Music lovers of all ages attended the Midsommar Music Festival in Bishop Hill on Saturday, June 22. A variety of performers including Swedish accordionist Ernie Sandquist, the Black Hawk Pipes and Drums, Lewis Knudsen and the Bandits, The Jansson 5, Blind Baggage, and the Hollands were on the main stage beginning at 11 am and concluding at 4 pm when the Maypole was dressed and raised by an enthusiastic crowd. Carlee Hawkins was declared this year’s Midsommar Queen. In addition, Rachael Holt of Galva was this year’s Olof Krans Scholarship winner.
Later in the evening, a fully packed barn dance featuring the Rusty Pickup String Band and Gail Hintze as caller was held at the Colony School.
Check out the photo gallery to view over one hundred photographs of this event. Photos are courtesy of Lou Lourdeau.
One of the organizers of this event was the BHHA. In addition, this event was sponsored, in part, by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.