Terry Flanagan: How to Cope with Swedish Days Withdrawal

I know that there are a number of Genevans who breathe a collective sigh of relief once the parade ends on Sunday and the booths along Third Street and elsewhere in town begin pulling up stakes. Yes, Virginia, there are some people who don’t like Swedish Days, babies, puppies, sunny days or fun of any kind. These people are called Republicans.

No, that’s not true. Some of my best friends are Republicans and they are not like that at all except perhaps when they are gathered in a room with other Republicans and have to pretend to be all serious and mean. Just kidding. But there are some people who hate Swedish Days. You’ve probably seen a few of them walking about for most of this week, snarling and kicking a dog or two here and there. They will be fine after Sunday, at least until the ICC bike race and the Art Fair come to town in July.

Many people, however, will be sad to see Swedish Days come to an end. Monday will be just another work day. The town will seem a little more quiet, the streets a little more empty. Third Street will once again become the province of the automobile, no longer a wide, bustling promenade filled with music and laughter, the aromas of savory foods being prepared, the sounds of children running about and playing, and the boisterous conversations among friends and neighbors enjoying each other’s company. Things will be back to normal.

But there is one difference this year. Instead of moping about because you have to wait a whole year for the next Swedish Days, you can relive the Swedish Days experience through the excellent coverage of the events right here on Patch. Editor and contributor and their faithful canine sidekicks and have captured the essence of Swedish Days in words, pictures, and video for your enjoyment.

Thrill to feats of unbelievable derring-do as (not for the faint of heart).  Catch the videos of the and at Swedish Days. Enjoy the . It's almost like being there all over again.  This is the beauty of Patch - the ability to record the events that are so much a part of our lives and our community and to preserve not only the written descriptions, but also the images and the sounds that go with them. I, for one, have enjoyed the coverage of Swedish Days immensely and hope that you have too.  Kudos to Rick, Andrea, , and others who covered the Swedish Days events.