A harvest of Swedish fun

BISHOP HILL -- A harvest of fun will be offered at the 36th Annual Jordbruksdagarna, the Swedish autumn harvest festival, set for Saturday and Sunday, September 29 and 30, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bishop Hill State Historic Site.

Jordbruksdagarna (Swedish for "earth work days") will feature 19th century agricultural demonstrations, food, music, dance and games. The event, sponsored by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, is free and open to the public.

The traditional crops of field corn, sorghum and broomcorn will be processed during the weekend utilizing 19th century communal methods. Broomcorn will be sorted and scraped, and sorghum will be pressed and cooked. Cider pressing, cheese making, corn shelling, rope and brick making will take place behind the Bjorklund Hotel from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. The Bishop Hill Heritage Association will host a variety of traditional craft demonstrations throughout the village both days, including broom making, flax processing, spinning, weaving, lace making, wood carving, pottery, rug hooking, and knitting.

A Vintage Base Ball Game at 3 p.m. Sunday, September 30 will feature the Rock Springs Ground Squirrels from Decatur versus the home-town Bishop Hill Ox Boys at the ball diamond just north of Bishop Hill Park. Baseball of the 1860s was a gentlemanly game spelled as two words - base ball. A top-hat-and-frock-coat-attired umpire will first announce game rules - a 25 cent fine for spitting, swearing or sweating, although the "no sweating" rule is usually waived. "Cranks," or fans, of the teams, dressed in period clothing, may beat a bass drum when a good play is made by either team. Players do not wear gloves, the balls are softer than today's baseballs and therefore don't travel as far, and there is more reliance on savvy, place-hitting and proper field positioning. Games can be interrupted by a temperance march, a women's suffrage demonstration or a hungry ball player stealing chicken from a patron's picnic basket. The Vintage Base Ball game is sponsored by the Bishop Hill Old Settlers' Association. The Allen Street String Band will provide music at 2:30 p.m. to put fans and players in the mood for the vintage game.

The Allen Street String Band will perform at the Bjorklund Hotel from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday. The Bishop Hill Park will feature Nordic Dancers at 1 and 3 p.m., and Hammer and Pick will perform at noon and 2 p.m. both days. The Colony Church will feature Diane Ippel on the hammered dulcimer from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Of course, traditional Swedish food will be in abundance. Traditional treats may be sampled by visitors in the park. The Bishop Hill Old Settlers' Association will serve beef barley stew, hardtack and rice pudding. Farm produce vendors will sell items from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.

All Bishop Hill restaurants, shops, and bed & breakfast will be open. The Bishop Hill Museum, with original paintings by 19th century Bishop Hill resident Olof Krans, will be open both days of the event.

Jordbruksdagarna is sponsored by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. The Bishop Hill Arts Council co-sponsors the music and dance performances.

Bishop Hill was founded by Swedish religious dissidents in 1846 as a "Utopia on the Prairie." Many of the original colony buildings remain today, and many of the residents are descendants of the original settlers. The Bjorklund Hotel, Old Colony Church and Bishop Hill Museum are administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (www.Illinois-History.gov), and all are open Wednesday through Sunday for free public tours.