The American Swedish Institute Celebrates its 71st Holiday Season

MINNEAPOLIS—The American Swedish Institute museum and cultural center announces the schedule for its 71st annual holiday experience, including the cultural exhibition From Our House to Yours and the photography series Northern Nature; a Winter Solstice party; celebratory dinners; live music; Christmas cookies on the go, the return of the handcraft market, and more seasonal fun.

“We’re thrilled to open our doors and say ‘Welcome Home,’ to our community, and proud of the ways our new holiday exhibit expands our circle,” says Ingrid Nyholm-Lange, Director of Experience, ASI. “Local talent created From Our House to Yours, with neighbors from seven communities sharing their holiday traditions, and for the first time, our gorgeous, educational home decor exhibit will include contributions from the Nordic indiginous Sami and the vibrant local Hmong community.”

“As we kick off our new capital campaign to rehabilitate spaces in the historic Turnblad Mansion and Carriage House and increase our capacity for programs, gatherings and world-class exhibitions, we’re excited to share our vision for fulfilling our potential to serve increasingly diverse audiences,” adds Bruce Karstadt, president and CEO, American Swedish Institute. “Our seasonal programming offers something to spice up holiday celebrations for visitors of every age, background, and enthusiasm.”

Press images are available here.

The magical events that make up ASI’s advent calendar-style 2021 holiday season include the following ways to make your life more hyggeligt, koseligt and mysigt. Please note this year, most events require advance registration. Visit asimn.org for more information and ways to sign up.
From Our House to Yours Opening & Family Day Saturday, November 13, 10 am – 4 pm. Celebrate the opening of ASI’s holiday season with festive all-ages craft activities, a cozy story time, and performances from the ASI’s Lilla Lag, Hmong flutist Hillary Lor, and others. Take part in the annual tradition of finding Swedish Christmas elves, or tomte, hidden in the mansion each day. Then head to ASI’s courtyard for outdoor activities and s’mores by the fire. Included in museum admission. Advance registration not required. This exhibit continues through January 9.

Julglädje Holiday Concerts
Sat, November 27 at 11 am and Sat, November 27 at 1 pm.
Family-friendly tradition hosted by performer Ross Sutter. Ross and his friends play a rollicking collection of Swedish and American holiday tunes and lead audiences through a creative and adventurous interactive story set to music. $5 tickets for kids ages 6 to 17; $12 for adults; $10 for ASI members. Includes museum admission. Register in advance.

Julmarknad Preview Night
Fri, December 3, 6 pm – 8:30 pm
A first pick at the artists’ wares with optional VIP tix, an intimate pre-event thank-you moment with the artists and curators, a private mansion tour and champagne toast. $30 tickets for adults; $25 for ASI members; $75 for VIP tickets. Register in advance.

Julmarknad Handcraft Market & Festival
Sat, December 4 & Sun, December 5, 10 am – 4 pm
Shop handmade and locally-crafted goods from more than 60 regional artists, alongside pop-up performances throughout the Turnblad Mansion, family crafts, stories and festival foods. Tickets $6 to $18; free for ASI members. Register for timed entry.

Kubb tournament on the Mansion lawn.
Sat, December 4, 10 am – 4 pm
Ten teams will compete in ice and snow with real (?!) Vikings cheering them on for the title of Julmarknad Kubb Champion. What’s Kubb, you might ask? Come find out more about this popular lawn game! This is the finale of ASI’s Kubb League, which meets Thursdays, Nov. 4 through Dec. 2. Spectators welcome, and museum admission required. Enjoy drinks and treats from FIKA, open until 8 p.m.

Outdoor Handcraft Market sheds
November 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28; December 11, 16, 18, 19, 21.
Discover handcraft vendors in market sheds in the ASI courtyard on select dates, extending more opportunities to shop outdoors and support local arts this season.

Jul Shop at the Museum Store Jul Shop
Online now. Beginning in-person Thursday, November 11, ASI’s destination holiday shop offers a broad selection of unique gifts, from jewelry to housewares to Christmas decor.

New Menu at FIKA Café
View hours. FIKA’s new menu features locally-sourced Nordic ingredients and showcases preservation techniques such as drying, fermenting, smoking, salting and pickling. Visit what the New York Times calls a culinary “bright spot” in the Twin Cities.

FIKA’s Bake Sale
Pick up pre-order holiday cookies, pastries and more on December 4 and 5; December 11 & 12; and December 18 & 19. Online order form goes live November 19 via the FIKA webpage. Order one week in advance of pick up.

