Pre and Post Festival Events:
On Tuesday, July 12 at noon in Jamestown City Hall’s Tracey Plaza, Mayor Eddie Sundquist will proclaim Scandinavia week in Jamestown. The Jamestown area band, Svenska Spelman, will play the national anthems of the United States as well as Sweden when the Swedish flag is raised. Members of the Thule Lodge Swedish Folk Dance Team will perform a couple numbers.
During the week before the Festival, flags from the Nordic countries - Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland - will be regaling downtown Jamestown on Third Street
On Friday July 15, the 40 foot long Viking ship, Norseman, from Philadelphia will enter the waters at McCrea Point boat landing and enable visitors to board the ship from 10 AM to noon. Then the ship will sail up the Chadakoin River to lower Chautauqua Lake.
The Hot Spot Café on the corner of E. Third and Pine Streets will be serving Swedish waffles with lingonberries and whipped cream from 8 AM to 11 AM for $2 a serving. These servings are co-sponsored by the Scandinavian Folk Festival while supplies last beginning Monday July 11 to Friday July 15.
The feature band at the Festival, Smorgasbandet from Long Island, besides performing at the Festival, will also be playing on Saturday night from 9 PM to 11 PM at Shawbucks.
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Saturday
10:00am - 8:00PM
- 10:00 AM - 10:15 AM:
- Opening Fanfare - Hugo Alvin
- 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM:
- Decorate Midsummer Pole (At Public Market)
- 10:15 AM - 10:30 AM:
- Midsommar Varka - Hugo Alvin
- 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM:
- Procession of Midsummer Pole and Ring Dancing
- 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM:
- Bonnie Lock Fiddlers
- 12:30 PM - 1:00 PM:
- Alyssa Rodriguez
- 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM:
- Thule Swedish Folk Dance Team/Svenska Spelman
- 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM:
- Smorgasbandet
- 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM:
- Gary Kindberg
- 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM:
- Svenska Spelman
- 5:00 PM - 5:30 PM:
- Svenska Spelman/Smorgasbandet
- 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM:
- Smorgabandet
- 6:30 PM - 7:00 PM:
- Trivia Contest
- 7:00 PM - 7:45 PM:
- Alyssa Rodriguez
-
Sunday
10:00am - 4:00PM
- 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM:
- Religious Sing Along with Gary Kindberg
- 12:15 PM - 1:00 PM:
- Bonnie Lock Fiddlers
- 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM:
- Smorgasbandet
- 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM:
- Alyssa Rodriguez
- 2:30 PM - 3:15 PM:
- Thule Folk Dance Team
- 3:15 PM - 4:00 PM:
- Svenska Spelman
-
Special Events
Friday:
- 10:00 AM to 12:00PM:
- Norseman Viking Ship docked at McCrea Point Boat Landing
- 12:00 PM - ?? :
- Norseman Viking Ship begin sail up Chadakoin River
Saturday:
- 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM:
- Norseman Viking Ship on display - (Lafayette St between 2nd and 3rd)
- 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM:
- Decorate Midsummer Pole - Jamestown Public Market (W Third and Cherry Sts.)
- 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM:
- Make Midsummer Head Wreath - Jamestown Public Market (W. Third and Cherry Sts.)
- 11:00 AM - ?? :
- Procession of Midsummer Pole from Jamestown Public Market to Arena along W. Third St.
- 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM:
- Midsummer Ring Dancing by Midsummer Pole - (Lafayette St. between 2nd and 3rd)
- 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM:
- Ice Bumper Cars and Curling
- 9:00 PM - 11:00 PM:
- Smorgasbandet jamming at Shawbucks
Sunday:
- 10:30 AM - ?? :
- Alyssa Rodriguez performing at First Lutheran Church Worship Service
-
Lectures
Saturday:
- 1:00 PM
- Introducing Med ljus i hår, with lights in her hair. A collection of Jultide Scandinavian spirits from NY, New England & beyond…
- 2:00 PM
- The Nyckelharpa and My Experiences in Sweden and Finland.
- 3:00 PM
- Scandinavian Mariners and theSettling of Emigrants in America.
- 4:00 PM
- Old and New Heathen Religions of Sweden.
