Celebrate Midsummer Sunday At Good Templar Park Swedish Day

GENEVA, IL — Come celebrate Svenskarnas Dag (“Swedish Day”) at Good Templar Park Sunday, June 19, in Geneva. The long-running ethnic festival, organized by the Swedish Day Committee of the International Order of Good Templars, has entertained the Fox Valley area for generations. This gem of a Midsummer fest runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Good Templar Park, 528 East Side Drive, Geneva. Admission is $7; with free attendance for children 12 and under, active military, and those in traditional Scandinavian costume.

Good Templar Park's Swedish Day is the oldest and longest running ethnic festival in Illinois, traditionally held the third Sunday in June, which also happens to be Father's Day. The first Swedish picnic and celebration of the summer solstice was held in 1911 in Evanston. The annual picnic attracted thousands from Chicago's Swedish immigrant community. Looking for a place where they could hold an alcohol-free Midsummer festival, the mostly Swedish members of IOGT, a temperance-focused fraternal organization formed in the 19th century to combat the high rate of alcoholism in industrialized Europe, purchased 60 acres along the Fox River in 1925.

Swedish Day is still going strong in Good Templar Park after 112 years. The historic park is populated by charming summer cottages (stugas) built in the 1930s and is home to the replica Viking Ship that sailed the Atlantic Ocean to the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. This annual celebration family festival is open to the public and attended by people of all nationalities.

Besides serving favorite Swedish foods – Ligonberry pancakes, Swedish meatballs, cardamon coffee cake, almond tarts, and American favorites. Children’s games, wonderful kids craft projects, Blue the Icelandic horse, cottage walk tours and group dancing around the maypole fill out the day’s events.

Keep up with Swedish Day happenings on the Good Templar Park Facebook Page.

Activities

9 a.m. - Gates open. Children’s activities, Scandinavian crafters and goods, Blue the Icelandic horse, bouncy house, food ticket booth all day.
9:30 a.m. - Kaffe Stuga and baked goods (almoond tarts, sliced Swedish coffee bread, coffee and Swedish pancakes.
9:30 a.m. - Viking encampment
10 a.m. - Children's games (all day), worship service at main stage with Rev. Don Lindman and Swedesong Girls Ensemble, with Lynnie Hoffman on the piano. IOGT museum opens (free).
10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. - Viking ship tours, every 15-20 minutes, hosted by Friends of the Viking Ship. Adults 18 and over, $7; children age 23-27, $5; children 12 and under free. Last docent-led tour at 3:30 p.m.
10 a.m. - Swedish dinner (meatballs, cold plate combo and sampler, Sloppy Joe (“Yoes”), and hot dogs.
10:30 a.m. - Small group cottage tours (ticketed event) until 3:30 p.m. Donation of $5 gratefully accepted.
11 a.m. - Lutefisk toss at the main stage.
11:30 a.m. - 94-year-old accordion player Ernie Sandquist.
Noon - Maypole dancing
1 p.m. - Opening Ceremonies
1:15 p.m. - Die Musik Meisters
2 p.m. - Nordic Folk Dancers
2:45 p.m. - Chicago Spelmanslag
3:30 p.m. - Viking reenactors
5 p.m. - Gates close

Swedish Day menu (due to a global herring shortage, there will be no herring)