Swedish Day to kick off at Good Templar Park June 16

Submitted by Swedish Day Committee

The 103rd annual Swedish Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 16, at Good Templar Park, 528 East Side Drive, Geneva. Gates open at 9 a.m.

Swedish Day is the Midwest’s oldest midsummer festival, dating back to 1911.

This family event has something for everyone, including an arts and crafts fair, folk dancers, Maypole celebration, live Scandinavian music, carnival games, Swedish mini-golf, children’s races, a 50/50 raffle and more.

Scandinavian food will be food, including a fried herring and Swedish pancake breakfast, Swedish coffee bread, Swedish meatball dinner and almond tarts. In addition, there will be sloppy joes, hamburgers and hot dogs.

The Viking encampment will open at 9:30 a.m. See the Viking ship that is housed at Good Templar Park, and learn about the ship’s voyage from Bergen, Norway, to Chicago’s 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition and its subsequent adventures.

A worship service, led by the Rev. Don Lindman, will be held at 10 a.m. on the main stage, with special music by pianist Shirley Fox and flutist Haley Hanson. Take a mini-Swedish lesson with Inez Tornblom at 11:30 a.m. The Maypole raising and dance will start at noon, featuring violinist Christopher Earl, Swedish American Children’s Choir and The Nordic Dancers of Chicago. It will be followed by the second annual Lutefisk Toss at 12:30 p.m. The Swedish American Children’s Choir will perform at 1:30 p.m., followed by the Chicago Spelmanslag at 2:10 p.m. and the Nordic Dancers of Chicago at 3 p.m. Starting at noon, take a Cottage Walk, and see the summer homes designed after Swedish stugas. It will be held hourly until 4 p.m.

Admission is $5 or free for children, age 12 and younger. Anyone dressed in traditional Scandinavian folk costumes also are admitted free.

For details, visit www.swedishday.net.