Saturday:
- 2:00 PM
- Early Swedes and the Port of Boston.
Festival Food Court
The Scandinavian Folk Festival is presenting an array of Scandinavian Foods in one location in the Scandinavian Food Court.
Scandinavian food will be served by 3Cs catering offering a variety of traditional dishes. The Beer/Wine wagon and the Kaffe Stuga will also return. This will be a great place to gather with family and friends.
3Cs Food Truck
3Cs catering service will provide the traditional food this year.
The menu includes a variety plate, Swedish meatballs, rice pudding, rotomos, yellow pea soup, brown beans and some non Swedish favorites.
Beer & Wine
Enjoy Danish Carlsberg Beer or some local favorites or a selection of wines.
Kaffe Stuga
Take a fika (coffee break) with a Scandinavian "goodie or have a lingonberry drink, soda or water.
Swedish Waffles
Parents from the Southwestern Girls Varsity Soccer Team will be serving Swedish waffles at the Festival on Saturday July 16 from 10 AM to 4 PM and on Sunday July 17 from 10 AM to 3 PM.
2022 PERFORMERS
SmörgåsBandet
SmörgåsBandet is a Smörgåsbord of music, with deep Scandinavian roots that they celebrate through their instruments and a lifetime of experiences. Together as a band for over 20 years, their Nordic knowledge and expertise results in a broad spectrum of genres including folk music, gammaldans, pop, evergreens, country and rock ‘n roll. They love to interact with the audience, so get ready to sing and dance along. Jeanne Eriksson, MC, is the daughter of the late maestro Walter Eriksson and plays accordion, keyboard and teaches dance. Her son is the percussionist and Social media PR expert, and Wayne Söderlund is their modern day maestro making sounds with his electronic Roland accordion that sets them far apart from your “farfar’s” gammaldans orchestra. Wayne’s son Johnny Söderlund plays guitar, banjo & drums on special occasions. They’ve performed overseas in Sweden and Åland, and have appeared at countless festivals, conventions, concert halls, restaurants and celebrations from New York to California and numerous States in between. They love what they do and do what they love and their enthusiasm is contagious. Welcome back to Jamestown, SmörgåsBandet!
Svenska Spelmän
Our own local Swedish Band, Svenska Spelmän, has performed at all 18 Scandinavian Folk Festivals. All members are from Chautauqua and Warren Counties. Kathy Petersen plays the fiddle and nyckelharppa, Cheryl Ritch performs on the fiddle, Thomas Gestwicki on the guitar/banjo, Timm Reasbeck on the bass and Donald Sandy on the accordion. They focus on the traditional music of Scandinavia such as the waltz, polka, schottis, ganglot, and hambo. Their selections provide music both for enjoyable listening as well as dancing. This band is also the music for the Thule Adult and Children's Folk Dance Teams. They have performed in the Swedish embassy in Washington, DC and for the King and Queen of Sweden.
Thule Lodge Adult and Children's Folk Dance Teams
The local Thule Lodge Vasa Order of America has two Swedish Folk Dance Teams - one with adults and one with children. They have been part of our community for a number of generations.
At this year’s Festival, the adult team will be performing.
The Adult Folk Dance Team toured Sweden in 2018 and worked with nine different folk dance teams to finesse their dancing skills. The Children's Folk Dance Team danced with Sweden's Queen Sylvia when she last visited Jamestown. The mission of both teams is to preserve the heritage of our Scandinavian Culture.
Both teams are always seeking new members so if interested let one of the dancers know. The Children's Team is under the direction of Mary-AnnEva Ingrao and the instructor for the Adult team is Gerd Brigotta. Both teams perform to the music of Svenska Spelmän.
Alyssa Rodriguez
Alyssa is one of the few and finest players of the nyckelharpa, the keyed fiddle, in New York State and has studied nyckelharpa at the Master’s level at Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland, where she won a Fulbright grant to research Nordic folk music and folk music improvisation. She has studied with several riksspellmän (master Swedish folk musicians), including Olov Johansson and Emilia Amper. Her music has been featured on WXXI and WRUR in Rochester, New York and she has appeared in Nordstjernan magazine and Nyckelharpan in Sweden. You can learn more at: https://alyssafiddle.com
Gary Kindberg
Jamestown’s very own Gary Kindberg, will be regaling the crowds with old familiar Swedish-American song favorites. You can sing along with Hälsa Dem Där Hemma and Tryggare Kan Ingen Vara (Children of the Heavenly Father) and a number of other popular tunes.
