At each festival nearly 350 students, dressed in colorful Swedish costumes, perform dances and folk games to the delight of their audiences. Early in the school year the grade school students begin learning new dances in their music classes. At first they practice once each week, but as October approaches, the practices increase. Each dance is performed as authentically as possible and each has been researched using old folk dance books dating from the late 1800's and early 1900's. Over the years each dance has been carefully chosen and added to the repertoire so that more than 20 dances and folk games are now performed at each Hyllningsfest.
Local teachers instruct first through eighth grade classes.
The folk dancing allows the students to learn a significant Swedish folk tradition, as well as allowing them to make an important contribution to the festival. The children begin to learn more about the Swedish heritage every year. By the time they finish 8th grade, they know all the dances. This unique folk dance provides the boys with a neat opportunity to express themselves physically and rhythmically. The colorful folk games and dances performed by the children have become a favorite event for many who attend Svensk Hyllningsfest.