October 20-22, 2023
Välkommen till Fall Swedish Music & Dance Weekend 2023! This year marks 48 years since Edwin Johnson and his family first came to Folklore Village. The festival will feature workshops in fiddle, nyckelharpa, and dance; 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.
Schedule & Workshops
A full schedule of the weekend will be posted here when available.
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.
Scholarship Fund
Do you have fond memories of attending Fall Swedish Weekend over the years? Can’t come but want to help others experience this great festival? Consider a contribution to the Fall Swedish Weekend Scholarship Fund. Your donation will help provide a full or partial scholarship to participants in need of tuition assistance. Scholarship monies will be available for the 2023 Fall Swedish Music & Dance Weekend. Donations of all sizes are welcome and greatly appreciated. Help grow our community and share this weekend of music, dance, and fellowship with others!
Click here to donate to the Fall Swedish Scholarship Fund!
Accommodations
Bunkhouse (Very rustic): $15 per person per night
**Capacity limited**
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 Fall Swedish registration form.
Bunkhouse capacity will be limited. Availability is subject to review by the Folklore Village Board of Directors.
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
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), Uncle Bruce, son Daniel Dahlin, Mary Londborg, Ruth Lemire, Frances Olson, and two special guests.
Roo Lester & Larry Harding
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.
Becky Weis
Becky Weis has played and studied nyckelharpa on both sides of the Atlantic. She is known as a teacher and a player for dancers, and has fun teaching and making tunes danceable. Becky guides playing with technique tips, and likes the spirit of getting a good tune going.
Becky is also a scholar in the Swedish nyckelharpa tradition, the subject of her doctoral dissertation in ethnomusicology. She serves on the board of directors of the Twin Cities Nyckelharpalag, and teaches both nyckelharpa and hardingfele at St. Olaf’s College.
DoAnn Holzman
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
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.