VIEW THE 2026 FESTIVAL SCHEDULE HERE: SCHEDULE

Join us on Friday, May 22nd and Saturday, May 23rd for Elk Horn’s 46th Annual Tivoli Fest! Tour the historic windmill, taste homemade aebleskiver, watch Vikings mint coins, and take in everything the Danish Villages have to offer during Tivoli Fest 2026! This is a very special year for us as it marks the 50th anniversary of the Danish Windmill's arrival in Elk Horn and the inaugural festival that became Tivoli Fest! 

Check back for updates or follow our Tivoli page on Facebook. Call 712-764-7472 for more information.

Tivoli Fest shirts now available at danishwindmill.com! T-shirts will be available for purchase online or at the Danish Windmill through the festival. They will also be sold at the Elk Horn Fire Station on Friday night of the festival. All proceeds go towards funding Tivoli Fest for future generations. 

Tivoli Fest is an annual ethnic celebration in the Danish Villages of Elk Horn and Kimballton, Iowa. Every year thousands of people gather in our small, rural heartland to celebrate Danish cultural heritage. Tivoli is a timeless tradition with fun for all ages. Taste classic Danish foods, listen to Danish music, take in a wide offering of Danish culture and traditions, and experience everything local businesses and organizations have to offer in the largest rural Danish settlement in the United States. 

Tivoli Fest is a two-day festival held every year on Memorial Day weekend, capped by a grand fireworks display on Saturday night. Read on to learn more about the festival highlights and everything you don't want to miss! 

TASTE DANISH FOOD
From aebleskiver and medisterpølse to wood-fire pizza, Tivoli Fest has it all. The Danish highlights are aebleskiver (pancake balls), smørrebrød (open-face sandwiches), fresh-baked kringle, and loaded Danish røde pølser (hotdogs). And no Danish meal is complete without an ice-cold pint of Carlsberg beer! 

Beer, hard seltzer, and other beverages will be available at the Tivoli Beer Garden located in the Elk Horn Fire Station. Domestic beers and hard seltzers will be for sale plus don't miss out on the opportunity to try our special new beer, Dane Country, a delightfully-crisp Danish-American lager available for a limited time only! Dane Country beer can be found at the Elk Horn Fire Station, the Danish Windmill, and Norse Horse Tavern during the festival. Brewmaster Steve Rold produced Dane Country in honor of the Danish Windmill's 50th Anniversary.

In addition to food trucks and local restaurants, special Danish food opportunities will be available: 
Aebleskiver & Medisterpølse: Saturday, 7:00 - 3:00 (Fire Station)
Danish Hotdogs: Friday, 6:00 - sold out (Fire Station)
Open-faced Sandwiches: Saturday, 12:00 - 4:00 (Elk Horn Town Hall)

HEAR DANISH MUSIC
Tivoli Fest features great live music from local performers and rising stars to renowned musicians. This year's schedule will be available soon.

This year's full LIVE music schedule is:

Friday:
2:00 - 4:00: Kristian Bugge and WB Reid, Folk Music (Museum of Danish America)
5:00 - 7:30: Tivoli Troubadours, Folk & Country
8:00 - 11:00: Murphy's Law, Classic Rock & Country

Saturday (Live Danish Folk Music)
12 - 1; 2 - 3; 4 - 5: Kristian Bugge & WB Reid, Danish Folk Music

Thank you to Danish Mutual Insurance for sponsoring this year's entertainment! 

EXPERIENCE DANISH CULTURE
It wouldn't be a proper Tivoli without our folk dancing demonstrations! We have two local Danish dancing troupes, kids and adults, that will perform on the outdoor stage in view of the windmill. Additional performances are given by the Scandinavian Folk Dancers of Omaha. 

Folk dancing performances to be held on Saturday afternoon between 12pm and 4pm. 

HANSEN HOUSE SHUTTLE SERVICE

For added convenience, two shuttles will be swimming about the town with stops at the Danish Windmill, Elk Horn Fire Station / Beer Garden, and the Museum of Danish America. 

