Events are back, baby. Especially around this time of year, residents of Johannesburg are spoiled for choice thanks to the return of markets, festivals, fairs, expos and live shows all competing for your precious weekend downtime under Summer skies.

For people who appreciate alternative lifestyles, dress-up and full days of (mostly) outside fun, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on what event organisers Alter Egos are up to. This past Saturday, 4 November, at Rusty Hook in Honeydew, the same team behind the popular The Magical Medieval Fayre, annual Rocky Horror audience participation experience A Jump to the Left, and biennial Disworld Day (which we covered last year), ran the third-ever A Viking Thing.

As you probably can guess by the name, A Viking Thing is a celebration of all things Dark/Middle Ages Nordic, and is another very popular day out for the family (including socialised furkids). Last held in March 2020, pre-Pandemic restrictions, this year’s A Viking Thing saw tickets sold out online before the event.

Given the nature of its theme, A Viking Thing is tonally a tiny bit darker than the likes of Medieval Fayre. Although, if you’ve attended any of these themed events you’ll notice a similar formula to the set-up and attractions, which include the likes of quizzes, costume contests, combat LARPing, archery, live music, and a day-long “quest” of activities to tick off in order to be eligible for a prize draw.

Of course, distinct Viking flavour seeped into the event as well, with Floki’s Float Your Boat battle, Viking Games, rune readings by a völva, axe throwing, falcon interactions, a snake and creepy crawlies show, a Best Beard contest, fire walking, a vicious “last man standing” Chilli Mead Challenge, and a ceremonial boat burning – sent afloat with messages commemorating lost loved ones – to cap off the day.

Attendees could also get traditional Viking makeup and hair styling done on site. Meanwhile, the event crafters’ market was set up to accommodate everyone’s Viking vibe needs – whether that be armour and weapons made by artisanal leather and metal workers, craft beer and mead on tap, authentic drinking horns, or even wound prosthetics.

With a full day’s schedule, there was a lot going on at A Viking Thing, and the time flew by. That said, the event never felt over-crowded or over-stimulating. And even if you did need a break, you could always just get yourself a hearty pulled pork roll, vegan alternative, mini doughnuts, or ice coffee, and just chill on the banks of the venue’s large pond.

We had a great time, further buoyed by the positive and appreciative energy displayed by everyone on the day. Yes, there were actually a lot of nice Vikings, making a truly great day out.

Also a biennial event, the next A Viking Thing should take place in 2025. For the record, the next tentpole Alter Egos event at Rusty Hook is the annual Fantasy Fayre, with Fantasy Fayre 2024: Faeries & Fables, coming up on Saturday, 2 March next year.

Below you’ll find more images from A Viking Thing 2023, and additional photos can be found on Facebook here.