Garðabær marks 50 years as population quintuples

Garðabær, a municipality in Iceland’s capital region, will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Saturday as its population has grown from about 4,000 to nearly 21,000, mbl.is reports.

The anniversary festival begins at 1pm at Garðatorg and will continue from around noon into the evening, according to Mayor Almar Guðmundsson. Garðabær received town rights at the beginning of 1976.

The programme will include a birthday cake at 2pm, face painting, circus performances and inflatable castles. Local performers Dikta, Jói Pjé, Hipsumhaps and Einar Örn Magnússon will take the stage, along with the Lotta theatre group and musician Alöska.

Agla Bríet and Einar Örn will also perform Garðabær’s new anniversary song for the first time. Guðmundsson said the programme was designed for people of all ages and would reflect the character of the town.

Guðmundsson said Garðabær had been the fastest-growing municipality in the capital region over the past five years. He attributed its growth to efforts to build up the community while ensuring that services kept pace with the increasing population, including preschools, schools, facilities for older residents, sports, music and cultural activities.

He said many families remained in Garðabær across generations, while newcomers had also increased the population. The municipality would continue to grow over the next 50 years, he said, but at a slightly slower rate than in recent years.