Gammelgården Museum Silent Book Club
2025-07-20 13:30 - 15:30 (America/Chicago) | Gammelgarden Museum of Scandia, 20880 Olinda Trail North, Scandia, MN, 55073, United States
The Gammelgården Museum Silent Book Club meets on the third Sunday of each month from May through November from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Bring your favorite book from home to read, choose one from Gammelgården’s non-lending library (there are books in English and Swedish), or purchase a book in the Butik (the museum’s gift shop).

There will be 30 minutes to choose your book/get settled, 1 hour of reading time, and then 30 minutes to talk with one another, continue reading, look at the museum’s exhibits and displays, shop in the gift shop, or leave and go home to recharge.

Visit the Gammelgården Museum Silent Book Club Facebook Group to be a part of the club.

Children's Storytime
2025-07-24 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-07-31 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-08-07 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-08-14 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-08-21 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-08-28 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-09-04 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-09-11 10:30 - 11:00 | Gammelgarden Museum of Scandia, 20880 Olinda Trail North, Scandia, MN, 55073, United States
New to Gammelgården this year is children’s storytime! This program will be hosted weekly on Thursday’s at 10:30 am in the classroom upstairs.

This is a great opportunity for you and your family to partake in early literacy in your community. Early literacy programs are not designed to teach young children how to read, rather they focus on developing skills through stories.

Storytime is designed to introduce your little one to stories, songs, rhyming, and other kids. Storytime often includes one to two read-alouds with one to two interactive songs, rhymes, or activities.

Storytime will be hosted by Grace Taylor. Grace will graduate with a Master’s in Library and Information Sciences from St. Kate’s in August 2025 and has taken multiple courses in Children’s Materials and Services.

Bluegrass & Lemonade in the Shade
2025-07-27 14:00 - 15:45, 2025-08-24 14:00 - 15:45 | Gammelgarden Museum of Scandia, 20880 Olinda Trail North, Scandia, MN, 55073, United States
Come on down for an old-time bluegrass jam session at Gammelgården Museum from 2-3:45 p.m. on four Sundays – June 22, July 27, August 24, and September 28!
Bring your banjo, fiddle, guitar, cello, dulcimer, harmonica, mandolin, ukulele, or bass, and learn new tunes! Play along, or just relax and listen in a welcoming atmosphere.
There are experienced and new musicians, and people of all ages.
Best of all…Bluegrass & Lemonade in the Shade is free!
*** Remember to bring your chair or blanket. ***
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Jam Etiquette

Be polite, welcoming, and friendly.
Be kind to beginners and new jammers – it takes courage to join in and play along!
Put your instrument cases off to the side and out of the way.
Please minimize noodling around between tunes.
Step out of the circle to tune your instrument or chat with someone.

Northern Bedrock Crew at Museum
2025-07-29 - 2025-08-06 | Gammelgarden Museum of Scandia, 20880 Olinda Trail North, Scandia, MN, 55073, United States
A crew from Northern Bedrock is at Gammelgården finishing up the final restoration phase of the Stuga and Phase 2 of the restoration of the Pastor’s House.

Soma SlowFlow Yoga at Gammelgården
2025-08-01 10:30 - 11:45, 2025-08-08 10:30 - 11:45, 2025-08-15 10:30 - 11:45, 2025-08-22 10:30 - 11:45, 2025-08-29 10:30 - 11:45, 2025-09-05 10:30 - 11:45 | Gammelgarden Museum of Scandia, 20880 Olinda Trail North, Scandia, MN, 55073, United States
Come and enjoy an all-levels yoga practice. Gentle, mindful movement can help release tension patterns in your body, allowing for movement with greater ease. Find your breath and your individual best variation of the asanas (yoga poses). Improve your balance and reconnect with your body!
Please bring your own mat and water bottle. Chairs will be available. Drop-ins welcome!
In case of rain, we will move indoors.
Fridays 10:30-11:45, August 1st through September 19th.
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/YogaAtGG

Wet-Felted Vessels
2025-08-02 10:30 - 12:00 | Gammelgarden Museum of Scandia, 20880 Olinda Trail North, Scandia, MN, 55073, United States
Learn from textile artist Sandra Brick the process of dimensional wet felting as you create a miniature vessel out of vibrant-colored wool. Using warm water, soap, and pre-carded wool, create a vessel to hold small treasures!
This class is for 12+ year-olds and adults.
Register for the class on EventBrite HERE.
Sandra Brick is a trainer, coach, and educator with over 21 years of experience with the Textile Center both as an instructor and former Board member. She has designed and developed 35+ workshops and courses in a diverse range of workshop topics such as fabric dyeing, design theory, beading, creative problem solving, and technology workshops for artists. Brick’s explorations in new materials and techniques have inspired her innovative body of work in surface design, stitching and mixed media, which has been widely exhibited. facebook.com/TE.SandraBrick/

History & Heritage Book Club
2025-08-08 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-09-12 10:30 - 12:00 | Gammelgarden Museum of Scandia, 20880 Olinda Trail North, Scandia, MN, 55073, United States
Gammelgården Museum is launching a new program in 2025, History & Heritage Book Club!

