You know it’s summer when Geneva’s Swedish Days returns.
The 74th annual festival runs June 19-23 in downtown Geneva featuring a carnival, live music, shopping, food, a parade, kids’ activities and of course, some Swedish culture.
Presented by the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, the event celebrates Geneva’s Swedish heritage and attracts more than 200,000 visitors each year, said communications director Johanna Patterson. She’s new in the position but was born and raised in Geneva and has attended her fair share of Swedish Days fests.
“I don’t think we’ve missed one yet,” she said laughing. “We’re going to have a lot of the crowd favorites back. The carnival of course, which the kids love, the Kids’ Day parade, the food booths. We’re going to have the Sweden Vast back — the Swedish market — and some good entertainment. The craft beer tent will be out as well .”
The event will kick off June 19 on the Central Stage with a performance by the musicians and singers from the Swedish American Children’s Choir of St. Charles, honoring the Swedish Midsummer.
The Central Stage will see plenty of other entertainment; including the Geneva’s Got Talent competition June 91 and 20, the Flat Cats June 20, Libido Funk Circus June 21 and both Classical Blast and The Ron Burgundy’s June 22.
Other acts will perform in the craft beer tent throughout the day, she said.
A highlight of the festival is the Swedish Days parade at 1 p.m. June 23 floats and units from community groups like dance teams, bands, Scouts and The Shriners.
“We have the Jesse White Tumblers back; I know they’re a favorite. A lot of crowd favorites are back for the parade,” she said. “Of course, we have the Boy Scouts that carry the flag that’s a whole block long. This is a good parade. It has a good hometown feel.”
The popular Kids’ Day is June 21 with lots of kid-friendly activities in the library parking lot. The Kids’ Day parade kicks off at 11 a.m. at Fifth and Campbell streets and ends at the library, she said; where kids will find face painting, balloon art, games from the Geneva Park District, demonstrations and kid-friendly food for sale.
Speaking of food, what’s a fest without food? Fest-goers can nosh on fun foods like corn dogs, turkey legs, roasted corn, Italian beef sandwiches, hot dogs, walking tacos and even garlic crab pasta and Cajun tortellini. And in keeping with the Swedish theme, there will be Swedish delicacies as well, she said.
“The United Methodist Church always has the Swedish meatballs, the Swedish sausage, the Swedish ham. And everybody really loves that,” she said. “Chianti’s will have Swedish meatballs. Graham’s (Fine Chocolates and Ice Cream) will have the lingonberry floats,” she said.
Sweden Vast, the Swedish marketplace, takes place June 22-23 on the courthouse lawn.
“It’s a way to add a little bit more Sweden to the festival,” Patterson said. “We have Friends of the Viking Ship, we have the Swedish American Museum that will be there, we also have vendors from The Gift Box which is a local favorite Swedish Store in Geneva.”
There’s also a Scandinavian lawn game called Kubb that will be set up on the Courthouse lawn, she said. The game was reportedly invented by the Vikings, she said.
“We try to bring in a little bit of excitement that ties in to Swedish heritage,” she said.
Folks looking to get a truly authentic experience can tour The Viking Ship at Good Templar Park on June 22, she said.
“It’s a 78-foot-long replica of an original 1,000-year-old Viking ship (excavated in) Norway,” she said.
The Nordic Folk Dancers of Chicago will perform on June 22 too, she said.
She hopes that people will remember the festival and take a chance on it.
“It’s a really fun event that highlights our town,” she said. “There is something for everyone. The town comes alive during Swedish Days. Everybody is out. There are special deals and special food pairings at restaurants. It’s a lively event where everybody can partake and celebrate our town’s rich heritage.”
Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the Courier-News.
Swedish Days
When: June 19-23
Where: Third Street between Campbell and James streets, Geneva
Tickets: Free
Information: 630-232-6060; genevachamber.com
