Prepare for the holidays by attending Julmarknad, or Christmas Market, in Bishop Hill. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. November 29, November 30, and December 7. On December 1 and 8, the hours are from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The attractions include Swedish folk characters, traditional Swedish holiday decorations, and Christmas gifts for sale. All our shops, museums, and restaurants will be open to satisfy your holiday needs. See Tomten, our Swedish elves, roam through the town, looking through windows, and peeking around corners in their red and grey outfits. Guests will also enjoy the Julbock, the Christmas Goat. This trickster from Scandinavian entertains young and old with its antics. A working model railroad will also be in the Steeple Building Museum, with a Christmas display. At the Peasant Works, there will be a festive Swedish Folklore DIY Photo Booth in the barnyard, featuring tomten and julbock attire. At the Bishop Hill State Museum each day, participate in the Olof Krans Paintings Scavenger Hunt. Starting the first week of Julmarknad, the Bishop Hill Creative Commons is collecting name suggestions for their two giant Tomten, with public voting to follow. Please stop in at The Commons and add your ideas.

In addition, on Friday, November 29, help the Vasa National Archives create a paper mache Snowman from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guests will be adding layers of paper mache to this holiday craft. This is a community project that is open to children of all ages. A Cookie Walk will be held at the Colony School from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Homemade cookies and other baked goods can be purchased by the pound. At the Bishop Hill Creative Commons, join Jelena Todorovich from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the Christmas Ornament Paint and Take Activity. Participants can paint a traditional Swedish Dala Horse Ornament for a small fee. Finally, cookie baking will be done in the historic Bjorklund Hotel kitchen from 1 to 3 p.m.

On Saturday, November 30, the Cookie Walk will continue at the Colony School. The paper mache Snowman project will also continue at the VASA National Archives from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with painting and other personal touches being added. Jannifer Powelson, author of Bee in her Bonnet, will be doing a book signing at the Prairie Arts Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tim Pletkovich, author of Nuns, Nazis, and Notre Dame, will be doing a book signing at the Colony Store. Cookie baking will continue at the Bjorklund Hotel kitchen. Sample freshly baked cookies from 1 to 3 p.m. At the Bishop Hill Creative Commons, make your own Tomte tree ornament from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday is also Small Business Saturday, so please support your local economy and shop the small businesses of historic Bishop Hill.

On Sunday December 1 only, experience a LIVE BLUES Concert at the Bishop Hill Creative Commons with Chris Stevens and Greg Weinberg performing from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. and David Bechtold from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Please view the Bishop Hill Creative Commons Facebook page for more details. In addition, Cookie baking will continue at the Bjorklund Hotel kitchen. Sample freshly baked cookies from 1 to 3 p.m.