Rockford’s rich Scandinavian heritage comes alive this month with a series of cultural events in the northern Illinois city that boasts the third largest concentration of Swedish Americans in the country.
Festivities began the first weekend in June with the Rockford Swedish Historical Society hosting their First Annual KUBB Tournament — a lawn game sometimes referred to as Viking Chess.
This ancient game combines features of chess, horseshoes, and bowling and legend has it that Vikings used the bones of their enemies as game pieces.
The competition today isn’t quite as fierce as I tried my hand at tossing the throwing pins at the wooden blocks now utilized and observed the friendly camaraderie between the participants ranging in age from 8 to
80.
“It’s a great way for us to involve younger people in our Swedish culture,” said Richard Brynteson, Curator of the Erlander House Museum who invited me for a private tour of the historic home.
The historic Erlander Home will be open to the public during the Midsommar Festival June 19 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and is packed with examples of Swedish furniture, musical instruments, original art and family heirlooms such as Bibles written in the Swedish language that have been donated to the Society over the years.
Special guests include the American Union of Swedish Singers, the Nordic Dancers of Chicago, and traditional Swedish food, including pancakes from the Stockholm Inn, will be served on the grounds.
Famed Swedish tenor Mats Carlsson will perform in a special concert June 18 at the Coronado Performing Arts Center in Rockford.
For more information on the Midsommar Festival call 815-963-5559 or go to www.swedishhistorical.org.
I couldn’t wait to sample the Swedish cuisine so I made my way to the Stockholm Inn and ordered their famous Swedish pancakes topped with imported lingonberries.
I came back that evening for their Swedish meatball dinner which includes two sides, a salad, and dessert for just $7.10. Everything was delicious!
However, the previous night when I checked in at the Best Western Clocktower Resort and Conference Center, I found myself surrounded by Chicago Black Hawk fans on their way to the Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery — the new in-house sports bar.
My curiosity got the best of me and soon I was enjoying a juicy New York strip steak, cheering on the Hawks, and being served cold beer by young ladies wearing kilts instead of skirts, and I don’t even follow hockey. This IS a great country!
Rockford’s nightlife lured me afterwards to the nearby Big Al’s Bar inside Giovanni’s restaurant where live music by an eclectic group of musicians known as Whale Bone entertained with a mix of funk, rock, blues, and jazz.
There were at least three dozen other nightclubs offering a variety of live music on this Friday night in Rockford according to the Rockford Register Star so be assured the fun doesn’t stop when the sun goes down.
Another cultural collision awaited me at the Anderson Japanese Gardens where Swedish artist Anders Hultman had just opened his exhibit of enchanting “naïve” paintings that capture the warmth and charm of his native village (Goteborg) in Sweden. They will be on display (and for sale) through Sept. 30 in the Visitors Center at the Gardens.
As for the Japanese Gardens themselves, after a peaceful walk through the Gardens of Reflection across a traditional Japanese bridge and past an authentic tea house, I found myself at an enchanting waterfall tumbling down a rocky hillside. Fourteen hundred gallons of water circulates through the waterfall every minute as it cascades over 800 tons of boulders designed by master craftsman Hoichi Kurisu.
The other water feature at the Gardens is the twelfth century style “pond strolling garden” — ranked the top Japanese Garden in North America. The pond is framed by bright red Japanese maples and dark evergreens providing a contrasting setting of beauty and tranquility.
I topped off my visit by enjoying a panoramic view from the Seasons in the Garden restaurant where I could enjoy a gourmet meal while overlooking the Garden of Reflection.
For more information on the Anderson Japanese Gardens go to www.andersongardens.org.
The Rockford Park District also kicked off its annual summer program along the riverfront with A Trolley Good Time.
You can choose to ride along the scenic Rock River, which bisects Rockford, on a replica Trolley Car whose tracks parallel the Rock River Recreation Parkway or you can board the Forest City Queen pontoon boat for an up close look at the beautiful homes and gardens gracing the riverbanks.
If you want to beat the heat you can skate at the Janet Lynn ice rink honoring Rockford’s hometown girl who brought home an Olympic bronze figure skating medal in 1972.
Finally, if air shows are your pleasure you won’t want to miss Rockford AirFest 2010 July 31 through Aug. 1 featuring the US Air Force Thunderbirds, US Army Golden Knights Parachute Team, US Navy Super Hornet Demo team, and US Marine Corps Harrier Demo Team. Details can be found at www.flyrfd.com.
For information on all of Rockford’s attractions and Stay and Play packages call 800-521-0849 or visit www.gorockford.com.
About the author: Mark Bradley is a tour director and currently resides in Chillicothe. He is a 1973 graduate of Illinois Valley Central High School and 1977 graduate of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale with a degree in radio/TV.
For more about Mark Bradley, click here.
