The 2025 Bishop Hill Midsommar Music Festival, a family-friendly event, is set for Saturday, June 21. Highlights of this festival include free concerts in the park and a Swedish Maypole celebration.
Celebrating Midsommar, one of the two most popular holidays in Sweden – the other being Christmas – is an ancient practice dating back to pre-Christian times. It has its roots in Pagan rituals to welcome summer and the season of fertility.
In Sweden, Midsommar festivals have been around for at least 500 years. Even in agrarian times, people in Sweden welcomed summertime by decorating their houses and farm tools with foliage and raising tall Maypoles to dance around.
The free concerts at the village park gazebo will begin at 10 a.m. This year’s lineup includes Black Hawk Pipes and Drums, Chloe Finch, Orion Community Band and the Norwegian Bachelor Farmers.
Immediately following the musical performances at 4 p.m., everyone is invited to decorate the Maypole with flowers and to join the procession. The procession will begin in the park and end at the Colony School where visitors can join in the Maypole dancing and have refreshments provided by the Bishop Hill Vasa Lodge. No experience is required to join in the dancing.
The Vasa National Archives, a short block south of the park, will be offering a Midsummer Respite featuring drinks, snacks and a make-and-take clay sculpture station. The public is welcome to view exhibits, enjoy some light refreshments and make a clay sculpture to take home. The Vasa National Archives will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Author Jannifer Stevens Powelson will have a book signing from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Prairie Arts Center, located at 203 North Bishop Hill Street. Jannifer is the author of the Rachel and Sammy books, as well as Nature Station Mysteries.
To finish off the day, Ryan Bizarri brings Country Music for your Country Soul to The Colony Inn from 7 to 11 p.m. Enjoy a cold drink while listening to live acoustic country music.
This Nashville Songwriter/Midwest Artist will be playing songs from artists like: Toby Keith, Garth Brooks, Brad Paisley, Zac Brown, Alabama, Morgan Wallen, Bob Segar and more. Meet the co-writer of Rodney Atkins’ hit “Eat Sleep Love,You Repeat” at The Colony Inn.
For directions or more information, visit www.visitbishophill.com, or call 309-927 3899.
