By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
NEW SWEDEN — The last time Orust Swedish Folk Dancers crossed the pond eight years ago to perform at New Sweden’s annual Midsommar Festival, persistent rains caused their outdoor performance to be moved inside.
“Hopefully it won’t rain this year,” said past chairperson of the annual Midsommar Festival Debbie Blanchette. “There are 27 musicians and dancers coming and most of them are the same performers from eight years ago.”
A highlight of the annual festival, the Orust Swedish Folk Dancers are scheduled to arrive in Aroostook County this evening and while there’s no shortage of excitement for their performances, it seems the greater Caribou area has been encompassed by Midsommar anticipation.
A quick peruse through the Maine Swedish Colony Midsommar schedule displays a variety of unique events for all ages: There’s Kubb/Viking Lawn Bowling beside the New Sweden Historical Society at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 23 at the same time as the traditional floral hair wreaths will be made out of Aroostook wildflowers. Later that night, there are two different traditional Swedish dinners to choose from — one at the Gustaf Adolph Lutheran Church and another at the New Sweden School, both from 4-6 p.m. — followed by dance lessons by the famed Orust Folk Dancers.
Swedish dinner on Saturday night will help fuel participants to carry the Midsommar Pole from Capitol Museum all the way to Thomas Park on Sunday, June 24 at 12:45 p.m., followed at 1 p.m. with dancing around the Maypole by New Sweden’s little folk dancers and the Orust Folk Dancers.
The long weekend features event after event filled with cultural and historic significance coupled with fun events and delicious treats — and it all kicks off on Friday, June 22 at 9 a.m. when all hands are needed to help gather flowers to adorn the iconic Midsommarst, or the Midsommar pole.
Aspiring flower pickers can meet at the New Sweden Historical Society Museum or on Carlstrom Hill, Rt. 161 above Madawaska Lake.
The wildflowers will be used to decorated the Midsommar pole the following day, on June 23 at 11 a.m. A family activity, the Midsommarst trimming of the pole will be accompanied by music and dancing right behind the New Sweden Historical Society Museum.
From Friday to Sunday, museums will be holding special hours and featuring unique tours; the Noak Blacksmith Shop, for example, will be offering tours, demonstrations and displays in the carpenter and blacksmith shops from 10 until 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 23.
The Larrson/Ostlund house, a two-story log homestead, will be open for tours from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. also on June 23, and will feature traditional crafters.
A full list of activities can be found online at www.maineswedishcolony.info/
