ScandinavianFolk Festival in upstate New York

Celebrate Scandinavian culture in Jamestown, NY - with music and dance, food, lectures and exciting vendors. 

  • Don't miss another important event, tradition or trend, look at our website under <a href="http://www.nordstjernan.com/subscribe">SUBSCRIBE</a> Above: A classic "fäbovall." The clusters of cottages were often in sparsely forested areas higher up. This image is from a cluster of twenty cottage just northeast of Våmhus north of Siljan Lake in Dalarna.

  • Scandinavian Folk Festival kicks off at the Jamestown Community College at 1 p.m. on July 19. Scandinavian food, catered by 3C’s from their food truck, includes Swedish meatballs, rice pudding, rotmos, brown beans, yellow pea soup, and the American Scandinavian Heritage Foundation will serve Norm’s world famous korvburgers. The Kafffe Stuga will have coffee, goodies and strawberry sundaes; Danish beer will be available along with wine.

  • Entertainment this year includes the Swedish Meatballs from NYC, Simple Gifts (left), a string duet from Pennsylvania, The Probables, a rhythm-driven, folkcana/roots rock band from Jamestown (8 p.m. Friday).

  • A variety of vendors offer gifts, decorations, craft and baked goods. A comprehensive exhibit of Scandinavian folk costumes will be on display as will a major collection of antique Swedish dolls. Crafters will demonstrate and offer workshops on Swedish weaving, carving, spinning and Norwegian knitting. Yes, Nordstjernan will be there. Look for our booth.

  • Another highlight is folk dancing by the Toronto Swedish Folk Dance Team (top) and the Jamestown Thule Lodge Adult and Children’s Swedish Folk Dance Teams. Other local performers include Svenska Spelmän, the Viking Mixed Chorus, comedian Peter Hofert, and The Vasa Voices from Cleveland.

  • Saturday’s festivities start at 10 a.m. with the decoration of the Maypole (bring flowers from your garden) and the making of Midsummer head wreaths. Then Swedish folk dancers and musicians lead the procession of the Midsummer pole at 11 a.m. After the 18-foot pole is in place, it is time for traditional ring dancing. No experience required! Just follow the leader, instruction is provided.

  • Special lectures are interspersed throughout the weekend. Discover information about the Swedish Colony of 1638-1655, the Swedish language, genealogy, folk costumes, rare Swedish dolls, the Viking Drum and Bugle Corp, Astrid Lindgren and the Vikings in North America. The Thule Folk Dance Team will share stories of their recent trip to Sweden, and a winner of the Swedish reality television show “Allt för Sverige” tells his story.
    There’s also the Finnish wife carrying contest, the Scandinavian trivia competition, a kubb tournament, a cooking contest and even a loppis (flea market).

  • Friday, July 19: 1-9:30 p.m.
    Saturday, July 20: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
    Sunday, July 21: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

  • For more information and event times, see www.scandinavianjamestown.org or call 716.665.0883