Some memories stay and linger with you forever. For many people, Swedish Days is just a summer celebration – food, live music, rides and games taking over Geneva for a few days in June. To me, this festival means so much more. Swedish Days is a tradition and the heartbeat of my childhood. This festival is a monumental part of the town in which I grew up and where I first realized that the feeling of joy does not always need a reason – it just needs a place.
There is something about going away for college that shifts how you see your hometown. As a freshman at the University of Mississippi, I was constantly asked where I was from. Every time I said “Geneva, Illinois,” I found myself mentioning Swedish Days. To me it was not just a fun fact, but the first thing that came to mind when I thought of home. As my other friends discussed the beach and city life, I found myself talking about the kickoff to summer on Third Street where my town was filled with carnival games and funnel cakes. Swedish Days was not just a fun activity to me but a part of growing up.
My earliest memory of Swedish Days was getting tickets from my grandpa and rushing straight to the festival to ride my favorite roller coaster, the Dragon Wagon. As my younger siblings got old enough to go with me, I would drag them along and hold their hands as we screamed and rode the dragon in loops again and again. Once I reached middle school, my parents told me I was too old to ride the Dragon Wagon and needed to move onto the big kid rides such as Defying Gravity or the Zipper. At 19, the Dragon Wagon still held a very special place in my heart.
As I got older, Swedish Days became just as much about spending time with my friends and the people I love as it was about the rides. I would meet my friends at the entrance of the festival where we would decide which rides to tackle first or what food we were craving that night. Those evenings were always simple – full of laughter, inside jokes and daring each other to ride just one more ride, even when we already were queasy from too many Dippin’ Dots. I remember wishing those nights would last forever. And while time has passed and I may not be as close with the girls I spent those summers with, the memories still are unforgettable.
Looking ahead, I know life will continue to change: new places, new people and new experiences await. But no matter where I go, Swedish Days always will feel like home. The festival is woven into every summer memory and every moment of carefree joy I’ve ever felt. Each year it returns it reminds me that some of the most meaningful parts of life are the ones that stay with us – even as we grow.
One day, I hope to bring my own children to Swedish Days to watch their eyes light up as they ride the Dragon Wagon for the first time. I want them to feel the same excitement, the same laughter and the same magic that defined my childhood summers. Because Swedish Days isn’t just a festival, it’s a part of the life I’ve lived and one of the pieces of home I’ll always carry with me.
Swedish Days has been a tradition for me. It is the buzz of my hometown coming alive and seeing the people that show up year after year just like myself. As the 75th anniversary of the festival approaches, June 18 to 22, I now realize looking back on all my memories that something so simple can mean the world.
For a complete list of all events, merchant deals, festival hours and fun planned for the 75th anniversary of Swedish Days, visit the Geneva Chamber website at genevachamber.com.