October 20-22, 2023
Registration is now open
Välkommen till Fall Swedish Music & Dance Weekend 2023! This year marks 49 years since Edwin Johnson and his family first came to Folklore Village. Our 2023 festival will feature wonderful musicians and dancers, including Paul & Marikay Dahlin, Roo Lester & Larry Harding, Bronwyn Bird, DoAnn Holzman, and more; evening parties, and delicious cultural meals by RedBarn Catering. We hope you’ll join us for this weekend of music, dance, food, and fellowship!
Questions? Contact Kelli Emerson at programs@folklorevillage.org or by calling (608) 924-4000.
On this page:
Schedule & Workshops
Registration
Scholarships
Accommodations
Artistic Staff
Schedule & Workshops
A full schedule of the weekend will be posted here when available.
Fiddle Workshops:
Fiddle workshops are led by Paul Dahlin and other family and friends. More information on this year’s fiddle workshops will be available soon.
Nyckelharpa Workshops:
Folklore Village is proud to incorporate nyckelharpa, a traditional Swedish keyed instrument, into this festival. We offer intermediate/advanced workshops taught by musician Bronwyn Bird, and beginner workshops taught by DoAnn Holzman. Some loaner nyckelharpas will be available during the weekend. True beginners (those who have never played nyckelharpa before) are encouraged to attend the Friday afternoon workshop.
Dance Workshops:
Dance workshops are led by Roo Lester & Larry Harding, with live music provided by Char Bostrom. Dance workshops are open to all levels of dancers. Beginner dancers are strongly encouraged to attend the Friday afternoon session on dance basics.
Registration
Registration is now open for the 2023 Fall Swedish Weekend! Please fill out the form below to register. Questions? Contact Kelli Emerson at programs@folklorevillage.org or by calling (608) 924-4000.
Full-Time Registration*
$260 before noon Central Time on October 6
$280 after noon Central Time on October 6
Part-Time Registration*
Friday afternoon workshops: $30
Friday evening potluck & dance: $20
All-day Saturday: $190 (includes 3 meals, all workshops, and evening concert/party)
Saturday breakfast: $15
Saturday AM workshops: $60
Saturday lunch: $20
Saturday PM workshops: $60
Saturday supper & evening party: $60
Saturday evening party (no supper): $30
Sunday breakfast: $15
Sunday AM workshops: $55
Sunday lunch: $15
*For teen and youth rates contact Kelli Emerson at programs@folklorevillage.org.
For more information on our festival policies, including cancellation policies, visit https://folklorevillage.org/upcoming-events/festival-registration-information/
Scholarships
Dishwashing Scholarships
It takes a village to put on our festivals. Be a part of the dishwashing crew and help out by washing eating dishes (plates, silverware, and cups) after meals. By filling this essential role you will receive reduced tuition: dishwashers pay just $120 for the FULL weekend! Please contact Program Manager Kelli Emerson at 608-924-4000 or programs@folklorevillage.org to inquire about dishwashing scholarships.
Accommodations
Bunkhouse (Very rustic): $15 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.
Tenting: $10 per tent per night
Stay on our beautiful grounds! Many sites are available. No campfires allowed. Showers and bathrooms are located in Farwell Hall (main activity building). You can register for tent camping via the Fall Swedish Registration form.
RV Camping with Electrical Hook-Up: $15 per RV per night
**Extremely limited; reserve a spot early**
Folklore Village has limited electrical hook-ups for RVs. To register for a spot with electrical hook-up please email programs@folklorevillage.org.
Other Accommodations:
Motels are available with 7-15 miles of Folklore Village. Please make your own arrangements.
Super 8 (608) 935-3888
Deer Valley Lodge (608)924-1600
Best Western (608)935-7739
Pine Ridge Motel (608)935-3386
Quality Inn (608)987-4747
Lodging in Mineral Point
Artistic Staff
Paul Dahlin and his late mother Nancy performing together in the 1970s.
Paul Dahlin, Fiddle
For decades, Paul has been sharing the folk music of Dalarna, Sweden brought to the U.S. by his grandfather Ivares Edwin Johnson, who emigrated to Minnesota in 1924. Paul learned to play fiddle from his grandfather when he was a young boy. Paul, his grandfather, and Uncle Bruce formed the group American Swedish Spelmans Trio and performed at the Snoose Boulevard Festival in Minneapolis, on the radio program “A Prairie Home Companion,” and even for the King of Sweden! Edwin Johnson died in 1984, but his musical legacy lives on in Paul who, together with his family, carries on the style of music Grandpa Edwin played as a young man–traditional dance polska, vals and gånglåt walking tunes. Paul was awarded an NEA National Heritage Fellowship in 1996.
Through the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis and at Folklore Village, Paul’s goal has been to make this rich traditional music available to all those interested, teaching the melodies and communicating the subtleties in the rhythms to keep the music as authentic as possible–even if it has a slight American accent. Each year Paul creates a team of musicians: the “Folklore Village Spelmanslag.” Paul will be joined by wife Marikay on the cittra (zither), son Daniel Dahlin, and other guests.
Roo Lester & Larry Harding, Dance
Roo Lester & Larry Harding are well known for their fun and sensitive teaching style, making them a favorite with novice and experienced dancers alike. Roo’s teaching is infused with a great love of dancing and a desire to help others to love it too. Today she is recognized as one of the foremost experts of Scandinavian dance in the United States. Roo is the type of teacher interested in your learning, and she does everything she can to make you proud of your dance progress as the weekend unfolds.
Bronwyn Bird, Intermediate/Advanced Nyckelharpa
Bronwyn Bird is a co-founder of the BirdHouse Center for the Arts in New Jersey, a 2009 graduate of Berklee College of Music, and certified music therapist. Bronwyn discovered the joys of music through Swedish, Irish, and American folk dancing, and it has been her passion ever since. She is particularly drawn to unusual instruments, including the accordion, and Nyckelharpa (keyed-fiddle), which she studied in Sweden.
Throughout her music therapy clinical work she has provided services for a wide variety of populations including Early Intervention, at-risk youth, Adult Dayhab, Geriatrics, and individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. When not engaged in clinical work, she tours both nationally and internationally as a professional musician, performing and teaching educational workshops in root music and dance. Bronwyn strongly believes that community creates music, and music in turn creates community.
DoAnn Holzman, Beginning Nyckelharpa
DoAnn Holzman has been playing the nyckelharpa for over 10 years. She has had workshops with several advanced players from the USA, Sweden, England, and Germany, learning how to teach beginner nyckelharpa players. She has taught one-on-one, as well as in groups. DoAnn will have a few loaner instruments available for students who would like to take the beginner classes but do not have an instrument.
Char Bostrom, Fiddle
Char Bostrom, from Saint Paul, Minnesota, has been pursuing her love for and interest in Scandinavian dance fiddling for many years. In the greater Twin Cities area pre-Covid she played for four dance groups and is a member of the Ole Olssons Oldtime Orkestra. She has traveled around the country and Scandinavia attending workshops and playing for dancing. Char will play for Roo’s dance workshops.
Support from the Wisconsin Arts Board makes it possible to bring guest artists like Bronwyn Bird to Folklore Village. Thank you to the Wisconsin Arts Board for providing partial funding our 2023 Fall Swedish Weekend!