JAMESTOWN CELEBRATING THEIR SCANDINAVIAN HERITAGE SEPTEMBER 10-12 The 3rd annual Scandinavian Folk Festival is being held this year at the Allen Park Ice Rink located in Jamestown, NY. The three-day festival will celebrate traditions from the countries of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland. The largest of these ethnic groups living in Jamestown are Swedish-American.
In the land of the Swedes, celebrating culture is a proud tradition. At one point in history Jamestown had the highest percentage of Swedish-Americans populating any city in the United States. Scarce jobs and crop failure brought many Swedish immigrants to our country in the mid 1800s, with the first Swede coming to Jamestown in 1849. Jamestown and its surrounding area were very appealing to the Swedes because of the climate, fresh water, forests and land. Those factors and the natural beauty of the region are the reasons that the Swedes continued living here.
The festival has been attracting people from all over the Northeast. Spend a day or the weekend celebrating the Scandinavian culture with an outstanding entertainment lineup, ethnic foods, and a true Scandinavian shopping experience.
A Viking Village will be located on the grounds to showcase what life was like as a Viking. The Society of Creative Anachronism who study the period, dress authentically, practice with weaponry and display tools and crafts of the era, will organize this large Viking encampment.
Exhibits, lectures, and workshops will be ongoing during the festival weekend. Lecture topics will include genealogy resources at the Fenton History Center in Jamestown, the family tree of Roger Tory Peterson, the story of a Norwegian fiddler, Ole Bull, who started a utopian community in PA, Swedish Christmas traditions and more. Workshops will be offered on straw ornament crafts, hardangar embroidery, chip carving, & kurbits painting. Make sure to visit exhibits put together by our local Scandinavian organizations to highlight their history, the book and publication corner and of course, the Swedish massage booth.
Put your dancing shoes on and learn a few steps from the folk dancers, or just sit back and enjoy the music from performers who will be traveling across the globe. New performers to the festival will be Sk†lmusik, a folk group from Minneapolis, the Lingonberries an accapela quartet from Ottawa, Canada, and a Norwegian group called Flukt that will appeal to a younger audience. Local favorites Svenska Spelman and Nordenvind will be returning along with the colorful and fun dance teams.
Swedish meatballs anyone? Food vendors specializing in Scandinavian fare will be on hand to tempt your taste buds. Some sampling can be done at the Peterson Farms booth of special cheeses, pickled herring and treats. We do our best to find vendors or local organizations to provide traditional fare. The favorite seems to be Norm's korvburgers served by the American Scandinavian Heritage Foundation. We'll also be offering special meals off site at the Salvation Army both Friday and Saturday evenings.
Vendors from all over the country will be selling their Scandinavian treasures. The local favorite is the Viking Trader that has their main store in Bemus Point, NY. Marvel at their extensive collection of Dalla horses, tumptas, linens, clothing, and much more. A vendor called Distinctively Sweden travels from Boston, MA with their collection of specialties. You also will want to see what's new in the Festival Gift Shop that sells official tee shirts and musical CD's brought by this year's performers. The Made in Jamestown booth is not to be missed also. It is a collaborative effort of small cottage industries with hand-crafted wares made by Scandinavians in the area.
The Scandinavian Folk Festival would not be possible without the tremendous support of our sponsors. They are the Johnson Foundation, our primary sponsor, the Scandinavian Studies Program at JCC, the Chautauqua Regional Community Foundation, the United Arts Appeal Project Pool, and NYC Council of the Arts Decentralization Grant.
The festival hours will be Friday, September 10th 2:00 p.m. 11:00 p.m. Saturday, September 11th 10:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. and Sunday, September 12th 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.
For more information on the Scandinavian Festival including directions, entertainment lineup, ticket prices and lodging information, you can visit our website at www.scandinavianjamestown.org or call (716) 761-6184.