Welcome to Swedish Day! The first Swedish Day (Svenkarnas Dag) was held on Sunday, June 25, 1911 at Linden Park in Evanston. The next year, 1912, it was held on Sunday the 23rd of June at Riesig Grove in Riverside. Then in 1913, Swedish Day was held at Ravinia Park for the next 11 years through 1924 when the organization decided to purchase their own property. We acquired our current location and have celebrated Swedish Day annually every third Sunday in June since 1925 here at Good Templar Park in Geneva.
Swedish Day has provided an opportunity for the numerous Scandinavian immigrants to enjoy the traditional celebration of Midsommar. This annual celebration family festival at Good Templar Park is open to the public and attended by people of all nationalities, this festival still focuses on the Scandinavian celebration of Midsommar, the longest day of the year.
Entrance is $7 per person at the gate, with free attendance for children 12 and under, active military, and those in traditional Scandinavian costume.
Celebrate an authentic Midsummer at beautiful Good Templar Park.
9am -- Gates Open
Children’s Activities -all day
Scandinavian Crafters and Goods- all day
Icelandic horse
Bouncy House
Food Ticket Booth
9:30am—
Kaffe Stuga & Baked Goods featuring Almond Tarts,
Sliced Swedish Coffee Bread & Coffee
The Good Templar Museum opens free entry
Swedish Pancakes*
10 am—
Swedish Meatball Dinner, Cold Sampler Plate*
Worship Service – John Reimers
Viking Ship Museum open (details)
10:30-
Small group Cottage Tours until 3:30 ( additional fee)
Hotdogs and Sloppy Joes*
11am -- Lutefisk Toss at the stage
11:30am --
Ernie Sandquist 94 year old Swedish accordion player
12noon -- Maypole raising and dancing
1pm -- Opening Ceremonies, Distinguished Guests
1:15pm -- Die Musik Meisters
2pm -- Nordic Folk Dancers of Chicago
2:45pm -- Chicago Spelmanslag
3:30pm -- Viking Reenactors
5pm -- Park Gates Close
*"Approximate begin serve times and while supplies last”
Dancing
Nordic Folk Dancers of Chicago
This group has been entertaining audiences for over 40 years. They will be demonstrating Scandinavian folk dancing. Don’t be surprised if the Nordic Dancers ask you to join in!
Children’s Activities
Meet BLUE an Icelandic horse that will be visiting from 9 am.
Craft making
Weave a Swedish flower Hair wreath
Design your own Viking Shield
Stamp a wood slice Pendant with a choice of a Viking ship, Dala horse or Icelandic horse, add a Dala horse metal charm to the twine.
Create a Hobby Horse with sewn bridle and reins. The kids will add the stuffing and the stick to complete it. (A $5.00 donation will be asked for the hobby horse.)
Music
Ernie Sandquist 94 year old Swedish Accordion player . Ernie is an expert Swedish Accordion player who has played throughout the Midwest for more than fifty years.
Die Musik Meisters is a lively German band that performs a diverse repertoire of German polkas, waltzes, marches, other German dance music, folk music, audience participation songs, as well as American swing and rock hit
Chicago Spelmanslag For more than 25 years Chicago Spelmanslag has been playing folk music from the Nordic countries. While the fiddle is the main instrument, one can expect to hear nyckelharp, guitar, and bass fiddle. Other instruments one might hear include Hardanger Fiddle (hardingfele), cowhorn (kohorn), mandola (låtmandola), various folk flutes (Härjedalpipor, seljefløyte), jaw harp (mungiga), button accordion (torader) and Swedish bagpipes (säckpipa).
Food
Swedish Pancakes
Swedish Meatballs
Koldt Bord (Cold Plate)
ALL FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY WAS PHOTOGRAPHED BY MK ROGERS SEE MORE OF HER WORK @HTTP://MONICAKASSROGERS.COM/
Scandinavian Crafts and Goods
Jule-Hus
Nisse Nook
Gnome Merchant
Wood creations by Ron Diller
"Katinka's Cottage Crafts" by Kathy Longo
Swedish Passort
Vikings and Viking Ship tours
Viking Ship tours will be a ticketed and additional cost event.
Cottage Tours
Small Group tours will be available , check at Cottage Walk booth for times and to purchase tickets
MUSEUM
The Good Templar Museum will be open 9:30-3:30
tack så mycket
