It was 1949 when Danish immigrant Christian Olesen opened the O&H Danish Bakery. What he didn’t know then was that his business would last for 75 years and gain national recognition for its baked goods and (especially) Kringle.
Today, the bakery offers up to 20 Kringle flavors at a time and bakes and sells up to 7,000 Kringles per day during the holiday season.
That’s a reason to celebrate! And that’s exactly what O&H Danish Bakery is doing.
To celebrate its 50th anniversary and thank the community for its support, the bakery is hosting a 75th anniversary celebration on Saturday, September 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its retail store at 5910 Washington Ave. in Racine.
During the festivities, guests can enjoy live music from Racine band North Cape Express from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., participate in family-friendly activities and games, take advantage of fun photo opportunities, and enjoy specialty pizza from the Street-Za food truck, kringle tastings and more.
But that’s not all.
For two delicious weeks, the Olesen family will also bring back four special Kringle flavors representing each of the four generations that owned O&H Danish Bakery. To make things even more festive, all five bakery locations will be decked out with decade-themed decorations and costumes during the two-week celebration, September 14-29. Shipping of the special Kringle will begin September 9.
Special flavors include:
The classic of the 50s: apricot sugar
This treat represents the 1950s, O&H’s first year in business, a time when Kringle was offered in traditional flavors sprinkled with coarse sugar.
The sweet 70s: pineapple pecan
In the 1970s, Ray and Myrna Oleson favored this kringle with sweet, sunny pineapple, nutty pecans and brown cane sugar.
The chic 90s: vanilla pudding poppy seeds
In the 1990s, under Eric and Lisa Olesen, O&H introduced new ingredients and flavours, but remained true to traditional Danish pastries such as poppy seed tebirkes.
The delicious 2020s: Cherry-Almond Macaron
When Peter and Alyson Olesen were asked about their absolute favorite, they chose this kringle with its delicious macaron cookie topping.
“Reaching 75 years as a family-owned bakery is no small feat and we are honored to celebrate this milestone with our dedicated employees, family, customers and community members by our side,” said Peter Olesen, fourth-generation co-owner and president of O&H Danish Bakery.
“Whether you try a piece of my great-grandfather’s favorite simple and sweet pastry or my parents’ poppy seed biscuits, thank you for joining us in honoring our past as we look ahead to the next 75 years.”
