Geneva’s favorite summer festival is ready to return June 24-27.
Swedish Days kicks off on Thursday with the Geneva Settler’s Coffee Hour, a breakfast for longtime residents. The morning meal is served to-go this year.
Friday is Kids’ Day, and the Geneva Public Library is hosting special events and activities just for families.
The fun really takes off Saturday morning, starting with the Swedish Days Lopp 5K at Gunnar Anderson Forest Preserve, off Batavia Avenue. A Kids’ Dash for children younger than 8 starts at 7:15 a.m. The chip-timed adults race starts at 7:30 a.m. and winds through the hilly preserve. Runners are encouraged to show off their Swedish pride while decked out in blue and yellow. There’s a post-race pancake breakfast, to-go style, at Geneva Lutheran Church.
Saturday afternoon brings some new fun as live musicians take to the Kane County Cougars’ Northwestern Medicine Field. Bring lawn chairs and blankets to the Music Garden for Dala-Palooza, a ticketed event that begins at 1 p.m.
Meanwhile, the fun continues downtown as local retailers and restaurants hold special promotions and outdoors activities all weekend long.
Sunday morning brings a delicious close to Swedish Days as 14 local retailers join the Choklad Crawl, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Stop by each location on this self-guided, open house-style tour to sample a unique, chocolate-inspired item. Some treats may be for the over-21 crowd only. Tickets are $18 and must be purchased in advance. They can be picked up the morning of the event or beginning June 15 at the Chamber of Commerce.
As Illinois passes to the “bridge” phase, more excitement will continue to be added in the lineup. Paula Schmidt, president of the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, says she and her team are doing everything they can to provide a fun, safe and memorable experience for all.
“We are so happy to be able to offer activities for Swedish Days,” says Schmidt. “It will still be a bit different, as we had to plan in advance. So, let’s all enjoy our ‘new’ Swedish Days.” ❚
For information or tickets, contact the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, 8 S. Third St., Geneva, (630) 232-6060, genevachamber.com.