DOOR COUNTY (NBC 26) — Ephraim celebrated a milestone Saturday with the 60th Annual Fyr Bal Festival honoring the area's deep Scandinavian history and traditions.
- Saturday was the 60th Annnual Fyr Bal Festival in Ephraim.
- Different Scandinavian events were featured throughout the festival.
- The Ephraim Historical Foundation said it's import to continue to celebrate the area's history.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
"The Fyr Bal is just such a special time," Ruth Hannon Oneson a descendant of one of the founding family's of Ephraim said at the festival.
She says Fyr Bal helps keep traditions alive and gives people a chance to learn more about their ancestry.
"It's nice to share with other people. People are always looking for their roots, and to share that is special," Hannon Oneson said.
NBC26 WAS AT FYR BAL, WATCH BELOW TO SEE THE DOOR COUNTY TRADITION:
The annual festival, which began in 1965, marks the transition from spring to summer and celebrates the Scandinavian heritage of Ephraim.
"It's good to participate in an event that helps the community," Chris Jaworski a festival goer said.
Chris Jaworski and his wife, Cheryl Malvitz, have been coming to Fyr Bal for the past few years.
"We came and saw the pet parade, that's always interesting," Jaworski said.
The festivities kicked off at 8 a.m. Saturday, with vendors selling handmade crafts, food trucks lining the streets and a full lineup of Scandinavian traditions, including live music.
The Ephraim Historical Foundation says the Scandinavian heritage celebration began when a local business owner introduced the solstice bonfires and other traditions to the summer festival.
"He kinda folded it into our summer festival, and now there's some traditions that we have," Jeff O'Keefe with the Ephraim Historical Foundation said.
Each year, a chieftain from Ephraim is elected to light bonfires along the shore, a powerful tradition that helps keep the area's history alive.
"The fact that our history isn't just back in the 1880s and the 1850s where it began here in Ephraim, but it extends into today," O'Keefe said.
With more people showing up each year, the Ephraim Historical Foundation says they’re proud to share the village’s history and traditions with the growing crowd.
