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Experience ASI / Festivals / Midwinter Folk Fest

Midwinter Folk Fest

This year’s fest is March 1–2! Tickets are on sale now for weekend and one day passes. 

Midwinter Folk Fest returns this March, offering a vibrant two-day celebration of Scandinavian folk music with performances, workshops, and demonstrations at ASI and Cedar Cultural Center. Highlights include performances from Lyz Jaakola, OK Factor, Tjärnblom, and the internationally acclaimed Finnish folk ensemble FRIGG.

 All festival activities will occur at ASI except for the Midwinter Nordic Dance, led by FRIGG at the Cedar Cultural Center on Sunday evening. Weekend passes and Sunday tickets get you into the dance after activities wrap up at ASI. Workshops are included with festival admission. Find the festival schedule below.

Youth (ages 0-18) attend for free. College student tickets are $5 per day. Adult tickets day tickets are $25 ($20 ASI members), or $40 ($35 ASI members) for a weekend pass. Get your tickets today!


Midwinter Folk Fest is sponsored by The Cedar Cultural Center, Minnesota Public Radio, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

the cedar cultural center logoThe image features the logo for MPR News, with MPR in bold, dark blue letters and news in lighter blue. This emblem captures the essence of Midwinter Folk Fests vibrant storytelling and community spirit. the University of Wisconsin-Madison logo

Day 1 Schedule

10:30am – Sister Esmerlinda

11:00am – Ponyfolk

12:00pm – Twin Flower

1:00pm – Twin Cities Nyckelharpalag

1:30pm – Lyz Jaakola

2:00pm – Twin Cities Hardingfelelag

3:00pm – FRIGG

10:30am – Youth Fiddle Workshop with Veera Kuisma (FRIGG)

12:30pm – Adult Fiddle Workshop with Tero Hyväluoma (FRIGG)

10:15am – “At the Crossroads of Fiddle and Violin: Ole Hendricks and His Tunebook” with Amy Shaw

12:00pm – Fiddle presentation with Lyz Jaakola

1:45pm – “From Immigrant Trunks to the Internet: Scandinavian Weaving in the U.S.” with Robbie LaFleur

10:00am – Icelandic Tunes with Renee Vaughan and Isaac Muscanto

11:15am – Nyckelharpas and Fiddles together At Last! with Becky Weis Nord (all instruments welcome)

12:30pm – Open Nordic Jam with Ephraim, Elizabeth, Dan and Renee.

1:45pm – Accordion jam with Art Bjorngjeld (all instruments welcome)

10am-4pm – Handcraft Vendors on Larson Promenade. Shop with local vendors Stellar Handcrafted Goods, Hovden Wear, STITCHESbycarin, and Lisa Rydin Erickson.

10am-4pm – Free Handcraft Make N’ Take Activity in Larson Hall

Day 2 Schedule

10:30am – Sara Pajunen

11:00am – ASI Lilla Lag

12:00pm – Fyra

12:00pm – ASI Spelmanslag

1:00pm – Ross Sutter & Art Bjorngjeld

1:30pm – Tjärnblom

2:00pm – ASI Cloudberries

3:00pm – OK Factor

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6:00pm – Midwinter Nordic Dance with FRIGG at the Cedar Cultural Center

10:30am – Nyckelharpa Workshop with Esko Järvelä (FRIGG)

12:30pm – Kulning and Lyrical Herding Songs Vocal Workshop with Caitlin Vitale-Sullivan

10:15am – “(Im)migration and the Search for Home” with Dr. Marcus Cederström, Tjärnblom, and Diane Jarvi

12:00pm – “Nordic Accordion: Music and Poems Exploring the Experience of Scandinavian Immigrants” with the Sutter Brothers

1:45pm – “Between Two Worlds: Immigrant Folk Music Through My Lens” with Sara Pajunen

10:00am – Open Nordic Jam 1

11:15am – Open Nordic Jam 2

12:30pm – Open Nordic Jam with Paul Sauey and Cliff Nesseth of Ponyfolk

1:45pm – Open Nordic Jam 4

10am-4pm – Folk Art Demo with Pieper Fleck Bloomquist on Larson Promenade

10am-4pm – Free Handcraft Make N’ Take Activity in Larson Hall

midwinter folk fest performer
ok factor
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