Webmaster's Note: I had a link to the article on the Post-Journal's webpage, but that was only good for one day. Access to their archives requires a fee. I scanned in the article for both text and photos, but the text came out too small to read. So, I scanned it in once for just the photos and a second time for the text and then re-formatted the text to re-create the original article. My apologies, but this was the best I could do. -- Dagonell
Jamestown Post-Journal, Sunday Sept 7, 2003
CULTURAL AWARENESS
Festival Ignites Interest In Scandinavian Heritage
By JODY ROSELLE
In a continuing effort to revive interest in Scandinavian heritage, tourists and area residents attended the 2003 Scandinavian Folk Festival on the Lutheran Social Services campus Saturday for the second day of the annual event.
Moira Lindsley, co-chair for the festival exhibit hall, said the exhibits represent each local club involved with Scandinavian culture.
"Our booth represents the Scandinavian Studies Club," Ms. Lindsley said. "It's our job to develop ideas to continue the culture with each generation."
The Scandinavian Studies Club meets from 9:45 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the first Saturday of the month at the JCC Commons.
"We have embroidery classes, cooking classes, language classes, genealogy, woodcarving," Ms. Lindsley said. "It's all free too. We're just trying to keep the crafts and culture alive." Ms. Lindsley said the exhibit committee has started considering additional attractions for the 2004 festival.
"We're looking to bring in businesses with a Scandinavian affiliation," she said. "We're also getting nothing but good feedback, things that will maybe help us add to the growth of the festival."
Outside the exhibit hall, more than 12 members of the Society for Creative Anachronism Shire of Heronter performed the duties of Scandinavians during the Viking era in Northern Europe.
"Basically, we just heard about the festival and one of our members got in touch with one of the organizers and we were asked if we'd like to present information concerning Viking era Scandinavia," said Karen Ehrlich, a shire member. "The society covers a wide range of historical periods in Western Europe from usually, the fall of Rome to 1600 so the Viking period falls neatly within our range."
Cast members hovered near a mock camp in period costume explaining tools, offering guests a taste of traditional foods and performing demonstrations.
"I think for every culture it's important to keep reintroducing children to their heritage." -- Monica Pascatore, festival visitor
See FESTIVAL on Page A-7
FESTIVAL:
Event Will Continue Today at LSS
From Page A-1
The Shire of Heronter belongs to one of 14 larger international "kingdoms."
"Some of our members do research in the customs of an era," Ms. Ehrlich said. "So, . we'll bring a number of artifacts, usually replicas, we make ourselves. We'll discuss the techniques involved in making them and we play period games.
Former Chautauqua County residents returned for the week end to explore their Scandinavian roots. Monica Pascatore of Baltimore said she and extended family members had traveled to Jamestown for the festival.
"I'm here to spend time with my family," Ms. Pascatore said. We have family in from California and Syracuse. We've done pretty much everything -- We saw some dancers from Swe den, eaten probably too much and done a little bit of shopping."
Ms. Pascatore said she feels it is important for Americans to connect with their ethnic heritage.
"I think for every culture it's important to keep reintroducing children to their heritage,"she said. "I think this festival is a good way to introduce others to the culture and continue some of the traditions. Here in America, we're all mixed in together so this is another way to learn about culture."
Erie resident Susan Blakeslee said she and her husband had been attending cultural festivals throughout the summer but the Scandinavian festival had special meaning.
"There are a lot of people, myself included, that didn't know our culture growing up," Mrs. Blakeslee said. "I came became I wanted to know more about my ancestry. To a lot of people, it's not important until you get older."
Near the Main Stage Tent, Viking Trader owner Gale Svenson-Campbell chatted with customers and explained special details of the merchandise she had displayed on her tables.
"Business has been great," Mrs. Svenson-Campbell said. "We've been very busy but the perfect weather helps. I'm seeing a lot more people coming and staying for the whole day this year and people coming back from yesterday.
Mrs. Svenson-Campbell began the Viking Trader store in 1973 after she traveled with her father to his birth country of Sweden. She said the location of the tent has allowed her to enjoy the music of her Swedish heritage.
"I can see all the performers from where I am," Mrs. Sven-Campbell said. "The Viking ship people are here and I'm enjoying the music. There are so many things to do here and they really pumped up the food this year - last year they didn't have the same variety of foods."
Particularly popular items, she said, been her books on Scandinavian subjects. "We've been selling the different books," Mrs. Sven-Campbell said. "We have children's books, novels, Viking information, cookbooks, craft books, song books, language books and the list goes on. We have a Christmas section and then we also have the decorative things like Pippi Longstocking, flags and kitchen items. We have categories all around."
The Scandinavian Folk Festival continues today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lutheran Social Services campus. Visitors can park their vehicles in the JCC parking lot and take a shuttle bus to the gate. One-day passes are $7 and children 12 and under are admitted free.