Ephraim City welcomes the annual Scandinavian Heritage Festival as it returns again for the 42nd year on Friday and Saturday, May 25-26, Memorial Weekend. The festival includes two full days of music, entertainment, crafts, arts, demonstrations, speakers, stories, food, vendors, sports, a car show, tours, a parade and fireworks.

Visitors from all around come to enjoy the traditional festivities. About 650,000 Utahns trace their ancestry to Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Iceland. Many of those living in Sanpete are descended from 19th Century Scandinavian converts to the LDS Church.

One of the best recommendations for visitors is to seek out the information booth located at 150 East 100 North, pick up an event guide and map. They will help to answer the many questions about the festival.

Pioneer reenactments

The festival begins Friday, May 25, at 9 a.m. when the Pioneer Heritage Company will begin showing festival goers how the pioneers lived, worked and played. Come to Snow College, 100 East 100 North, for two days of reenactments that should give modern day folk a glimpse into the pioneer way of life.

See how pioneers cooked historic Scandinavian recipes over an open fire. Then, stick around for demonstrations on period sewing, woodworking, and listen to some good old-fashioned pioneer storytelling.

The kids should have fun participating in pioneer children’s games and activities. The reenactments and demonstrations go from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Heritage Conference

Beginning at 10 a.m., Friday, the Scandinavian Heritage Conference will take place in the auditorium of the Snow College Huntsman Library, 150 East College Ave.

The conference gives participants an opportunity to learn about and reflect on Scandinavian and pioneer influences in the lives of early settlers of Ephraim and the Sanpete Valley and are particularly interesting for those with Scandinavian or other pioneer ancestors.

The conference this year will feature speakers at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. The speakers have not yet been announced. It is a free education event.

Quilt Expo

Also beginning at 10 a.m., Friday, is the Scandinavian Heritage Festival’s Quilt Expo. It takes place upstairs in the Ephraim Co-op Building, 96 North Main Street, on Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

The expo includes quilts from local artists, particularly quilts that exemplify Ephraim’s Scandinavian or pioneer heritage and Mormon pioneer handicraft as kept alive by today’s aficionados.

A patchwork of quilts is expected to show up at the Scandinavian Festival Quilt Show; hand sewn, machine sewn, appliqued, pieced or perhaps even antique.

Many quilters are people who like to sit down, be with others and work together on puzzles, said quilt show coordinator Marcia Christensen.

“We’ve always said quilting is kind of crazy, you take some nice material and take it apart into pieces, and then you put it back together again.”

Local quilting groups, like Mountain Valley Quilting Group in Gunnison, Horseshoe Mountain and Stitchin’ Sisters groups in Ephraim, and Quilt Keepers in Wales, may contribute quilts to the show, but others are encouraged to bring their works in as well.

Antique quilts, that may have been in the family for years, are also welcome as are quilts by young or first-time quilters, and quilted projects other than blankets. But tied or kit quilts are not encouraged, Christensen said.

The show will not be judged, but visitors may vote for their favorite quilts.

To show a quilt, bring it to the co-op between 1 p.m., Wednesday May 23 and 12 noon on Thursday, May 24. Quilt show organizers will attempt to show all works brought in depending on available space. For more information or to enter a quilt, call Marcia Christensen at (435) 283-2212.

Entertainment

From Friday Noon through Saturday at dusk, the festival grounds on the north side of the Snow College campus and at Pioneer Heritage Park, 50 North 100 West, will buzz with costumes, dancing, storytelling, entertainment, historical tours, craft and food booths and more.

Storytelling

In the cold, dark winters of old Scandinavia, storytellers were held in high esteem because of their ability to spin tales of adventure, romance, and war providing a welcome diversion from everyday tasks. Eager listeners stared into the flames while images of magical conquests swept through their minds and inflamed their imaginations.

Over time, electronic entertainments seem to have shuffled storytellers off to the pages of history books, except for special events such as Ephraim’s Scandinavian Heritage Festival.

On Friday and Saturday afternoon, storytellers will draw on the old and cherished tradition of storyteller Hans Christian Andersen, as storytelling has expanded to include pioneer stories and other folktales from various tellers who love the craft.

Dinner — Fireworks

The Little Gourmet Scandinavian Dinner will be served Friday from 6-8 p.m., at the Greenwood Student Center at Snow College. A minimum of 300 hungry souls will be fed. No reservations are required but there is a fee.

Come experience a Scandinavian dinner of epic proportions, literally a smorgasbord, a buffet-style meal that originated in Sweden. A feast like this may require a second stomach.

There will be a fireworks show after dinner or at dusk Friday night which can be viewed from outside the Greenwood Student Center.

Saturday, May 26

The annual Fun Run, 5k, 10k, Half marathon race will begin the fun-filled day with registration starting at 6 a.m., at 50 East 100 North. Races begin at 6:30 a.m.