From May through December 2025, we will be exploring 8 books related to Nordic history and heritage; and Swedish lifestyles and traditions. There are both fiction and non-fiction books; and authors from the United States and Sweden.

Join other book lovers every second Friday of the month from 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM. The History & Heritage Book Club will be held at Gammelgården Museum at 20880 Olinda Trail North, Scandia, MN 55073. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with others in the community who love to read and want to discover some great books!

2025 Book List (for a book description, visit the History & Heritage Book Club group on Facebook:
May – Swede Hollow by Ola Larsmo – *F
June – The Open-Air Life by Linda Åkeson McGurk – *N
July – The Lagom Life – A Swedish Way of Living by Elisabeth Carlsson – *N
August – The Sisterhood of the Enchanted Forest by Naomi Moriyama and William Doyle – N
September – Giants in the Earth – A Saga of the Prairie by O.E. Rölvaag – F
October – My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman – *F
November – The Rocks Will Echo Our Sorrow – The Forced Displacement of the Northern Sámi by Elin Anna Labba – *N
December – The Palace of the Snow Queen – Winter Travels in Lapland and Sápmi by Barbara Sjoholm – N
* – Swedish, Sámi, or Swedish-American author
F – Fiction
N – Non-Fiction

Please let the museum know you will be attending the book club, be emailing: director@gammelgardenmuseum.org
Phone: (651) 433-5053
Facebook Group: History & Heritage Book Club

Safeguarding the Past: Archival Book Cover Workshop
2025-08-09 10:30 - 12:00 | Gammelgarden Museum of Scandia, 20880 Olinda Trail North, Scandia, MN, 55073, United States
Learn how to make archival book covers for two of Gammelgården Museum’s historic books in its collection. You will have an opportunity to handle books from the 1800s and early 1900s, and provide an archival-quality book cover for them.
By creating these covers, you will acquire the skills to design covers for your special and historical books at home.
There is no cost for this workshop, as participants will be helping to protect the museum’s book collection.
Registration is required to ensure there are enough supplies and space for participants. (Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/safeguarding-the-past-archival-book-cover-workshop-tickets-1415589007829?aff=oddtdtcreator )
This workshop is for 15+ year-olds and adults.
This workshop is being led by Paige Ewert, one of Gammelgården’s interns. Paige is a Senior at St. Olaf College with a degree in History and Art History. She has worked at her college’s archives for three years, with a specialization in books and printed materials. Drawing on the methods and knowledge gained from a class with the Minnesota Art Conservation Center, this class focuses on creating boxes and book covers for any book, from your favorite novel to a 100-year-old family heirloom Bible.

Fiber Arts Club
2025-08-13 10:30 - 12:30, 2025-09-10 10:30 - 12:30 | Gammelgarden Museum of Scandia, 20880 Olinda Trail North, Scandia, MN, 55073, United States
The Fiber Arts Club at Gammelgården Museum will meet from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month. Bring a project you’re working on, and join in conversation and community. This is a relaxing gathering for people with projects in progress or in the planning stages.

This is the perfect opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and work on your small projects in knitting, crocheting, hand sewing, needlefelting, mending, embroidery, cross stitching, tatting, weaving, needlepoint, lacemaking, macrame, spinning, rug hooking, string art, or any other fiber art.

The club offers people a chance to work on projects, learn new skills, get opinions on projects, and make suggestions to others. It’s a great way to make progress on your creative endeavors.

IMPORTANT FOR THIS GROUP – PLEASE READ:
1. Smaller projects only due to limited room size. So, unless it can fit in your lap (such as the beginning of a project), please leave larger projects like afghans, large sweaters, etc. at home.
2. Small supply totes only. Keep large needlework bags, boxes of supplies, etc. at home. There is not enough table and floor space to support items of that size.
3. Work on a project that you bring to the Fiber Arts Club. Making progress on your project while chit-chatting is the purpose of the group and respect for others’ productivity is important.
4. Any coffee, tea, or soda/pop must be covered.

