Scandinavian Folk Festival organizer Gwen Funcell talks about the return of the festival to downtown Jamestown.

Folk Festival Organizer Gwen Funcel said the two-day event this weekend will take place at the Northwest Arena with the Midsummer Procession going down Third Street, “They have expanded the public market and at 10:00 a.m. Saturday they’re going to be decorating the Midsummer Pole, so please be there. Bring your greens and flowers. And once the pole is decorated, they’ll process down to the arena and place the Midsummer Pole in a specific location there and everybody can attend that and enjoy the rain dances without having to pay an entrance fee.”

Funcel said people can tour a Viking Ship on Lafayette Street outside the Northwest Arena on Saturday between 10:00 a.m to 8:00 p.m. for free as well.

The entrance fee for the Scandinavian Folk Festival inside the Northwest Arena is $5.

For more information, visit http://www.scandinavianjamestown.org/

In addition to Scandinavian foods, crafts, demonstrations, lectures and vendors, there will also be musical entertainment all weekend, highlighted by an Entertainment Showcase on both Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., with more than 50 performers taking part both nights.

Featured performers this year include the return of world champion nyckelharpa player Peter Puma Hedlund, along with the group Tants Muziky from Canton, Ohio. The Jamestown Municipal Band and local favorites Svenska Spielman are also slated to perform.

The Festival runs from 1 to 9 p.m. on Friday, from 10am to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission for the entire weekend is just $10, unless coming on Sunday, when it will be reduced to $5. There is a family maximum of $20. Parking is free.

For all the schedules and details, visit Scandinavianjamestown.org.

The event will feature plenty of food, arts and crafts, lectures and musical entertainment, including performances by Dancing Dream – previously known as the Abba Girls, who also performed in 2014 at the festival.

The event will run from from 1-10 p.m.today, 10 a.m to 10 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. There is an admittance fee of $8 Friday, $9 Saturday and $4 Sunday, which covers the cost of any and all activities and entertainment for the duration of one’s stay. A weekend pass is also available for $15.

For more information on other activities available at the festival, visit scandinavianjamestown.org.

When the Chautauqua County Legislature meets tonight in Mayville, it will consider a local law that would give the sheriff’s Office the ability to remove abandoned vehicles throughout the county. Under the language of the pending local law, the Sheriff’s office would have the authority to take into custody any abandoned vehicles and the county would also be able to sell it and keep the proceeds.

In addition, lawmakers will act on a motion that supports a pending state law that makes it easier to contact owners of vacant structures by using banks and other lending institutions.  Both the state senate and state assembly are considering a bill that would make it mandatory for lending institutions to provide contact information of responsible parties regarding vacant structures; and require good faith in maintaining vacant or abandoned real property prior to transfer of the property in foreclosure.

Other items to be acted on tonight is the distribution of the 2012 occupancy tax – or “bed tax” – proceeds. Under the pending resolution,  Several local organizations and events would see funding from the county. The include:

• Lucille Ball Comedy Festival (Aug. 7 to 11): $10,000.00
• Jazz at Chautauqua (Sept. 15 to 19): $4,500
• Festivals Fredonia (event series): $ 6,400.00
• Jamestown Regional Celtic Festival (Aug. 23 to 24): $10,000.00
• Scandinavian Folk Festival (July 19 to 21): $ 3,000.00
• Village of Celoron Waterfront Revitalization Plan: $10,000.00
• Portland Bicentennial Celebration (April to July): $ 2,000.00

Tonight’s legislature meetings begins at 6:30 p.m. on the third floor of the Gerace Office building Mayville and is open to the public.

The Rockridge Brothers

JAMESTOWN – The Rockridge Brothers will once again perform at the Scandinavian Folk Festival this weekend (July 20-22) at the Gerry Rodeo Grounds. It is the second time the band has performed at the festival, the first time being last year.

While much of the music at the Folk Festival is more in line with traditional Scandinavian Folk music, the Rockridge Brothers bring what they describe as “Kick-ass white-collar punk hillbilly music for the foot stomping grassers and the banjo loving masses” (from the band’s facebook page).

The Rockridge Brotehrs, who all hail from Stockholm, Sweden, are: Peter Frövik (Guitar), Ralf Fredblad (Fiddle), Kristian Herner (Banjo) and Pontus Juth (Bass).

• LISTEN TO THE ROCKRIDGE BROTHERS 2011 PERFORMANCE AT THE SCANDINAVIAN FOLK FESTIVAL

Anyone who is a fan of bluegrass music will want to check them out. They perform five times this weekend: Friday (4 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.), Saturday (4 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.) and Sunday (1:30 p.m.). Be sure to check them out if you make it out to The Scandinavian Folk Festival this weekend.