Welcome to Folklore Village’s longest running festival! Founded by Jane Farwell in 1947 to counteract the growing commercialization of the season, the Festival of Christmas & Midwinter Traditions is a joyous celebration of all things folk and community. Now in its 78th year, the festival includes workshops in dance, song, music, and craft; kids programming; cultural meals; evening parties; and so much more. Join us for this special way to end the year!
On This Page:
-Schedule & Activities
-Registration
-Scholarships
-Featured Artists
-Accommodations
-Cancellations
Schedule & Activities
The full festival schedule will be posted here when available. The festival starts at 3:00pm on December 28 and runs through brunch on January 1. Read more below about the various activities held during the festival.
Dance Workshops: Each day dance instructor Andy Taylor-Blenis will lead workshops in different styles of international dance. On December 31st Greg Winz will teach the Heilsberger Dreieck and Francaise, two classic dances that have been dances at Folklore Village on New Year’s Eve for decades.
Singing workshops: Liz Rog will lead joyous community singing workshops in the Plum Grove Chapel during the festival, and she’ll prepare students for a New Year’s Eve showcase. Liz will also lead gathering songs before some meals.
Festival Band: Come one, come all to the Festival Band! Led by Liam Kantor & Lexi Ugelow, the festival band is composed of musicians of all levels–anyone who brings an instrument can join in on the music and the famous festival band shenanigans! But what does the festival band actually do, other than scheming up pranks and selecting costumes? This group learns tunes to play at the New Year’s Eve party and provides music when needed throughout the festival.
Dalmålning Community Project: “If These Walls Could Talk”: Join Renee Vaughan to create a community dalmålning exploring the theme “If These Walls Could Talk.” Dalmålning is a Swedish folk painting tradition that typically tells the story of daily life. Our community dalmålning will focus on the not-so-typical daily life at the Festival of Christmas & Midwinter Traditions. Participants will help paint the piece, whether applying a color-wash, painting in the sketch of Farwell Hall, or contributing something that represents their experience of the festival. All ages and skill levels are welcome to participate in this communal piece representing the festival.
Korean Jogakbo Workshop: Learn the art of Jogakbo (traditional Korean patchwork) with Miryeong Hog by stitching a colorful coaster! In Korean, ‘Jogak’ means ‘pieces’, and ‘Bo’ means a wrapping bag. Jogakbo’s main use is as Bojagi, a Korean traditional wrapping cloth. Nowadays, Jogakbo can be found as art, lighting, handbags, table linen, and more. Held December 29 from 1:45 – 4:30pm. $15 materials fee, space limited.
Pysanky Workshop: Decorate eggs in the traditional Eastern European way, with hot wax and dye! Instructor Jarka Sobiskova is originally from Czechoslovakia and learned the art of pysanky as a child. Pysanky eggs symbolize rebirth and are typically made for Easter and springtime celebrations. If you master the process in this workshop, you’ll be prepared to make more come spring! Held December 30, 11:00 – 12:30pm. $10 materials fee, space limited.
But Can You Juggle? Join this session to make your own trio of juggling bags. You will fill three bags with rice then hand-sew one seam to close them. Once finished, the fun begins! All materials and a juggling lesson provided! $5 materials fee.
Kids Programming: Each day will feature kid-friendly programming, including theater games on December 30, a Sankta Lucia procession, nightly storytelling workshops, and more.
Afternoon teas at the Festival of Christmas & Midwinter Traditions are an opportunity to enjoy a break from workshops while learning more about a cultural practice or enjoying tea, treats, and an activity. Learn more about each day’s afternoon tea.
Ostfriesen Tea
December 28 | 4:30pm
Rich tortes and pastries accompany authentic black Ostfriesen tea served in delicate Ostfriesen china in this ceremony typical of Northwestern Germany. The tea is served with cream and kluntje, which is sugar in a large, crystal form. Dan Lippitt, Glenn Mitroff, and Greg Winz present this beloved Folklore Village tradition that stems from founder Jane Farwell’s time living in Ostfriesland as a young woman.
Sankta Lucia Tea
December 29 | 4:30pm
This tea begins with a festival participant being crowned Saint Lucia and walking into a darkened Farwell Hall with candles gleaming on her head. Children and adults of the festival follow behind her singing traditional songs that are taught during workshops earlier in the day. This Swedish tradition celebrates the winter solstice, light in the darkness of winter, and the Christmas spirit of giving. At the Festival of Christmas & Midwinter Traditions, the Sankta Lucia tea is also a time a recognize participants’ roles in our community by giving the crown of Sankta Lucia to a different person each year. After the Sankta Lucia ceremony, the year’s Sankta Lucia is introduced and saffron buns and tea are served.
