Lögberg-Heimskringla - 03.06.2005, Page 13

Lögberg-Heimskringla * Föstudagur 3. júní 2005 • 13
Spanish Fork, Utah: 150 years later
Jack Tobiasson
Payson, UT
People of Icelandic descent
in Spanish Fork, Utah are cel-
ebrating more than usual this
year. It’s their sesquicentennial
celebration of Icelanders set-
tling in Utah.
In 1854, Samúel Bjamason,
Margrét Gísladóttir and their
friend Helga Jónsdóttir left Ice-
land. They arrived in Utah in
September, 1855. Along with
thirteen additional Icelanders
who came during the next five
years, they established the first
permanent Icelandic settlement
in the United States, in Spanish
Fork.
People of Icelandic descent
in Utah prize their Icelandic
heritage. Each summer, they
gather on Iceland Days to cel-
ebrate their heritage, honour
their ancestors, and stand a lit-
tler taller.
The first Iceland Day was
on August 3, 1897. Celebrators
used a bowery built at the side
of the Icelandic Amusement
Hall in Spanish Fork. Celebra-
tions have been held annually
since that time. However, Ice-
land Days are now in June, so
that the celebration is closer to
Iceland’s June 17 independence
day.
This year’s “bigger and bet-
ter” celebration begins on June
23. The “Western Icelanders”
will share their western culture
with visiting Icelanders at a
barbecue that night.
June 24 is-filled with pre-
sentations during the day and a
gala dinner that night. Presen-
tations include “Þórður Diðriks-
son’s Joumal,” “Immigrants:
The People and Their Stories,”
“Lögberg-Heimskringla,” Ice-
landic Settlements and Histo-
ries in North America,” “Ex-
cerpts from Anna,” “Mormon
Migration from Iceland,” and
“Anecdotes from a Family His-
tory Center.”
Entertainment at the gala
dinner features the 50-person
Iceland Festival Choir from
Iceland.
Saturday, June 25 will be
an especially busy and fulfill-
ing day. Festivities begin at the
Icelandic Monument in Span-
ish Fork. This lighthouse-motif
monument was erected in 1938.
Out of respect, love, and appre-
ciation for their Icelandic an-
cestors, the descendants, visit-
ing Icelanders, and friends will
honour the 410 known Iceland-
ers who immigrated to Utah.
Saturday’s celebration
continues with the traditional
“picnic in the park,” in central
Spanish Fork. Those attend-
ing the picnic will find west-
em and Icelandic food, wares,
and entertainment. The Iceland
Festival Choir will again add
a special dimension to the cel-
ebration.
The final event for Iceland
Days is a Sunday evening De-
votional. The program includes
inspirational messages from
prominent guests from Iceland
and Utah, along with music
from and for the heart.
During the events, people
of Icelandic descent can mix
and mingle with the members
of the 50-person choir and the
additional 40-person tour from
Iceland. The tour is spon-
sored by the Icelandic National
League.
For more information, visit
www.utahicelanders.com.
‘Iceland and beyond’ at Hjemkomst Festival
Fargo-Moorhead’s annual
Scandinavian Hjemkomst Fes-
tival has Iceland firmly in the
spotlight this year.
The Nordic festival, now in
its 28th year, features authentic
Nordic entertainment, music
and folk dancing, a market-
place, foods, youth and family
activities, exhibitions and dem-
onstrations of arts and ethnic
traditions from Scandinavia
and Scandinavian-America.
This .year’s festival runs
from June 24 to 26 at the Hjem-
komst Center.
Two great explorers from
the past and present will head-
line the Festival in 2005. His-
toric Viking explorer “Leifur
Eiríksson” (as portrayed by
New York City actor/scholar
Rolf Stang) will greet visitors,
provide free storytelling ses-
sions at the Moorhead Public
Library, and share his explora-
tions with visitors to the Festi-
val.
On Saturday, present-day
Arctic explorer Will Steger
from Ely, Minnesota will pro-
vide insight into Vilhjalmur
Stefansson’s explorations and
his own Arctic and Antarctic
trips.
Icelandic concert pianist
Jón Sigurðsson and Minne-
sota composer Wynn-Anne
Rossi will be participating in
the Festival this year. The two
will conduct youth workshops
on Icelandic storytelling and
music composition Tuesday
through Thursday momings.
They will also compose
a piano piece dedicated to the
2005 Scandinavian Hjemkomst
SCfiNDINfiVlftN
HJEMKOMST
FESTIV6L
L
jONE 24-26
2005
IMAGE COURTESY OF CLAUDIA PRATT
The Festival Commemora-
tive Button/Festival Three-
Day Pass features the work of
Steini Jónasson, a self-taught
silversmith from Winnipeg,
MB who focuses primarily
on jewellery items that have
their origins in Scandinavian
design, mostly from the early
Viking age.
Festival that will premiere at
the Festival Banquet hosted by
Concordia College on Thurs-
day evening.
Guests from Canada in-
clude the New Iceland Youth
Choir from Arborg and Scandia
Fun Folk Dancers from Winni-
peg. Kristin Olafson-Jenkyns,
author of The Culinary Saga
of New Iceland, will fly in
from Toronto to provide cook-
ing demonstrations on Friday
and Saturday. Genealogy and
photographic heritage special-
ist Nelson Gerrard of Arborg
will be at hand to answer tough
questions about family history.
The Festival will close with
a Sunday aftemoon concert by
Icelandic jazz trio Cold Front
featuring bassist Steve Kirby,
Richard Gills on trumpet and
guitarist Björn Thoroddsen.
The 2005 Nordic Delight
Raffle drawing for Icelandic
prizes (two round-trip flight
tickets to Scandinavia on Ice-
landair, traditional Icelandic
pullover or cardigan sweater,
Icewool blanket) will take place
at 2:30 p.m. during the concert
intermission.
For those who want to ex-
perience Iceland first-hand,
the Festival has partnered with
Carlson-Wagonlit Travel, Inc.
in Moorhead for an 11 -day tour
to Iceland on Icelandair leaving
September 13.
For more information, see
the Calendar ofEvents.
MacKENZIE Chapels at Stonewall, Teulon
FUNERAL SERVICE LTD. Service With Dignity * Ó’Arborg Srrviny the Interlake Area
204-467-2525
DIRECTORS STONEWALL, MB
ROSS MacKENZIE KENIOHMER or call 1-800-467-0024
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