We've been to Swedish Days in the past and found it to be your above average town festival. Plenty of vendors, food, drinks, rides and carnival games, etc. Today however, we went to the Swedish Day parade..our first time seeing this part of the festival. The route runs through three different roads and lasted a good 2 hrs. They featured a good number of high school bands and other lively entertainment, including a ton of Shriners. Our favorite was a South Side performance group and the Jesse White Tumblers. Neither disappoint. We went with a large group of of friends who corded off and staked a tent for our groups use. If you're going with a large group you'll want to arrive early and do the same, as the parade route gets pretty packed. Cheers. read more

Geneva is gorgeous so any fest held in their downtown is enjoyable, however...the Swedish Vast area was pretty disappointing. It was small and tucked away from the main strip area of the fest, with little foot traffic. There was an interesting dance performance, yet the audience attendance was so small that I think they did a terrible job letting fest goers know about it. I was really expecting the Swedish theme to be more prominent (the main reason we came to check it out) but it was definitely lacking and gave off a generic summer fest vibe. Hopefully they will play it up more for future fests, until then I will not return. read more

Swedish Days - Festivals Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

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I gotta say, Swedish Days was A LOT more fun than I anticipated! Geneva to me is sorta a new discovery. I have only been frequenting downtown Geneva for the past 3 years or so, clearly because I live under a rock. My Fiance and I love to walk up and down 3rd St., visit the shops, stop for some good food and eat some delicious sweets. And Swedish Days takes every aspect of this quaint downtown, puts a carnival in it, some good music and a touch of small town to bring Swedish Days together. After this year I can easily say I would not frequenting Swedish Days just like the MANY people I met there from the area and even from out of state! read more

Well, you can tick off the main requirements for a summer festival here. Carnival: check. Food booths: check. Vendor booths: check. Music: check. Parade: check. So far so good, right? But one question: why call it Swedish Days when the Swedish aspect is maybe 10% of it? Why not just call it Generic Festival Days? You've got a Viking boat, but it's on the other side of town from the rest of the festival. Why? I'm used to the Highland Games, where every fricken thing is Scottish. Yeah, you can find Swedish food and activities, but you gotta look for them. You don't even have Swedish Days t-shirts? Seriously? You're missing out on some major revenue here. Play up the Vikings, they're really popular now. Have a lingonberry pie eating contest. How about a Swedish ancestry booth? And what about Ikea--GIVE them a booth, take a little of their sales. Definitely worth your while. If you're going to promote Sweden, then for God's sake PROMOTE IT. Otherwise it's just a crowded day shopping on Third St. read more

I've been coming here for 16 years and went there three of the six days this time around. The food tents, concerts, carnival, parades, and my favorite, people-watching, will keep you busy for hours. Third Street is the main drag where much of the action occurs, but be sure to head down the side streets for the cozier concert venues and ever-popular beer tents. Stopping at Graham's is a no-brainer, as well. Be sure to try the Swedish Ham sandwich on the NW corner of Third and State. Yum! (Note: This is not to be confused with the Swedish Day that takes place on the east side of town earlier in the week.) read more

The town of Geneva is historic and beautiful but this festival falls short. During the talent competition, the announcer told the crowd that the original name of the festival was The Buttermilk Festival. That would better describe this event. The Swedish food was hard to find, there wasn't any Swedish music and I just didn't see a connection. Nice city and nice festival but I was looking for cultural and this just didn't cut it. read more

Ah Swedish days the annual marking of summers arrival. This is a fun festival and there are definitely some yummy food options. Some of the music acts are great as well. There is something for entire family to do and it is nice to see the community support this event has. read more

Great layout for a festival...it's loosely organized about a multiple square block area. No choke point in/out. The American Legion Post's beer garden and food were great. read more

Last year my family and I went to Swedish Days hoping for a very fun and exciting day. We were about to get on our next ride when all of the sudden a giant piece of the machine broke off and land in the middle of another ride. Other smaller (but still very heavy) piece were flying everywhere, and one of them landed about 2 feet away from me. I was so shocked by this event. Many others were discouraged and we all demanded refunds. So overall not the day we were hoping for. read more

This is nice festival but a bit small. Rides are good and there are many booth with interesting items. Lots of items given away. But the "Swedish" element is pretty minor. The "Swedish Väst" is very small (certainly not vast :-)). And there is no use of the river for the festival, which was a little disappointing. But overall, not a bad festival. read more

Pure delight to see The Moods perform at Swedish Days 6/21/12, one of the best entertaining bands in the Chicago area. Everyone was complaining about the band continually playing at Chianti's while The Moods were performing, so in essence you could hear both bands. I only wanted to hear The Moods. Sound man for the center stage was oblivious to this. I will not ever do business with Chianti's. Unprofessional business practice. Wanted you to be aware of this as center stage acts should be enjoyed by all without interference from nearby restaurants. read more

Swedish Days is always a top-notch event for the entire family, as far as activities and entertainment. The food offerings were great -- although I thought lacking in Swedish cuisine; I couldn't find a meatball anywhere! -- and the prices reasonable for the most part, except for the cookies being sold on Sunday during the parade on Third Street -- they were supposedly baked an hour earlier but tasted store-bought and for $3, not worth it. Parking isn't too difficult until about midday. One criticism -- no police to help people cross 38 to and from Sweden Vast and drivers certainly showed no inclination to slow down or stop, even when there were several people waiting to cross. That could be a disaster waiting to happen. And one more thing -- too many Shriner units! I didn't think they'd EVER end: clowns, flying carpets, 2 bands, flag unit, motorcycles, cooler brigade, past potentates, miniature cars, fire engine, and at least 4-5 more. It was never-ending. read more

A Great summer Festival! I've been going to this for 20+ years. There is so much to take in during the week. Crafts Fair, Shopping, Entertainment, Carnival rides, food, drinks, you name it. My kids have been going to it for years and it has definately become a favorite of theirs also. There are so many activities for the kids to join in and Friday especially, has always been "Kids Day". We make sure to plan our summer travel plans around it so we are always in town for it. On Sunday, the festival ends with a great parade! A wonderful festival in a beautiful little City! read more