Bishop Hill State Historic Site will celebrate the Swedish fall festival Jordbruksdagarna (pronounced yord-brooks-DAH-ga-na) with food, music, dancing and games this Saturday and Sunday!
The Bishop Hill Heritage Association will host a variety of traditional craft demonstrations in the Park during the 42nd Annual Jordbruksdagarna (Swedish for “earth work days”). Hands-on activities behind the Colony Hotel include sorghum pressing and cooking, corn shelling, brick making, corn husk doll making and apple cider pressing.
Performances in the Park both days include Hammer and Pick at noon and 2, and the Nordic Dancers at 1 and 3.
New this year at the Henry County Historical Museum will be demonstrations of threshing oats, picking corn and shelling corn both days of the event. An early 1900s Avery threshing machine will be used to thresh oats at 11 a.m. At 1 p.m. corn will be picked by a tractor-mounted picker, and at 1:30 corn shelling will be done using a John Deere Model #6 sheller mounted on a 1930’s International Harvester truck.
Of course, traditional Swedish food will be in abundance. Traditional treats may be sampled by visitors in the park. The Bishop Hill Old Settlers’ Association will serve Colony Stew and rice pudding. The Bishop Hill Heritage Association Swedish Sausage Dinner will be served by Colony Store beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday, September 29
Vendors will sell farm produce, pumpkins, pioneer popcorn and more items in the Bishop Hill Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.
Jordbruksdagarna is sponsored by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency; the Bishop Hill Arts Council, which co-sponsors the music and dance performances; the Bishop Hill Heritage Association; Bishop Hill Volunteer Fire Department, and numerous local businesses.
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