The summer solstice, officially June 20 this year, will be celebrated on Saturday, June 25 by the Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn, Iowa at its annual Sankt Hans Aften (St. Johns Eve) festival. The official date of the Danish midsummer celebration, Sankt Hans Aften, is always June 23rd, but the museum picks a Saturday near that date each year to hold its Sankt Hans Aften celebration.

Free activities are scheduled all throughout the day and into the night for revelers. The events will be held rain or shine, though some may be moved indoors.

Since at least the times of the Vikings, and before Christianity came to Denmark, Scandinavian peoples celebrated the longest day as a supernatural struggle between light and dark, heat and cold. Because the feast day of Saint John the Baptist occurred on June 23, near the date of the annual summer solstice, the Christian Church emphasized this celebration in Scandinavia. “Hans” is the diminutive of “Johannes” or “John”. Today it’s a very good excuse to stay up late, have fun, and light bonfires. Songs, music, and speeches are also a strong part of this tradition.

The Museum of Danish America’s festival culminates with the traditional bonfire at sunset – about 9 p.m. – but prior to this traditional piece of the celebration, several complimentary (free) and complementary (corresponding) activities will take place:

• The Museum of Danish America and the University of Iowa’s free Mobile Museum, located in MoDA’s parking lot for the day, will open at 10 a.m. Between the two, there will be six exhibits to view, ranging from Germans in Iowa (yes, Germans!) and Iowa’s healthcare professionals to Danish tug-of-war teams and abstract art.

• At 5 p.m. local musicians will kick off the entertainment for the evening on the museum’s east patio, and kids and adults of all ages will be able to participate in traditional Danish games like ringridning (bicycle jousting) and kubb (the Viking lawn game). At 6 p.m. a Danish hot dog picnic will be available for a free will donation. You may bring your own beverages to enjoy with the picnic.

• The evening’s headliners are Greenblatt & Seay, two traditional musicians  from Avoca, NE, where they teach music lessons out of a 10,000-square-foot former schoolhouse. Together they have performed at thousands of concerts, festivals, state fairs, weddings, and the like. Audience members are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets to enjoy this upbeat and lively performance beginning at 7:30 p.m.

• All experience levels of musicians are invited to join in an informal jam session around the council ring fire pit beginning at 9 p.m. and coinciding with the lighting of the bonfire. There, participants may remain engaged in the songs and stories for as long as they like.

The Museum of Danish America is located on the west edge of Elk Horn, Iowa, which is six miles north of I-80 exit 54. More information is available at danishmuseum.org or 712.764.7001.

(Press Release)