Rebild Festival

The Rebild Festival (Danish: Rebildfesten), or Rebild Celebrations, is an annual celebration of the American Independence Day in Denmark. At the same time, it serves as a homecoming for Danish-Americans. It takes place in the Rebild National Park in Jutland from which it takes its name and is arranged by the Danish-American Rebild Society.

History

Rebild National Park (Danish: Rebild Bakker) is a Danish national park situated near the town of Skørping in Rebild municipality, Region Nordjylland in northern Jutland, Denmark. The idea of arranging an annual gathering for Danish-Americans in a moorland setting in Denmark originated with Danish immigrant, Max Henius. Funds were being raised by Danish Americans to purchase to 200 acres (0.81 km2) of heather-covered hills and moorland, located in part of Denmark's largest forest, Rold Forest (Danish: Rold Skov).
When the area for the park was presented to the Danish government, it was explained that the area was to remain in its natural state and be open to the general public throughout the year. It would also serve as a venue for annual Fourth of July celebrations. Every July 4 since 1912, except during the two world wars, large crowds have gathered in the heather-covered hills of Rebild to celebrate American Independence Day. Due to a period of national mourning caused by King Frederik VIII's sudden death in May 1912, the first Rebild Festival was delayed until August 5. It was attended by somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 people.

Main speakers

1928 Marlon Letcher and Erik Appel
1929 North Winship and Th. Stauning   
1930 Dr. Henry C. Leach and Dr. Knud Rasmussen 
1931 Ruth Bryan Owen and Oberst H.C. Hansen 
1932 F.W.B. Coleman and Halvor Jacobsen 
1933 Sophus Hartwick and Oberst Poulsen 
1934 Ruth Bryan Owen and Peter Freuchen 
1935 Ruth Bryan Owen and Th. Stauning 
1936 Erland Gjessing and Vilhelm Andersen 
1937 North Winship and Johs. Poulsen 
1938 John Hansen and Th. Stauning 
1939 Malcolm F. Perkins and A. Th. Dorf 
1945 Minister Monnette B. Davis and Prime Minister Vilhelm Buhl 
1946 Ambassador Josiah Marvel and Prime Minister Knud Kristensen 
1947 Dr. Emanuel Nielsen and Professor N.E. Nørlund 
1948 Jean Hersholt and Julius Bomholt 
1949 Editor Chr. Brix and Professor J. Brønsted 
1950 Peter L. Jensen and Mogens Lorentzen 
1951 John Hansen and Dr. Flemming Hvidberg 
1952 Dr. Johs. Knudsen/Jean Hersholt and Prime Minister Erik Eriksen 
1953 Paul G. Hoffmann and Author Hans Hartvig Seedorf-Pedersen 
1954 Ambassador Robert D. Coe and Ambassador [[Henrik Kauffmann}} 
1955 Earl Warren and Editor, author Lars Larsen-Ledet 
1956 Ambassador Robert D. Coe and Actor Ebbe Rode 
1957 James W. Gantenbein and C.H.W. Hasselriis 
1958 Dr. Lee A. Du Bridge and Professor Erik Husfeldt 
1959 Minister of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson and Minister of Agriculture Karl Skytte 
1960 Ambassador Val Peterson and Professor Carl Iversen 
1961 Walt Disney and Colonel C.A. Gabel-Jørgensen 
1962 Richard M. Nixon and H.M. King Frederik IX 
1963 Dr. Ralph J. Bunche and Rektor Willum Hansen 
1964 Dr. Kingman Brewster and Børge Rosing 
1965 Robert F. Wagner and Mayor Thorvald Christensen 
1966 Semon E. Knudsen and J. Dons Christensen 
1967 Walter Cronkite and C.H.W. Hasselriis
1968 Richard Netter and Professor Erik Husfeldt 
1969 Hubert H. Humphrey and P. Nyboe Andersen 
1970 George W. Romney and Former Minister of Culture Bodil Koch 
1971 Raymond Burr and Author Hans Jørgen Lembourn 
1972 Danny Kaye and Ejnar Buhl 
1973 Governor Melvin H. Evans and Author Piet Hein 
1974 Walker Lee Cisler and Professor Niels I. Meyer 
1975 Marshall M. Fredericks and Actor Poul Reichhardt 
1976 Victor Borge and H.M. Queen Margrethe II 
1977 Edsel B. Ford II and Professor Sven Burmester 
1978 Dallin H. Oaks and Professor Morten Lange 
1979 Dr. Henry Viscardi jr. and Lis Hartel 
1980 Art Buchwald and Actor Ove Sprogøe 
1981 Pat Boone and Børge Ørsted 
1982 Beverly Sills and Henrik Bering Liisberg 
1983 Russel E. Train and Mag. Art. Erik Kjærsgaard 
1984 John Naber and Journalist Gunnar ”Nu” Hansen 
1985 Donald E. Petersen and Flemming Juncker 
1986 Maureen Reagan and Dr. Jørgen Kieler 
1987 Victor Borge and Erik Emborg 
1988 Dionne Warwick and Hofmarskal Hans Sølvhøj 
1989 Walter Shirra Valdemar Bandolowski 
1990 Richard Chamberlain and H.R.H. Crown Prince Frederik 
1991 Garrison Keillor and Minister for Education Bertel Haarder 
1992 Frits E. Lawaetz and Minister of Culture Grethe Rostbøll 
1993 Richard B. Stone and Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen 
1994 Minister of Justice Janet Reno and H.R.H. Princess Benedikte 
1995 Senator Sam Nunn and Former Foreign Minister Uffe Ellemann-Jensen 
1996 Ambassador Edward E. Elson and H.R.H. Prince Joachim 
1997 Governor Arne Carlson and Former Prime Minister Poul Schlüter 
1998 Group managing director Jan Leschly 
1999 Governor Charles W. Turnbull and Movie Instructor Bille August 
2000 Elder Russell M. Nelson and Theatre director Michael Christiansen
2001 Tom Lantos, member of the American Congress and President of Parliament Ivar Hansen 
2002 R. Michael Mondavi, CEO, Robert Mondavi Winery and Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen 
2003 Senator Bill Nelson, Florida and Foreign Minister Per Stig Møller 
2004 Ole Henriksen, Los Angeles, beauty expert and Etta Cameron, gospel singer 
2005 Jakob Nielsen, Nielsen Norman Group and Helge Sander, science minister 
2006 Adm. Dir. William T. Newlin and Minister of Education Bertel Haarder
2007 Edward E. Elson, former ambassador and Christian Mejdahl, former president of Parliament
2008 John Mark Nielsen, director of The Danish Immigrant Museum and Henning G. Jensen, mayor in Aalborg
2009 Janet Borge Crowle and Niels Arden Oplev
2010 Ambassadør Laurie S. Fulton and Vesta's group managing director Ditlev Engel 
2011 Congress member Steny Hoyer and Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen
2012 Actor Keith Carradine and Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt 
2013 Professor Dale T. Mortensen and Journalist Steffen Gram
2014 Model and singer Malena Belafonte and CEO for Mærsk Niels Smedegaard Andersen
2015 Peter Work and Kim Bildsøe Lassen
2016 Ambassador Rufus Gifford and Mogens Lykketoft
2017 René Gross Kærskov and Anders Fogh Rasmussen
2018 Ambassador Carla Sands and Jesper Steinmetz
2019 Henrik Fogh Rasmussen and Ole Sønnichsen