Enjoy variety of music at Swedish Days festival in Geneva
Geneva will be rocking this week when some of the top area bands come to the 70th annual Swedish Days Festival. The music will span several decades, so that everyone can find their favorites on this year's slate of artists.
The live music can be enjoyed in three spots - on the Central Stage and the Courthouse lawn, both located on Third Street and at Sweden Väst, (South Fourth and State streets). Performances run Wednesday-Saturday, June 19-22, on Third Street and Saturday and Sunday, June 22 and 23, at Sweden Väst.
Wednesday
Wednesday evening's Central Stage entertainment will begin at 4 p.m. as the Swedish American Children's Choir welcomes you with a traditional Swedish Välkommen. At 5 p.m. enjoy live performances by the Geneva Park District's Angels Cheer & Poms Team, the Geneva Gymnastics Academy, Playhouse 38 youth performers, and the Geneva Park District's Sunset Dance Academy. Immediately following will be the semifinalists from “Geneva's Got Talent” performances.
Thursday
On Thursday, don't miss “Geneva's Got Talent” finalists, starting at 5 p.m. The Thursday evening entertainment continues with Planet Groove (PG). Planet Groove is a seven-piece band playing high-energy music from the '60s through today.
Friday
Friday night at 5 p.m. get your inner ABBA on as Dancing Queen recreates an ABBA experience that won't soon be forgotten. At 7 p.m. Semple will take Central Stage for the first time, Semple plays styles ranging from '70s rock to modern pop songs and everything in between.
<URL destination="#photo4">Saturday
On Saturday, Parrotheads will enjoy Johnny Russler and the Beach Bum Band at 5 p.m. as they play plenty of Buffett favorites, but you're also just as likely to hear music from Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Paul Simon, Dick Dale and many others. The evening concludes with ARRA, performing the hits by the biggest bands of all time at 7 p.m.
Concerts on the Lawn
The ever-popular midday musical event held Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, is always a crowd pleaser. Bring your lunch or grab a bite from one of the numerous food booths or restaurants around town and delight in four unique musical styles. All week the concerts are 1-3 p.m. Start the festival Wednesday with Cole Brandt. Kelsey & Owen performs on Thursday and Danny O'Brien on Saturday.
Sweden Väst
Get your Swede on as Swedish American Children's Choir, Swedish Folk and Nordic Folk Dancers perform on Saturday, June 22. Sunday brings the Swedish quintet Jaerv and Chicago Splemanslag. Sweden Väst is at the corner of South Fourth and State streets.
Granquist Music Competition
This is the 49th year for the Granquist Music Competition, the largest music contest in Illinois. The contest, not open to the public for viewing, is held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 22, at Geneva High School. The competition is sponsored by Geneva Chamber of Commerce. Information on entering next year's competition will be available February 2020 at www.genevachamber.com/granquist.
For details on the music lineup or any of the events at Swedish Days, which continues through Sunday, June 23, visit www.genevachamber.com or call (630) 232-6060.