Swedish Days, Geneva IL

I'm sorry it this wasn't posted any earlier so people had the opportunity to attend. The weather didn't want to hold off this week, and made my attendance and ability to take pictures a difficult task. At this point in time, you'll have to wait until next year. But, I did manage to follow through with my goal of taking my own pictures for your enjoyment.

I chose the venue of Swedish Days in Geneva IL.



The Crowd
This once again varies from the time of day or weather. During the afternoon to late evening hours you'll find entire families. Later in to the night you can find a relatively older crowd from early 20's up to in the neighborhood of 60's.

The Drinks
There are an array of beer tents spread throughout the event (runs up and down 3rd street, nearly in its entirety). The beers, wine and cocktails can be relatively expensive, it is a beer garden. And, most tents in operation are run by charities, so they're out to make a few bucks for their cause. Don't think of it as buying an expensive beer, figure the terrible drink in your hand that was slightly overpriced went to help someone in need. It sounds cheesy, but it's true.


The Grub
Fantastic, fantastic, and a great variety to choose from. There are food tents located up and down third street and state street and they have everything to offer. My personal favorite is grilled sweet corn. It's simple, but it tastes too delicious. Aside from this there is also brats, hot dogs, garlic crab pasta, seviche, giant turkey legs, standard carnival goods (funnel cake, cotton candy, fresh squeezed lemonade, etc), sno-cones, pig roasts, homemade pizzas, amongst others. It is nearly impossible to find something that doesn't appeal to the family.

(Graham's Chocolate- Best chocolate and candy around. The homemade ice cream is unbelievable as well.


The Venue
Swedish Days isn't in one particular bar/restaurant, it's more or less the entire downtown Geneva. The two main roads where the concerts, carnival, food tents are located are State Street and Third Street. Historic downtown Geneva is a rather beautiful place. The buildings are older in their architectural style and have a 'modern old country' feel. If you haven't seen downtown Geneva or are still trying to gauge how this may look, check out the movie The Road To Perdition. A majority of the film actually had taken place in downtown Geneva.



Location
State St
Third St
Geneva IL, 60134

My Opinion
The food is great, and price pointed where the entire family can afford to eat at several local restaurant tents. The carnival can be fun, but I think I've outgrown this aspect of the festival, although younger patrons would enjoy. The beer gardens are always enjoyable, but often too crowded for my taste. Think the taste of Chicago crammed in to one tent. Aside from this, the festival has concerts and food worth pursuing and the town of Geneva itself is aesthetically pleasing, so it's worth the trip.