Minneapolis families, mark Sunday, November 15: the American Swedish Institute opens its beloved holiday season with “Tomte Tales of Winter,” a joyful family program inside the storybook Turnblad Mansion.
The day brings the magic of the Tomte — the tiny, kind-hearted guardian of Scandinavian folklore — to life for young visitors. Families can drop in for story time with University of Minnesota Children’s Theatre Arts students in the mansion’s Grand Hall at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and 12:15 p.m., then keep the creativity going with a hands-on Tomte-inspired craft, free with admission, while supplies last.
The program also opens “Remember When,” the Institute’s 76th annual holiday exhibition, on view November 15 through January 11. The historic mansion’s rooms are dressed for the season by community curators from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland, alongside this year’s guest curators from the Minnesota chapter of the Illusion Theater — a fresh, playful take on a cherished Minneapolis tradition.
Families planning to return through the holidays can also pick up an ASI Winter Season Pass for unlimited admission all season long, starting November 15. It is a warm, wintry way to begin the season: folktales, crafts and a castle-like mansion glowing with Nordic holiday cheer.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
