News

Midsummer celebrations offer a smorgasbord of Scandinavian fun

Posted June 18, 2009 11:00 pm

By David Teeghman Daily Herald Staff

From left, Tom Anderson of Wheeling and John Hall of Roselle gear up to perform in their band, Chicago Spelmansleg, at a previous year's Midsommar Festival in Vasa Park, South Elgin. Daily Herald Archives/2005

For a group that is notoriously light-skinned, Scandinavians sure like summer celebrations.

Two summer festivals to honor Scandinavian culture will take place in the span of one week in the Fox Valley - one in South Elgin, the other in Geneva.

"Midsummer celebrations are very important to Scandinavians because they live in darkness for so much of the year," said Jack Grandin, treasurer of Scandinavian Park, Inc., the nonprofit group that runs and organizes the event in South Elgin.

The Swedes go first on Sunday, June 21 with the Swedish Midsummer Festival in Geneva, also known as Swedish Day.

Both festivals will feature the Maypole dance, which is a Scandinavian tradition, but the dances will differ slightly from tradition.

"Normally, the Maypole is a tall pole decorated with ribbons and flowers that young people weave as they dance around the pole, but because we have so many people coming, we just can't do it that way," Grandin said.

Vikings will also make an appearance in Geneva as they demonstrate different Viking activities, including weapons practice, weaving, cooking and ninth century games.

An authentic Norwegian Viking ship reproduction will also be open to the public throughout the day, but because of an ongoing restoration project, visitors will not be able to go inside the ship.

Scandinavian as well as American food will be served.

"We will have hot dogs and hamburgers and stuff like fried herring so that people who don't like Swedish food feel welcome too," said Pam Gustafson, business manager of the Swedish Midsummer Festival.

Several groups will perform music all day, including Swedish American Children's Choir, Ernie Sandquist and Cai Rubin with a Swedish and American singalong, and John Berquist performing "Music and Tales from the Upper Midwest."

If you don't get your fill of Swedish meatballs and accordion music Sunday, don't worry. Less than a week later - on Saturday, June 27 - the Scandinavian Midsommar Celebration will fill Vasa Park in South Elgin.

Grandin expects people descended from all five Scandinavian countries to show up: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

Cultural organizations representing the five countries will be there to put on the event, acting as the volunteers, preparing and serving food, and conducting classes.

Dances will be performed to traditional Scandinavian music, which Gustafson described as "folksy, full of violins and electric accordions."

Classes of all sorts will be offered, including Scandinavian cooking, flower arranging and other types of arts and crafts.

The food served will represent the diversity of Scandinavian cooking, from Swedish meatballs to Danish kringle and everything in between. Visitors are also welcome to bring their own picnic baskets. A bonfire will conclude the day's festivities.

While these events are meant to honor the Scandinavian heritage, people of all nationalities are welcome - or "valkommen," as they say in Swedish.

The midsummer celebration in South Elgin will take place on June 27 from 2 to 9 p.m. in Vasa Park in South Elgin. For details, you can go to vasparkil.com or call (847) 695-6720.

Geneva's Swedish Day - not to be confused with Swedish Days, June 23-28, which is a larger festival sponsored by the city's chamber of commerce - will take place in Good Templar Park on Sunday, June 21 starting at 9 a.m., and the last event of the day begins at 4 p.m. For details, check out swedishday.net.

Both festivals offer free admission for children, but you get in free to Geneva's Swedish Midsummer Festival if you show up in a traditional Scandinavian outfit.

Visitors can get an up-close look at some Icelandic horses at the 98th annual Swedish Midsummer Festival in Geneva. Photos courtesy of the Swedish midsummer festival

Fourth annual Scandinavian Midsommar Celebration When: 2 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 27 Where: Vasa Park, on Route 31 in South Elgin. How much? $5 for adults and free for children 12 and younger. Info: <a href="http://vasaparkil.com" target="new">vasaparkil.com</a> 98th annual Swedish Midsummer Festival (Swedish Day) Where: Good Templar Park, 528 E. Side Drive, Geneva When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 21 How much? $5 for adults and free for children 12 and younger and those dressed in Scandinavian costumes. Details: <a href="http://swedishday.net" target="new">swedishday.net</a>