Bonnie Loch Fiddlers
And, this year, we will feature another popular local group, the Bonnie Loch Fiddlers. These musicians specialize in Celtic music, but those Vikings got around, and the traditional music of Scotland, Ireland and the Nordic countries are related. The Bonnie Loch players have a repertoire of Swedish tunes.
Introducing Med ljus i hår, with lights in her hair. A collection of Jultide
Scandinavian spirits from NY, New England & beyond…
Presented by Nils Casperson from Rochester, NY.
Saturday 1 PM
Here is a partial listen to and a look at numerous contemporary Scandinavian fiddlers and groups performing from NY, New England, PA, Washington DC, and beyond. The polska, waltz, ballad, hymn, & carol are all facets of the musical Jultide Scandinavian spirit. Included in this presentation will be instruction on the fretted dulcimer playing very simple Swedish holiday melodies. There is much to be noted in this musical collection. They’re not all polskas!!
The Nyckelharpa and My Experiences in Sweden and Finland.
Presented by Alyssa Rodriguez from Rochester, NY.
Saturday 2 PM
Alyssa Rodriguez has just returned from training on the nyckelharpa in Finland and Sweden. She will demonstrate and explain the unique nyckelharpa and share stories of life in Sweden and Finland.
Scandinavian Mariners and theSettling of Emigrants in America.
Presented by John Everett Jones from Philadelphia, PA.
Saturday 3 PM
This slide presentation will look at how Scandinavian sailors paved the way for settlements in America and specifically, the Swedish and Danish settlement in the Jamestown area. The talk will look at how sailors were prominent in the early Swedish ministerium of the Methodist Church and their influence in America as well as in Sweden. Also, the discussion will look at mariners who decided to make our area home
Old and New Heathen Religions of Sweden.
Presented by Jay Stratton from Westfield, NY.
Saturday 4 PM
Jay Stratton will present an overview of Sweden's religious heritage known as Asatru in English and Fan sed in Swedish.
Early Swedes and the Port of Boston.
Presented by John Everett Jones from Philadelphia, PA.
Sunday 2 PM
This slide presentation will look a migration through the port of Boston for the Swedes who settled in the Jamestown area. This will include notes about Peter F. Williston who helped Swedish immigrants and the New England Scandinavian Benevolent Relief Society. Connected to this topic is the peculiar story of Fallebo-Gök, aka Dr. Charles W. Roback and his wonderful success as a charlatan
An event of this magnitude does not exist without a large number of volunteers (and three hours gets you into the Festival free for a day!). Before the event begins we need volunteers to help put up advertising signs, and distribute flyers. Other pre-festival volunteers are needed to transport our supplies and set up the site. During the festivities we need volunteers to help with the inside admission gate and Festival Gift Shop. We also need people on Sunday evening taking down the Festival.
If you would like to volunteer, please contact:
Don Sandy
716-665-0883
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Norseman Viking Ship
The Norseman Viking Ship will arrive in Jamestown on Thursday July 14. On Friday July 15, weather permitting, the ship will enter the Chadakoin River at McCrea Point boat landing at 10 AM and will be docked there until noon where families can board the ship and talk with the crew. It will then sail up the Chadakoin River to the lower portion of Chautauqua Lake. Additional stops are being arranged.
During the Festival on Saturday July 16 from 10 AM to 8 PM and on Sunday July 17 from 10 AM to 4 PM the ship will be on display on Lafayette Street next to the Northwest Arena. The crew, dressed in their Viking clothing will be present to give tours of the ship and answer questions about the Vikings.
Built in 1992, the Norseman offers people a story of Viking culture , Leif Ericson and his visit to North America in about the year 1000, and the ships that made them famous.
The Crewmembers appear in full Viking costume, share their interests in Viking culture, their Scandinavian heritage and practice their sailing and rowing skills.
