Go Nordic at 43rd annual Scandinavian Day Festival Sept. 10
The Scandinavian Day Festival is returning for its 43rd year on Sunday, Sept. 10, in South Elgin.
The festival celebrates the cultures of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, featuring both traditional and modern music, food and beverages, displays, and vendors.
It will be 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the 25-acre Vasa Park at 35W217 Route 31. Admission is $10 or free for children, age 12 or younger. Parking is free.
The festival will begin with a church service at 10:30 a.m., followed by the opening ceremony at 11:10 a.m. with the General and Honorary Consuls to Denmark, Jesper Koks Andersen; Finland, Jon Jurva; Iceland, Einar Steinsson; Norway, Susan Meyer; and Sweden, Karin Moen Abercrombie.
The Leikarringen Heimhug Dancers will take the stage at 11:35 a.m. Founded in 1925, it is the oldest existing Scandinavian folk dance group in the Chicago area. The group encourages anyone interested in learning Norwegian and other Scandinavian folk dances to become a member.
Mads Tolling, a two-time Grammy Award-winning violinist and composer, will perform at 12:05 p.m. He is a current member of Bob Weir's Wolf Bros/Pack Band and formerly with bassist Stanley Clarke and Turtle Island Quartet.
At 1:30 p.m., the Nordic Folk Dancers of Chicago will bring their traditional and newly choreographed folk dances to life for all to enjoy, followed by the accordion band Smörgåsbandet of New York at 2 p.m.
Festival favorite, Dancing Queen: An ABBA Salute, will headline at 3:30 p.m.
Starting at 5:15 p.m., the festival will wrap up with a bonfire and a return of Smörgåsbandet.
The children can enjoy "Stories With Elsa" in the gazebo from 2 to 2:20 p.m. or meet Elsa as she travels around the park from noon to 4 p.m.
There also will be crafts, face painting and free pony rides from noon to 4 p.m.
The food and beverage vendors provide a variety of offerings, including lingonberry saft (syrup), fried herring, pølse (sausage), köttbullar (Swedish meatballs), and more.
Save room for sweets like Danish Kringles pastries; Æbleskiver (puffy Danish pancake balls); Swedish cardamom buns, Swedish limpa rye bread; Skorpor (Swedish-style biscotti); raspberry rye brownies; espresso rye chocolate chip cookies; gingersnaps; and Loki's Surprise.
There also will be a variety of Nordic cakes like Drømmekage (Danish dream cake); Eplekake (Norwegian apple cake); Hjónabandssæla (Wedding Bliss cake); Kärleksmums (Swedish chocolate cake with mocha glaze and coconut); and Tiikerikakku (Finnish marble cake).
Take a walk along the vendor walkway, featuring more than 30 vendors with Scandinavian treats and artisan crafts. You can also find information from local Scandinavian organizations, museums and lodges, including Danish Sisterhood of America, Dagmar Lodge No. 4; Herring "R" Us; Nimbus Club; Polar Star Lodge 472, Sons of Norway; Scandinavian Park Inc.; Skjold Lodge 100, Sons of Norway; Swedish American Children's Choir; Chicago Torske Club; Friends of the Viking Ship; Norwegian National League; Illinois Norsk Rosemalers Association; Danish Home of Chicago; Swedish American Museum; Elvesund Lodge; and the Viljan Lodge 349, Vasa Order of America.
Walk along the banks of the Fox River and enjoy a trip back in time at the Living History re-enactments. How often can you chat with a Viking?
Learn more at scandinaviandayil.com or facebook.com/Scanpark/.