By Theadoris Morris | Staff Writer

Approximately three months away, dates, times and preparations are already being made and set to make this year’s Swedish Fest a bigger and better event.

This year’s event themed “Thorsby is Celebrating 110 Years” will be held Saturday, Oct. 15. The annual parade will begin at 9 a.m., and the opening ceremonies will begin at 10:30 a.m. at Richard Wood Park.

Food vendors, entertainment and arts and crafts will be located in the park as well.

“Entertainment has not been finalized yet, but we are working on some neat stuff,” said Tracia Bussey, Swedish Fest Committee Chairperson. “It’s going to be another big to-do event.”

The antique car show will be held again this year, and the beauty pageant will take place on two nights during the week of the Oct. 3, she said.

Also in October, as a part of Swedish Fest, Helen Jenkins Chapel will open three other dates during Thorsby’s History and Heritage Month. The dates are Oct. 7 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Oct. 29 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“We will have activities and festivities dealing with the history of Thorsby,” said Bussey.

More details regarding the Swedish Fest will be discussed at the next Swedish Fest Committee meeting Monday, July 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Helen Jenkins Chapel Church.

By Scott Mims

The town of Thorsby’s annual Swedish Festival has maintained a tradition of celebrating the town’s heritage — but in the past, the fest has offered very little Swedish culture. That will change this year.
The Oct. 16 event will offer authentic Swedish cuisine, the harmonies of a Swedish choir and the dedication of a Scandinavian flag court in the town center. It will also likely draw a few Swedish dignitaries.
Eva-Lena Gustavsson, town council chairwoman of similarly named Torsby, Sweden, has requested an invitation to the festival, said Tracia Bussey of the Swedish Fest Committee.
“She has let us know she is extremely interested in attending and possibly bringing some of the council members with her,” Bussey said.
With the help of Per-Erik Persson of the Scandinavian-American Economic Development Alliance, Thorsby is continuing to pursue a sister city relationship with Torsby. Bussey said Gustavsson is “definitely interested” in pursuing such a relationship.
Torsby is known for being a center of American culture, particularly American music culture, in Sweden. The town, which has a population of about 6,000, regularly hosts bluegrass festivals and other events.
Torsby-based bluegrass band G2 performed here at Richard Wood Park in July and plan to return in the future.
“They are extremely interested in our music culture as well as other areas of our culture,” Bussey said. “They’re very interested in us. That could mean some open doors.”
Also on the invitation list is Swedish Ambassador Jonas Hafstrom. Bussey is confident that either Hafstrom or one of his staff members will attend as a representative of the Swedish Embassy, known as the “House of Sweden” in Washington, D.C.
During the three days leading up to the festival, from Oct. 13-15, Chilton County will host a “trade mission” for several CEOs of major Swedish companies. The mission is sponsored by CAWACO Resource Conservation and Development.
The businessmen will meet at Holiday Inn Express and the Alabama Power Conference Center in Clanton, where they will be exposed to potential economic opportunities in Chilton County.
“The Swedish Fest will be the finale for the CEOs that are coming in that week,” Bussey said. “It’s going to be a big week. Having the Swedish Festival here lets them know there is a connection with their country.”
The morning of Oct. 16, entertainment in Richard Wood Park will be provided by Swedish men’s choir Vasa Drangar of Atlanta.
The group will also perform during the dedication of a historical marker in observance of the Alabama Year of Small Towns and Downtowns. The marker will be unveiled in the center of the new flag court, and the group will sing the national anthems of Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and the United States.
As for the Swedish cuisine, there are three primary foods representative of the culture — meatballs, potatoes and lingonberries. All of these, in addition to other items, will be served at the Swedish Fest.
“That’s as Swedish as it gets,” Bussey said.
To apply for a booth or for more information, call Bussey at 217-0978 or visit thorsbyswedishfestival.com.

By Scott Mims

The Town of Thorsby’s dot on the map seems to get a little bigger each year as the annual Swedish Fest continues to gain exposure.

Swedish Fest Board chairperson Tracia Bussey said she expects quite a few Swedish guests at this year’s event, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17 at Richard Wood Memorial Park.

“It’s shaping up to be another big year,” Bussey said. “We have upwards of 50 booth registrations with a few new food vendors and arts and crafts.”

Per-Erik Person, a business advisor and member of the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce, plans to attend this year, among several others.

The fun begins with the parade at 9 a.m. The parade will line up about 30 minutes early in front of the old sewing factory and make its way through town. There will be cash prizes for the top three floats.

Opening ceremonies will follow in the park as entrants in the annual Swedish Fest Car Show make their way to the front of Thorsby High School. Meanwhile, guests may visit the historical museum in Helen Jenkins Chapel.

The highlighted entertainment will be classic rock band Cuttin’ Loose from the Birmingham area, performing from 12:30 until 2 p.m. Several local acts are also scheduled to perform.

Bussey said the Fest is one of the town’s biggest fundraisers, helping fund recent projects, such as park lighting and a new town welcome sign.

“Every penny that we raise goes back into the town after we pay the expenses for the festival,” she said. “We are hoping to get more exposure in Sweden on the festival.”

Swedish Fest T-shirts may be purchased at town hall for $10 each, and commemorative booklets are sold for a small price.

For more information, contact Bussey at 217-0978. To rent a space for a booth, call Laura Liveoak at 646-8501. To enter the car show, call Dearl Hilyer at 646-2809. To enter the parade, call Neil Benson at 646-2936.