade of the year and a lutefisk eating contest.

The activities center around Waterfront Park, Anderson Parkway and Kvelstad Pavilion, and include a carnival, food and craft booths and entertainment at the pavilion.

Entertainment highlights are the Poulsbo Sons of Norway Leikarringen Dancers, who perform every day; line dancers, cloggers and folk dancers on Saturday; and the Kitsap Pines Chorus of Sweet Adelines International and the lutefisk eating contest Sunday.

New this year is a performance by the Kitsap Water Blossoms, a synchronized swim team made up of 25 girls ages 9-16. They won’t be swimming in the bay though — catch them at the North Kitsap Swimming Pool from 4-5:30 p.m. Saturday. A free shuttle will run between downtown and the pool, with free festival parking throughout the weekend at North Kitsap High School and Junior High.

And of course, the Viking Fest parade starts at 2 p.m. Saturday, winding from Lions Park at 6th and Fjord, down Hostmark and up Front Street to Sunset.

Bremerton prides itself on hosting the nation’s largest Armed Forces Day parade, and this year’s spectacle of military might and patriotic fervor, at 162 entries, is just three short of last year’s record number of participants.

Frank Gentile, Bremerton Chamber of Commerce operations manager, highlighted a few new entries this year: an M1A1 Abrams tank will provide an impressive display of military might, as will the flyover by a C-17 Globalmaster 3 from the 62nd Airwing Command, McChord Air Force Base.

“We’re always looking for new stuff to add,” he said.

The parade starts at 10 a.m. Saturday and takes up most of downtown Bremerton. Leading the array of marching bands, floats and critters on parade will be vintage military staff cars, refurbished by the Military Preservation Society, of Bremerton.

Those cars will hold Military Grand Marshal Adm. Jeffery Cassias, Civilian Grand Marshal Ret. Sgt. John “Bud” Hawk and, in a first for the parade, Celebrity Grand Marshal Lee Greenwood.

The popular “Tribute to Fallen Heroes” entry is back, so bring plenty of tissues.

The parade starts at Fourth and Chester then proceeds up Warren Avenue to Burwell, up Burwell to Pacific and along Pacific to Sixth Street.

While the parade is without question the highlight of the festival in Bremerton, there are other activities going on as well. From noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, military members and their families will be treated to a free barbecue on Fourth Street. The feed is only open to the military and family; an ID card is needed for entry.

Over at Evergreen Park Saturday there’s Festival Americana, noon to 5 p.m., with plenty of children’s activities, including pie eating contests.

Feel like dancin’? Rest up and head down to the 24-hour dance marathon, 1 p.m. Saturday through 1 p.m. Sunday, designed to raise awareness about troops injured in Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.

Whether you feel like waving a flag or eating lutefisk, you won’t have to burn much gas this weekend to get your fill or either one.

Armed Forces Festival, Bremerton

Friday, May 19

• Armed Forces Festival

Golf Tournament,

Gold Mountain Golf

Complex, all day

Saturday, May 20

• 7-10 a.m.: Bremerton

Central Lions Pancake

Breakfast. Fourth street

near City Hall.

• 7-10 a.m.: Masonic Lodge

Pancake Breakfast, Fifth St.

and Warren Ave.

• 9:15-9:45 a.m.: Parade

dignitaries reception, Norm

Dicks Government Center.

• 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Smile

Rescuers dental hygiene

activities, Sixth and Pacific.

• 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Kitsap

County Historical Society

Museum exhibit “Music in

Times of War: The Beat Goes

On.”

• 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: USS

Turner Joy tours, Bremerton

boardwalk, $3.

• 10 a.m.: 58th Annual

Armed Forces Day Parade,

downtown.

• 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Kitsap

Hydro Races on Kitsap Lake,

by donation.

• Noon-8 p.m.: Street fair

and military only barbecue.

• Noon to 5 p.m.: Festival

Americana, Evergreen

Rotary Park, family activities

for all ages.

• 1 p.m.: 24-hour dance

marathon starts, Pacific Ave.

• 1 p.m.: Military Culinary

Arts Competition, Olympic

College

• 5 p.m.: Navy League

Dinner and Reception,

Admiral Theatre.

Sunday, May 21

• 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Kitsap

Hydro Races on Kitsap Lake,

by donation.

Viking Fest, Poulsbo

Friday, May 19

Kvelstad Pavilion,

Anderson Parkway:

• 4 p.m.: Opening

ceremonies with Color

Guard, American and

Norwegian national anthems,

Poulsbo Mayor Kathryn

Quade, introduction of Miss

Viking Fest and Miss

Poulsbo, Sons of Norway

Men’s Chorus.

• 4-10 p.m.: Carnival, food

and craft booths, Anderson

Parkway

• 4:30 p.m.: Poulsbo Sons of

Norway Leikarringen

Dancers, kindergarten

through 4th grade.

• 5:15 p.m.: Poulsbo Sons of

Norway Leikarringen

Dancers, 5th through 12th

grade.

• 6-7 p.m.: Jazz Dance by

Melissa’s Dance Studio.

• 7:30-9:30 p.m.: Olympic

College Jazz Band.

Saturday, May 20

• 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Poulsbo

Noon Lions Pancake

Breakfast, Poulsbo Armory.

• 7:30-11 a.m.: Viking Fest

Road Race, 7:30 a.m. check-

in at Lions Park.

• 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.:

Carnival, food and craft

booths, Anderson Parkway.

• 2 p.m. Viking Fest Parade,

Fjord to Sunset.

• 4-5:30 p.m.: Kitsap Water

Blossoms synchronized

swimming team, North

Kitsap Swimming Pool.

Kvelstad Pavilion:

• 10 a.m.: Kitsap Kickers

Line Dancers.

• 10:30 a.m.: Kitsap County

Cloggers.

• 11 a.m.: Road Race

Awards.

• 11:30 a.m.: Liberty Bay

Danceworks.

• 1 p.m.: Sons of Norway

Monday Night Folk Dancers.

• 4 p.m.: Boot Scootin’

Grannies.

• 4:30 p.m.: Leif Erickson

Lodge No. 1 Leikarringen

Dancers.

• 5:15-7:15 p.m.: Me and the

Boys bluegrass band.

• 7:30-9:30 p.m.: Swing

Fever swing band.

Sunday, May 21

• 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Poulsbo

Noon Lions Pancake

Breakfast, Poulsbo Armory.

• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.:

Carnival, food and craft

booths open, Anderson

Parkway.

• 10:15-11 a.m.: Let’s

Pretend Circus, Waterfront

Park.

• Noon to 3 p.m.: Video

“Vikings in North America,”

Poulsbo Sons of Norway

Lodge. Shown on the hour,

free.

• Noon: Rose City Water

Skiers on Liberty Bay.

• 1:15-2 p.m.: Let’s Pretend

Circus, Waterfront Park.

• 2 p.m.: Lutefisk Eating

Contest, sign up by noon

Sunday.

• 3-3:45 p.m.: Let’s Pretend

Circus, Waterfront Park.

Kvelstad Pavilion:

• 10 a.m.: Rhythm & Shoes

Cloggers.

• 10:45 p.m.: Samara

Dancers.

• 11:30 p.m.: Kitsap Pines

Chorus of Sweet Adelines

International.

Festival closes 4 p.m.