To enliven the competition, the Ephraim Youth City Council may add a vibrant twist to the Fun Run called “Color Me Viking.” At participants’ request, runners could be coated with powdered paint in Scandinavian colors and end the race in “rad” style.

Participants can pre-register online at http://scandinavianfestival.org or onsite at 50 East 100 North, Ephraim.

There are a lot of events this day so be sure to start the day off with an appetizing breakfast hosted by the Lions Club. It is the Annual Aebleskiver breakfast, served from 8-10 a.m., in a pavilion located in the parking lot east of the Ephraim Co-op, 96 North Main Street.

Then check out the Ephraim Co-op and explore the Olde Crafter’s Village. There will be arts and crafts for kids, various traditional artisans demonstrating trades such as a blacksmith, wood worker, Swedish rug weaving, soap maker and doll carver.

In addition artists will demonstrate bobbin lace, tatting, harbinger, black work, crocheting, knitting, and yarn spinning. Each year brings something new, come find out what it is!

Throughout this eventful day, there will be lots of entertainment, good food, bus tours, and activities for children and much, much more. Most entertainment events take place on the Snow College Main Stage or on the Heritage Plaza stage.

Grand Parade

One of the Scandinavian Heritage Festival’s highlights is the annual parade, which will take place this year beginning at 10 a.m. Due to construction on Snow College campus, the route may have changed, another good reason to seek out an event guide.

Ephraim City anticipates that this year’s parade will be very fun and interesting for all participants and spectators alike. The parade will give an opportunity to reflect upon the Scandinavian heritage of this part of the country. Each year the parade is well attended with local residents as well as may visitors who come for the weekend.

Families, businesses, organizations or for that matter, anyone, may enter the parade. All appropriate family friendly entries are welcome. A Scandinavian theme is encouraged for each entry. Candy is okay. There is no entry fee, but entries must pre-register online: www.scandinavianfestival.org/parade.

On the day of the parade, entries will line up on 200 South on the East side of Main Street starting at 9 am.

For further information about the parade, send email to: parade@scandinavianfestival.org.

Car Show

Then take a walk down memory lane and view all the original vehicles in The Original Side By Side Car Show from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. They will be parked on 100 East Street between Center and 100 North. Prizes will be given for each of the top divisions and one grand prize for Best of Show at 3 p.m. For more information or to register visit http://scandinavianfestival.org/car-show.

Bus Tours

Two bus tours will be available starting at 11:30 a.m. and again at 1:30 p.m. Each tour lasts 50 – 60 minutes and participants will be on the bus the entire time. The tour will visit parts of Ephraim, including historic sites, buildings, and homes that highlight the early history of the town and its Scandinavian settlers.

Vike On A Bike

The third annual “Vike on a Bike,” mountain bike race for all experience levels begins at 12 noon, Saturday, at 400 East 100 North. There is a registration fee which includes a T-shirt and race number.

Viking bikers have four course options: family, beginner, novice, and sport. The beginning and advanced races are seven-mile courses that begin at Snow College campus and go east along Kane Valley Road, with two loops over Black Hill for the advanced rider, and an easier loop for the beginning rider.

The Family Fun Ride will be out and back on Kane Valley Road. The riders will finish back at the festival at the Noyes Building on the courses designed by Durke Gordon.

All riders are encouraged to be in the Grand Parade at 10 a.m. to promote the race and warm up their muscles. Families are encouraged to decorate their Viking bikes.

For more information call Beverly Thomas (435) 340-1052 or visit http://scandinavianfestival.org/viking-on-a-bike.

Tennis Tournament

Participate in this year’s “Scandinavian Open” Tennis Tournament on Saturday, from 1-4 p.m., at the Snow College tennis courts, 375 North 200 East. There is a fee to participate.

Depending on the amount of people that sign up there will be singles and doubles matches for men and women. Different skill level groups will also be considered. Should be super fun, come and play some tennis! To sign up or for more information call or text Justin at (435) 764-4658 or visit http://www.TennisSignUp.com.

Pickleball

Scandinavian Days drop-in pickleball tournament will take place on Saturday, at 4 p.m., at Snow College tennis courts, 375 North 200 East. Doubles partners will be chosen by a random draw and participants play until they lose.

No entry fee, but sign up by 3:45 p.m., so pairing brackets can be filled out. Doubles only and players are responsible for making line calls and game regulations.

Contact Sharron Bird (435) 340-0646 after 3 p.m., or Brad Bird (435) 351-1240 for further information.

Map

Throughout this eventful day, there will be lots of entertainment, good food, bus tours, and activities for children and much, much more. Most entertainment events take place on the Snow College Main Stage or on the Heritage Plaza stage.

There is an online map available which details locations of events and parking areas at http://scan.benoch.com/map-parking. It is printable for reference during the event.