Stratford to host Swedish celebration
Are you of Swedish decent, have Swedish ancestors, or just want to see how the Swedish lived in Iowa? Then come to Stratford on Friday, Aug. 21, where the 160th Anniversary Celebration of Swedish Immigrants will take place to commemorate the Swedes that arrived in North Central Iowa's "Greater Swede Bend" area in 1849. The celebration is sponsored by the Swedish Foundation of Iowa's 'Swede Bend' Settlement.
The celebration begins on Friday, Aug. 21, with a Swedish immigrant museum, Genealogy workshop, ice cream social, and music. But the event kicks in on Saturday, Aug. 22, with a Lions Club Pancake Brunch, artifact and memorabilia tables, symposiums on Iowa Swedes and an anniversary dinner with speaker John Norton, a well-known authority on Swedish Immigration. Sunday will wind the event down with a Swedish-American 'Sing-A-Long' and a fried chicken dinner.
General admission for Saturday will be $5 per adult with kids 15 and under getting in free. Advanced "All Day" tickets cost $25 per person and include general admission, reception, and dinner costs. The deadline for advance reservations is August 15.
The Oakwood Cemetery Company is partnering with the Swedish Foundation and will hold an event at Boxholm, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and will include a Boxholm museum "Open House" and a tour of Prairie Lawn Cemetery with Swedish flags on the graves of Swedish immigrants.
Local lodgings for Stratford City include Vlkommen B&B (515) 838-2440 and Stratford City's camping and RV facilities (515) 838-2311.
For more information or to volunteer, send e-mails to SwedeBndlA@aol.com.
