Spelmanstämma!, a celebration of the immigrant fiddle, will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, at Gammelgården Museum, 20880 Olinda Trail, Scandia. Musicians are invited to bring their own instruments and join the fun.
The annual Spelmanstämma! (in Swedish: spelman-fiddler and stämma-gathering) recognizes the importance of the fiddle in many immigrant cultures and its role in carrying that culture from those homelands to the United States.
Spelmanstämma is a long-held Swedish tradition for fiddlers to gather on a lovely day, play tunes and teach each other new music. The music has never been written, it is always shared by playing only.
Musicians, dancers, crafts and food will gather among the 1850s Swedish historic log buildings at the museum. There also will be activities for children, artists and other vendors.
Washington County
'Million Acorn Challenge' to aid environment
Great River Greening, a nonprofit group that works to preserve land and water resources, is sponsoring a Million Acorn Challenge.
Acorns can be collected from Aug. 11 to Sept. 21 (on your own time) within 15 miles of the South Washington Conservation Corridor, a greenway that provides important habitat and critical storage for stormwater runoff on the border of Woodbury and Cottage Grove.
The acorns will be sent to a local nursery to grow, and will then be planted at a public volunteer event in the future.
Cities included in the 15-mile collection radius include St. Paul, part of Minneapolis, Woodbury, Cottage Grove, Hastings, Stillwater and part of White Bear Lake.