Babies at the Castle Friday
Fri, November 26, Sun, December 19 , Thu, December 23, 9:15 to 10 am. Carry your baby on a 30-minute tour before the museum opens to the public, and enjoy 15 minutes of sensory play. Tickets include a wooden teether! Register in advance.

Kids at the Castle
Fri, November 19, Sat, November 20, Fri, December 17, Sat, December 18, 9 to 10 am.
Inspired by Jan Brett’s gingerbread-themed books, ages two to five are engaged through circle time, storytelling, crafts, visual play, music and movement. Register in advance.

Wednesdays: Glögg Tours of the Mansion
November 17 & November 24; December 1 & December 29; January 5,  6 to 7 pm.
21+ only fun is back! Enjoy hot spiced holiday wine — glögg — and snacks during a guided tour of From Our House to Yours and the mansion. $55 adults or $50 for ASI members. Register in advance.

Annual Lutfisk Dinner
Sun, November 21.
Try this potentially polarizing dinner for yourself in person or for take home. Lutfisk, potatoes, meatballs, peas, cucumber salad with sauces and lefse on the side. Dessert: Rice pudding with lingonberry sauce and pepparkaka cookie. Reservations required by November 15.

Julbord Dinner
Sat, December 18 and Sun, December. 19
Bring all the generations of your family to enjoy this annual tradition — modified this year as a multi-course plated dinner. Reservations required and available here.

Thursdays: Live music on First Thursdays, PLUS fire pits outside
November 11 and 18 and December 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30.
Performances in Larson Hall from 6 – 7 pm on the first Thursday of every month. Dec. 2 musical guest: Earthtones. Included with museum admission. RSVP required.

Virtual Lucia Sing-along Online Event
Sat, December 11, 2 to 2:30 pm
Families are invited to start Lucia festivities early by learning songs at a virtual sing-a-long led by ASI’s Lucia Choir Director, Ingrid Aune. $8, or $5 for ASI members.

Lucia Celebration Concert
Sun, December 12, 2pm – 3 pm
Families are invited to celebrate light during the long winter in this special concert in Larson Hall featuring the youthful voices of the ASI Lucia Choir. Tickets, $20 or $15 for ASI members, go on sale on Monday, November 8 at 10 am. Register in advance.

Afternoons at ASI: The Hmong New Year
Thu, December 16, 1 pm – 2 pm
A free educational talk about the Hmong New Year from the Hmong Museum, the community partner for our From Our House to Yours exhibition. Register in advance.

Winter Solstice Celebration
Tue, December 21, 5 pm – 9 pm
Celebrate with reindeer in the courtyard, s’mores and cocoa ‘round the bonfire, extended shopping hours, plus snacks and warm glögg from FIKA. Register in advance.

Neighborhood Open House
Thu, December 30, 5 pm – 8 pm
An evening of holiday crafts, performances, bonfires and more, with free museum admission. No registration needed.

ASI is located at 2600 Park Avenue in Minneapolis. Regular hours are 10 am to 8 pm on Thursdays, and 10 am to 4 pm on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. From Our House to Yours opens November 13, 2021, and closes January 9, 2022.
Beginning December 1, ASI will expand its hours of operation to include Wednesdays 10am-4pm. In addition to the museum, this will include FIKA Cafe, the Museum Shop.

General admission, which offers access to all exhibitions on view, as well as the historic Turnblad Mansion, is priced as follows: Free for ASI members and children five and under. $6 for ages 6 to 18 and students of all ages. $12 for adults. $8 for seniors age 62 and over. Walk-up museum admission is available. Visitors are also welcome to register for museum admission in advance. Special events have individual pricing, see the ASI Events online for details.

Face coverings are required indoors for all visitors over the age of three, staff, and volunteers, regardless of vaccination status. Masks may be temporarily removed while eating or drinking at FIKA. Face coverings are not required for outdoor events. Vaccination is required for attendance at in-person workshops, classes, the FIKA Dinner Series: From Our Home to Yours with FIKA and Union Hmong Kitchen on November 16; the Lutfisk Dinner on November 21; and the Julbord Dinners on December 18 and 19.

The American Swedish Institute (ASI), designated to the National Register for Historic Places, is a historic castle-like mansion, museum and cultural center, and a gathering place for all people to explore diverse experiences of migration, identity, belonging, and the environment through arts and culture, informed by enduring links to Sweden. ASI, which The Wall Street Journal calls “[a] model of how a small institution can draw visitors through exciting programming,” is located at 2600 Park Avenue in Minneapolis.