The Norseman has appeared in tallships events primarily on the East Coast of the US. They also sailed in Sweden in 1998. In 2000, the Norseman sailed along Labrador’s south coast then across to L’anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland with other Viking ships from Sweden, Norway and Canada to celebrate the Millennium of Leif Ericson’s voyage to North America. In 2003, the Norseman was shipped over to St. Petersburg, Russia to participate in a gathering of Vikings in “Rurik – 2003” to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the founding of that city by Czar Peter the Great. In 1995, the Norseman was filmed for 5 productions shown on the History Channel.
The Norseman is sponsored by Leif Erickson Viking Ship, Inc. which is a 501(c)3 organization located near Philadelphia, PA. with a mission to promote a realistic historic image of Viking people as merchants, navigators, shipbuilders, artists, explorers and warriors. The ship is 40 feet long and the sail measures 17 feet wide and 17.5 feet tall.
Ice Bumper Cars
The Festival has rented the entre second ice rink and will be offering rides on Ice Bumper Cars.
The cost for Festival participants is only $2 for a 10 minute ride. The rides are available only on Saturday July 16 from 2 PM to 6 PM. Sign up for your time slot at the Arena. Kids must be at least three years old to ride with an adult; six years old and 42” tall to drive. Riders must wear flat, closed-toe shoes. (Flip flops, sandals, and heeled shoes are not permitted.) Maximum weight is 300 pounds. Driving an ice bumper car is easy! Every car is surrounded by a large PVC air tube that provides protection for the car frame and absorbs the impact of collisions for the rider who is comfortably seated in a molded fiberglass shell. This is a unique and fun opportunity for children as well as adults.
Curling
You have seen on the Winter Olympics that the Nordic countries are frontrunners in the ice sport of Curling. The Festival is giving you the chance to see what it is all about and to try your luck with Curling. For Festival participants, one can schedule a 30 minute curling session for only $2 per person. Gather some friends, form some teams or try it on your own. Curling sessions will only be available on Saturday July 16 from 2 PM to 6 PM. Sign up for your time slot at the Arena. No special equipment or skates are required. Players must wear flat, closed-toe shoes. (No flip flops, sandals or healed shoes are permitted.) Children must be in at least fourth grade. The stones are heavy to lift so it requires everyone to be aware of your surroundings. If you belong to a curling league or want to consider joining one next Fall, this is a great opportunity to practice and get the feel of the game.
Midsummer Celebration
This year's Festival will include a traditional Swedish Midsummer. After the long dark days and nights of winter, Swedes celebrate the long days of summer with dancing, music, a midsummer pole and seasonal foods such as the first potatoes and strawberries. This holiday is the most popular celebration next to Christmas.
The Fesival's Midsummer will begin in the Jamestown Public Market near the corner of W. Third and Cherry Streets. Beginning at 10 AM, the 22 foot pole will be decorated with greens and flowers. We encouage the community to bring flowers from their gardens and fields and put them on the Pole. Perhaps in memory of ancestors. There will also be an opporunity to make a midsummer head wreath. When the pole is ready, about 11 AM, the Festival Folk Dances in their colorful ethnic regional costumes and the Festival musicians will process the pole along W. Third Street to the Northwest Arena. It will be erected on the corner of Lafayette and W. Third Streets. Ring dances will occur on Lafayette St. between 2nd and 3rd. Instructions will be proviced for each dance. This is the communities opportunity to celebrate midsummer just like our ancesters.
This Midsummer celebraion is free and completely open to the public. Behold Scandinavia!
Jamestown Community College Art Exhibit
Jamestown Community College will be displaying their Albert Johnson paintings at the Scandinavian Folk Festival. Albert Johnson is Jamestown’s Swedish house painter who was 21 when he immigrated from Sweden. He described himself as a house painter of no particular merit but his landscapes are extraordinary and are now highly prized and collectable. Some of Johnson’s paintings are part of JCC’s art collection. “As part of an institution of higher learning , we {JCC} are dedicated to providing educational programming that will enhance the cultural life of the immediate community by contributing to the educational enrichment of students, faculty members and the general public.
Genealogy Research
The genealogy research program from Fenton History Center will exhibit at the Festival, their Scandinavian research tools and assist visitors with researching their ancestors.
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