Swedish American Historical Society of Wisconsin

Scandinavian Midsommar Celebration

Sunday, June 21, 2026, 11 AM – 2 PM

Heidelberg Park by Bavarian Bierhaus

700 West Lexington Blvd., Glendale

The time has changed

To ensure we can enjoy the Scandinavian Music and Folk Dance the time for the event will be moved up 2 hours. The Midsommar celebration will start at 11 am and end at 2 pm on Sunday June 21, 2026. The reason for the change is that Bavarian Bierhaus is also having a Fathers Day Celebration at Heidelberg Park, with a large German band, Alte Kameraden playing from 1 PM to 4 PM. So, by changing the time we can avoid interference of different music playing at the same time.

The activities will be the same, only the timing a little different from what was originally planned. Please find the program below

Bring your own lawn chairs, and join us for a FREE event of fun at our Scandinavian Midsommar Celebration. If you can, bring additional flowers and greens for decorating the Majstång.

Come celebrate Midsommar the Swedish way Sunday, June 21, 2026 from 1 – 4 p.m. Heidelberg Park by at Bavarian Bierhaus, 700 West Lexington Blvd., Glendale

• Help decorate the Majstång (Midsommar pole) with greens and flowers.
• Join in the procession to raise the decorated pole, and then dance around it.
• Make a flower crown to wear.
• Enjoy traditional Swedish folk music and Scandinaviann folk dances.
• Learn the game of Kubb, known as “Viking chess.
• Special activities and crafts for children.
• Learn about early Swedish settlement in Wisconsin and our Swedish Genealogy Research Group

Bring your own lawn chairs, and join us for a FREE afternoon of fun at our Scandinavian Midsommar Celebration. If you can, bring additional flowers and greens for decorating the Majstång.

Bierhaus staff will provide a variety of food, including Swedish items, for purchase in the Park.   Note: No food may be brought into the Park.

For further information:  Visit us at www.sahswi.org or email us at swedishamericanhistoricalwisc@gmail.com

Fika meeting on May 16, 2026 at 1:30 PM at Martin Luther Lutheran Church, 9235 West Bluemound Road, Milwaukee.

If you have not been to Bishop Hill, the May Fika Meeting is a chance to learn about this historical community from the Award-winning Author Martha Bergland and her Husband Jim Uhrinak

Today, Bishop Hill is recognized for its historical significance, with several structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a National Historic Landmark. Visitors can explore the village’s rich history through museums, galleries, and cultural events that celebrate its Swedish roots. Bishop Hill remains a vibrant community that honors its past while continuing to thrive as a living historical site.

Swedish Trivia

In our March Fika meeting we started a Swedish Trivia program to refresh our knowledge of topics related to our common interests. The theme for this set of questions is “Early Swedish Immigration”, and at this time there are 5 questions;

Swedish Trivia

After the presentation enjoy traditional Fika the Swedish way. And as always – If you bring a dish to share, it is very much appreciated.

The next FIKA meeting is Saturday, March 21, 2026, starting at 1:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall, at Martin Luther Lutheran Church, 9235 West Bluemound Road, Milwaukee located just east of the Milwaukee Zoo.

In the January 2025 Fika meeting Cookie Anderson talked about Swedish Authors, she reviewed 14 different writers from the 18th century to the present. The presentation was very well received. Cookie is back, this time the topic of her presentation is Swedish Film, including information about the most famous Film Directors and Movie Makers, and information of the movies they directed.

Cookie also had an idea to include Swedish Trivia in the Fika meetings, 10 questions that everyone participating could answer before the Fika meeting, and then we would quickly review the answers at the Fika meeting. So, for March 21 meeting you can get the questions through the following link. This is all voluntary and with no specific rules, but if you participate, you may end up with a small price.

March 21, 2026, Trivia

After the presentation and reviewing the Trivia questions enjoy traditional Fika the Swedish way. If you can, bring a dish to share. Do you have a favorite Swedish recipe you want to share? If so, bring it and we can add it to the website Swedish Food Heritage page.

Come to the first SAHSWI Fika meeting of the new year scheduled Saturday, January 24, starting at 1:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall, at Martin Luther Lutheran Church, 9235 West Bluemound Road, Milwaukee located just east of the Milwaukee Zoo.

Program: Somewhere in England by Sherry Engstrom

Somewhere in England is the title of the story Sherry will present. It is a story, show-and-tell and narrative of her two Swedish-American parents and their WW II love letters and resulting 70 year marriage.

Sherry is a retired adjunct professor of Humanities and Communications. In retirement she is a writing coach. She gives classes and workshops on creative writing and memoirs, especially helping elders write and tell their life stories. She is also a residential pet and house sitter and volunteers in her community, Lake Geneva.

After the presentation enjoy traditional Fika the Swedish way. If you can, bring a dish to share. Do you have a favorite Swedish recipe you want to share? If so, bring it and we can add it to the website Swedish Food Heritage page.