Spelmansstämman
2025-08-16 10:00 - 16:00 | Gammelgarden Museum of Scandia, 20880 Olinda Trail North, Scandia, MN, 55073, United States
Come to Gammelgården Museum for a free family-friendly event featuring Swedish/Nordic and Mexican folk music, dance, and visual arts. There also will be arts and crafts for children and adults; historic building tours; an arts, crafts, and vendors fair; and artist demonstrations. Both Swedish and Mexican food and beverages will be available for purchase.
Spelmansstämman was recognized as one of the best ten summer festivals in Minnesota by TravelMag.com. Read about it HERE.

Spelmansstamman 2025 Poster

MUSIC PERFORMANCES

Spelmansstämman is a long-standing Swedish folk music tradition based on outdoor gatherings (stämma) of Swedish musicians (spelman) to share music, friendship, and playing. At a traditional stämma, a small group of musicians share tunes they love and have in common.
Gammelgården’s 35th annual Spelmansstämman will feature multiple musicians performing throughout the day.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Come for the full day – or part of the day. Following is the general schedule of events:
10-12:

Cross-Cultural Art

Swedish Craft Project: Create a Dala häst pop-up card with Marie Olofsdotter, a Swedish-born artist and poet –– Welcome House
Mexican Craft Project: Create a screen-printed poster with Jessica Lopez Lyman/La Luchadora– Museum Grounds
Swedish and Mexican Weaving Comparison – Welcome House

10-4:

Historic Building Tours – Docents in Buildings (10-4). Tours for those who are Hearing Impaired (with headphones) or Deaf (ASL interpreter) – Meet at the Reception Desk at the Welcome House
Artists, Crafters, and Vendors Fair – Museum Grounds

Artifacts
Apothecary’s Daughter
Becky Letecht Felt and Fiber
Bella Josie Naturals
Braided Stream Arts
Carol’s Stained Glass
Cynthia DeMar Arts
Donald Fick
Folkdress Fantasy
Hunter Panoch Art and Photography
Joseph’s Ice Cream Express
LB’s Caramels, Candies, and Crafts, LLC
Marine Maple Syrup
Rooted Apricity
Sara Tennis – Artisan
Scandia Sister City Council
Scandinavian Weavers Study Group
Susan Raes Woodworking
Swedish Genealogical Society of Minnesota
T’s Crafts
Vasa Junior Folk Dancers
Washington County Master Gardeners – Milkweed, Monarchs, and Pollinators Team

Scandia Butik Gift Shop – Welcome House
Do a Scavenger Hunt and Get a Prize – Historic Buildings/Museum Grounds
Exhibits – Welcome House
Outdoor Games – Museum Grounds

Food for Sale – 10-4

Gammelgården Museum Serving Swedish Fika (Desserts and Beverages) and American Snacks – Front of Welcome House
Food Trucks Serving Mexican and American Food – Front of Welcome House

10:15-10:45

Waltz Workshop with the North Star Nordic Dancers – Barn Stage 2

10:30

Children’s Storytime – Museum Grounds (Location TBD)

11:00

Parade of Performers/Grand March followed by group introductions and Allspell (all groups play) – From the front of the Welcome House, around the west side of the building, and to Barn Stage 1

11:15 – 12:00 (performance) and 12:00-12:15 (meet and greet)

Kalpulli KetzalCoatlicue (“Precious Mother Earth”) – Aztec and Nahuatl Dance and Culture – Barn Stage 1

Learn symbols of the Meso-American calendar, experience the rhythms of an ancient people, and begin to understand the connections between ritual and daily life. Driving drum rhythms and dazzling costumes hold the audience’s interest, and through each step the dancer in full regalia gives life to the symbols of the dance. Aztec dance performance creates a connection between contemporary dancers and the elders who have preserved this expression of culture. The Aztec symbols of life are reproduced in the dance steps.

Barn Stage 2 – 12:00-3:30
12:15-3:00 – During short breaks between performances, be entertained by Ross Sutter.
12:15 – ASI Spelmanslag and the Northstar Nordic Dancers
1:00 – Mariachi Alma de Mexico
1:30 – Renee Vaughan’s Nordstär Ensemble and the Northstar Nordic Dancers
2:00 – Vasa Junior Folk Dancers
2:30 – Paul Dahlin and Friends
3:00 – Ballet Folklorico Mexico Azteca
3:25 – Closing Allspel and Nordic Closing Tune: Hälsa Dem Därhemma (led by Ross Sutter)

Old Church Stage – 12:00-2:55
12:00 – Instrument Petting Zoo – See and touch instruments up close, and ask questions about how they are played. Explore the nyckelharpa, pump organ, hardingfele, pipes, cittern, accordion, violin, and guitar.
1:00 – Feleboks
1:30 – ASI Lillelag
2:00 – Ponyfolk
2:30 – Building opens again for self-guided tours. A Gammelgården Museum tour guide is available to provide information and answer questions.