Madagascar Tea
December 30 | 4:30pm
It’s a small world! This year both Folklore Village Board President Beth Atkinson and Folklore Village Program Manager Kelli Emerson travelled to Madagascar: Beth with Village Harmony, and Kelli to visit a college roommate, Becca Buse, doing Peace Corps in Madagascar. In this tea, Becca Buse and Beth Atkinson will share their perspectives on the culture of Madagascar. Becca will share what she learned about the Malagasy from two years living in a rural village. Beth will share about her musical experience in Madagascar. We will enjoy a Malagasy tea and snack while learning about this big island in the Indian ocean.
Auction Tea
December 31 | 4:30pm
This longstanding tradition of great finds and fast bidding is something you don’t want to miss. Auctioneer Jim McNeill dresses up and leads the fun, witty exchanges that dominate this tea. This is an extremely important fundraiser for Folklore Village and we appreciate both donations of items for the auction and every bid during the auction! If you have a special item for the auction, please bring it to the office early in the festival!
Each night of the festival is capped off with a themed evening party featuring dancing, music, games, and snacks. Evening parties often include some dances, skits, or music learned during the daytime workshops, but you do not need to have attended the daytime workshops in order to attend and enjoy the evening party.
Details on the evening parties will be posted here soon.
Meals at the festival are prepared fresh in-house by the fabulous RedBarn Catering crew. The catering team provides a vegetarian and a gluten free option at every meal for those who register as such. RedBarn can often accommodate other dietary needs as well but cannot guarantee that every dietary need will be met. Please indicate any dietary restrictions when you register for the festival, and contact the office at (608) 924-4000 or programs@folklorevillage.org with questions.
Registration
Online registration is now open! If you have any questions or would like to register over the phone, please call Folklore Village at (608) 924-4000.
Full-Time Registration
Adults: $495 before noon Central Time on December 8; $525 after noon Central Time on December 8
Teens (ages 13 – 17) : $320 before noon Central Time on December 8; $340 after noon Central Time on December 8
Youth (ages 5 – 12): $250 before noon Central Time on December 8; $270 after noon Central Time on December 8
Kids under 5 are admitted free, but must be registered.
Part-Time Registration (Rates Vary)
Many part-time registration options are available, from attending a single party or meal to attending a full day. To view the part-time registration rates, click here.
Scholarships
We have both need-based and work exchange scholarships available for this festival. Whether you’re a first-time participant or you help with dishes every year, there may be a scholarship that suits your needs.
Featured Artists
Andy Taylor-Blenis is the daughter of Marianne and Conny Taylor, cofounders of the Folk Arts Center of New England. She began international folk dancing as a young child and was certified as a teacher in Scottish Country Dance at age 17. Andy graduated University of Massachusetts at Amhurst with a BFA in dance and minor in Social Anthropology. She began her contemporary professional career in 1983 dancing with numerous choreographers, danced with Prometheus Dance Company for 20 years while raising her 2 children and teaching. She continues to teach international folk dance through the Folk Arts Center of New England and Mass Movement, as well at private and public schools and universities.
Andy is the artistic director of Mladost Folk Ensemble, a youth international folk dance group she founded in 2006 in honor of her parents. They learn songs and dances from all over the world which they then share with the public through events and performance. Andy is also currently artistic director for the RSCDS Boston Scottish Country Dancers, Back Pocket Dancers, an intergenerational company that tells stories through narration, music and dance, and the Wheaton College Dancers at Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts. In addition to folk dance, Andy continues to teach modern and jazz dance to all ages. Dance builds community and shows how rich a country we are through our shared cultural traditions. Andy loved teaching here at Folklore village back in 2012 and is lookking forward to being in this wonderful community again.
Liz Rog is a cultural activist using song, ritual, festival, and nature to create welcoming spaces where people of all ages can find belonging. Liz is the author of the Song Carrier Toolkit, a handbook for both new and experienced songleaders; the founder of Village Fire Singing Camps, and founder and director of Center for Belonging Folk School where she hosts retreats, concerts, and camps that are rooted in nature and song. Liz shares her time between weaving local community in parks and around kitchen tables where she lives with her family near Decorah, Iowa, and travelling to other communities to help nurture collective courage, healing, belonging, and joy through song.
