Dancing Around the Maypole

This Saturday I went to my first Midsommar Festival. I'm not one to pass up any celebration of warm, sunny, summer.

National Parks Service helped host this festival on Chellberg Farm. This farm is a homestead that was built by a family that immigrated from Sweden. They worked the land planting all manner of vegetable and even tapping the maple trees for extra income. The made a life for themselves.


In 1922, they held their first Midsommar Festival on the farm. People came in from Chicago to fill the grounds. They had 150 Swedish singers. They danced around the maypole and celebrated the beginning of summer.

The festival this year was a bit more subdued. It wasn't packed with visitors and vendors, but it was a fun day out. The weather couldn't have been better. We had a great time eating smørrebrød and ginger cookies, listening to the traditional songs, and dancing. Yes, Mr. K and I joined the group dance around the maypole.

After our dance around the maypole, we settled in for some entertainment. The Nordikids entertained us with traditional songs and dance and Scandelicious and Lingonberry Jam played upbeat tunes. We watched Jim Nelson and one of the Nordikid singers perform a traditional dance used in the initiation for the boys houses (like a frat house). It was a mock fight over a cow. Each province had a house and a dance. They'd learn the dance and pass it on. It was strange and delightful at the same time. Kenneth Schoon gave us all a bit of background on history of Swedish immigrants in Chesterton. This was an entertaining learning experience all around.

We toured the Chellberg Farm home and learned all about life on the farm from the guide. Check out the site for your own tour: Chellberg Farm. We walked around the property and explored the woods. This is a spot I've driven past, but never visited. It is a gem of the Duneland, and free to enjoy.

It's important to get out there and see what your community has to offer. Enjoy the richness of the cultural fairs, even when it's a culture different from your own.