Vendor Fair Stage – 1:00-3:15
12:00 – Vasa Junior Folk Dancers
12:20 – Ponyfolk
1:00 – Ballet Folklorico Mexico Azteca
1:30 – Mariachi Alma de Mexico
2:00 – ASI Spelmanslag
2:20 – Feleboks
2:50 – Folk Dräkt and Bunad Show

12:30

Children’s Storytime – Museum Grounds (Location TBD)

2:30

Children’s Storytime – Museum Grounds (Location TBD)

ASL Interpreter and Hearing-Assisted Listening Devices Available
This event is co-sponsored by Gammelgården Museum and Scandia Heritage Alliance.
This event is made possible by the generous support of the Valley Arts Initiative – St. Croix Valley Foundation, Levitt Foundation,
Twin Cities Nyckelharpalag, and Gammelgården Museum donors.

NAMI Minnesota Mindful Creations Support Group
2025-08-20 10:15 - 12:15, 2025-09-17 10:15 - 12:15 | Gammelgarden Museum of Scandia, 20880 Olinda Trail North, Scandia, MN, 55073, United States
NAMI MC flyer_Gammelgården Museum of Scandia

NAMI Minnesota Mindful Creations Support Group, is a group that focuses on building resiliency and strengthening mental well-being through education, creative expression through art, and the support of others in a safe and confidential environment.

Each meeting will focus on one mental health topic and include a brief educational session, a hands-on art activity, and group discussion.

There is no cost for the support groups. To register, email your first and last name to sgc@namimn.org

Running of the Meatballs
2025-09-06 10:00 - 15:30 | MN
Join us for the Running of the Meatballs during Scandia’s Taco Daze festival on the first Saturday after Labor Day. Running of the Meatballs is our annual FUNdraiser. You purchase a meatball (really the number on a golf ball), and then cheer your meatball on, as it rolls down Oakhill Road before the Taco Daze parade. You do not need to be present to win.
You can buy your meatballs ahead of time in the Gammelgården Museum of Scandia Butik (gift shop), or you can buy them during Taco Daze until 3 pm, or until we run out. Meatballs are $5 for 1, or $20 for 5.
Prizes:
1. $500 Gift Card (Security State Bank)
2. $275 Gift Card
3. $150 Gift Card
4. $100 Gift Card
5. $100 Gift Card
6. $100 Gammelgården Butik Gift Card
7. $75 Gift Card
8. $75 IKEA Gift Card
9. $50 Gammelgården Butik Gift Card
10. $50 Gift Card (Security State Agency)
11. Last Ball! Meatballs and Swedish Mustard ($20 value)
You do need to be 18 years of age or older to purchase a meatball. Come join us for the fun!
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OFFICIAL RULES:

Sponsored by Gammelgården Museum, Scandia, Minnesota. Proceeds will be used by Gammelgården Museum for building restoration projects.
Raffle tickets sold for this event include: one ticket for $5.00, five tickets for $20.00. Only one ticket purchase is required to enter the raffle. Each numbered raffle ticket corresponds to a numbered meatball.
Cash, check, or debit card accepted for the sale of tickets.
Persons under 18 years of age may NOT purchase a raffle ticket or win a prize.
Winning ticket holders need not be present to win.
All meatballs in the race will be released at the same time and have an equal chance of winning.
The first 10 numbered meatballs to finish the race will win prizes 1 – 10 (as listed above) in the order finished. The last meatball to cross the finish line will receive prize number 11.
Substitution of prizes for cash or another type of merchandise or services is prohibited.
The race is officiated by judges. Spectators may watch but must not interfere with the release or running of the meatballs.
Winners will be contacted via phone, text, and email by 4:30 p.m. on the day of the race. A list of winners will be posted at Meisters, Scandia Community Center, and Gammelgården Museum. Prizes may be picked up at Gammelgården Museum until 5:00 p.m. on the day of the race (September 6, 2025) or any time after the race day during business hours:
Wednesday – Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Sunday, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Winners are responsible for any applicable fees or taxes.
HELPLINE for problem gambling: 1-800-333-HOPE.

Drop off Donations for the Second-Hand Swedish Sale
2025-09-17 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-09-18 10:00 - 16:00 | Gammelgarden Museum of Scandia, 20880 Olinda Trail North, Scandia, MN, 55073, United States
Donations of Swedish Items Wanted!

Gammelgården Museum is preparing for its 5th annual Second-Hand Swedish Sale. We are looking for previously used Swedish glass, ceramics, linen, metal, jewelry, and holiday items.

Donations may be brought to Gammelgården from September 17th-October 12th on Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10-4 and Sundays from 1-4.
All proceeds from the sale benefit the museum’s restoration efforts.