Liam Kantor is a long-time festival participant and a traditional musician, teacher, and researcher with specialties in Irish fiddle music and community singing styles from around the world. Built on years of intensive study and research, Liam strives to create spaces for genuine engagement with folk music and its particularities, whether it be in private lessons, small group experiences, or large workshops.
Lexi Ugelow is a vocalist, pianist, songwriter, and expressive arts workshop and music education facilitator based in Cambridge, MA. She is a life long learner and lover of intergenerational community singing. A professional vocalist and self produced songwriter, Lexi has toured with groups such as Northern Harmony, Culomba, Honey & Soul, and Road Dogs, performing and teaching workshops to adults and children. A firm believer that our bodies are our instruments, she encourages the practice of non-judgement during exploration of musical play. Moving into her fifth year as co-music director for Sing Positive, Lexi continues to use music as a way to help others build community, confidence and self expression.
Renee Vaughan is a Minnesota-based artist who brings Sweden’s folk traditions to life through music, dance, painting, and storytelling. Rooted in history and guided by curiosity, she connects old ways to new spaces and communities, inviting people to explore their ideas of culture and home.
Renee’s folk journey began with studying Swedish folk painting (dalmålning) with artist and musician Judy Kjenstad. Wanting to feel more immersed in the culture while painting, Renee borrowed a CD of traditional Swedish music from the library and she was captivated by the nyckelharpa, the national folk instrument of Sweden. She was specifically captivated by Eric Sahlström playing “Pinntorpafrun” polska. Judy, also a skilled nyckelharpa player, soon became her mentor and guided her in learning the traditional Swedish way: by ear, and understanding how the rhythm connects to the dances.
For almost two decades, Renee has performed at venues like the American Swedish Institute, Norsk Høstfest, and the Minnesota Orchestra’s Nordic Soundscapes Festival. She is a teaching artist with Minnesota Public Radio Class Notes and with COMPAS, bringing Swedish folk traditions to classrooms, libraries, and community events. In 2022, Renee was awarded a fellowship from the American Scandinavian Foundation to study with nyckelharpa master Cajsa Ekstav in Sweden
deepening her understanding of the Swedish polska as it relates to regional folk dances. In 2024, she served as Musician-in-Residence at UW-Madison’s Nordic Folklife Department, where she researched the musical lives of 19th-century Swedish immigrants and launched Nordic Newcomers a free online educational resource.
Jogakbo is a Korean traditional patchwork embedded with history. ‘Jogak’ means ‘pieces’, and ‘Bo’ means a wrapping bag. Jogakbo’s main use is as Bojagi, a Korean traditional wrapping cloth. Nowadays, Jogakbo can be found as art, lighting, handbags, table linen, and more. Jogakbo allows for a wide range of styles, from traditional to contemporary and a variety of color palettes and patterns.
Miryeong Hong is inspired by the color-saturated four seasons in her homeland of South Korea. She began making Jogakbo sixteen years ago. In her Jogakbo she focuzes on the various textures and colors that represent distinctive aspects of each season, using this as a way to overcome homesickness.
Jarka Sobiskova is a practicing artist in Madison, WI. Originally from Czechoslovakia, she has been making pysanky (traditional decorated eggs) since she was a child. More details on her workshop coming soon.
Johanna Gorman-Baer will inspire your theatrical side with her engaging Theater Games workshop, storytelling for kids and adults alike, and the much-loved New Year’s Eve skit. A life-long festival participants, Johanna’s workshops are all about joy, humor, creativity, and camaraderie.
Accommodations
Bunkhouse (Very rustic): $20 per person per night
Stay on-site within walking distance (about 3 blocks) of Farwell Hall (main activities building). The bunkhouses are heated, with cots provided, and camp-style toilets and handpump nearby. Showers are located in Farwell Hall. Bring your own bedding, pillow, towel, flashlight, etc. Men and woman are housed in separate buildings. You can register for bunkhouse accommodations via the festival registration form.
Rosebud Retreat New! $50 per night during festivals
Tucked among fruit trees and tallgrass prairie at Folklore Village, the Rosebud Retreat is a lovingly restored 1966 Manorette camper. Quiet nights, vintage details, and Driftless charm make this a one-of-a-kind stay, just steps from our historic Wakefield Schoolhouse and Farwell Hall.
Cancellations
Folklore Village will retain a $20 processing fee for any cancellations made more than 3 weeks before the start of a festival. After that date, $20, or 50% of the festival registration fee, whichever is greater, will be non-refundable. There will be no refunds if you cancel less than one week before the start of a festival. However, you may receive credit for a tax-deductible donation to Folklore Village.