Rides are $2 and cash only. 

TOUR THE WINDMILL
The Danish Windmill is an authentic gristmill moved from Denmark to Iowa in 1976 which means we are celebrating 50 years this year! It was originally built in 1848 and stands as a monument to the Danish heritage of the immigrants who settled our Iowa community. Our nonprofit museum includes the windmill, outdoor exhibits, and an expansive giftshop loaded with Danish imports and other Scandinavian heritage items and souvenirs. 

Walk back in time through our historic windmill! Climb all the way up the windmill and see how the gears turn as the sails spin in the wind. Grinding demonstrations held throughout on Friday and Saturday. The windmill is packed with new exhibits for everyone to learn about the windmill and its rich Danish history. 

We will be offering FREE ADMISSION into the windmill Friday-Sunday. The windmill will be open to enter at any time, but we will also have guided tours running every 15 minutes for those interested in a more interactive experience. 

And don't forget there is stone-ground rye and wheat flour in the gift shop! 

Learn more about our story here: click to view.

LIVE VIKING ENCAMPMENT
The Vikings are coming! Witness our live Viking demonstrations downtown and around the windmill. Tour our authentic Vikinghjem and take in demonstrations from the blacksmith forge including coin minting. Our demonstrators will be onsite to give lectures and demonstrations on various aspects of Viking culture including battles and one-to-one combat in the field. 

We'll have some axe throwing kits onsite and a wide variety of Viking souvenirs for kids and adults in the windmill gift shop. View some of our selection here.

LIVE VIKING BATTLES: Saturday at 1:30 and 4:00 PM!

TAKE IN DANISH HISTORY
Explore the creative exhibits and beautiful grounds of the Museum of Danish America (10am - 4pm) all weekend with Free Admission. Their feature exhibits include: 

Vikingmania!: The modern world is obsessed with the Vikings. Movies, sports teams, and more connect to medieval Scandinavia. Vikingmania! explains why. The exhibit features real Viking Age treasures and some more recent adaptations, celebrating our love for all things Norse.

Vikingmania! is presented by Viking Aggregates, Inc.

Wunderkammer: Curiosities from the Collection: The cabinet of curiosities was in many ways the direct ancestor to the modern museum. Born during the Enlightenment, the cabinet of curiosities blended natural science, art, and historical artifacts, much like MoDA does today! Our staff has combed through our collections to share with you the most unusual treasures we’ve acquired from all over the world.

Wunderkammer is sponsored by Mindy Brown and Rich Inman.

A Century of Blues: A History of Danish Jazz: Denmark is an underappreciated center of jazz music. Since 1924, Danes have proven themselves equal to the greatest American performers. Legends like Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, and Oscar Peterson performed in Denmark, while Danes like Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen left their mark on American groups. In this exhibit, explore the history of Danish jazz music through recorded performances over the past century, showcasing Scandinavian music at its finest.

Thanks to JazzDanmark for their assistance with this exhibition.This exhibit is sponsored by Andersen-related families of Croton-on-Hudson, NY.

Also check out the museum's Genealogy and Education Center (10am - 4pm) located on Main St. 

Jens Jensen Prairie Landscape Park
30 acres of prairie, located on the Museum of Danish America grounds, picnic areas, authentic homesteader’s cabin, mowed and hard surfaced walking trails, outdoor fitness equipment and green roof.

Contact Museum of Danish America for more information.

STROLL THE STRØGET
Explore the craft and antique booths of the open street market steps away from the amazing Egg Krate Antique Mall.

Discover retro, vintage, rare, and unique items of all kinds in addition to delicious jams, preserves, and baked goods. 

Food trucks will also be available. 

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Tivoli Fest has fun things to do for the whole family from caricature art to axe throwing! Be sure to check out the Kids' Lego Contest held at the Elk Horn Public Library. 

Contestants can submit one creation per class. Limit of 2 people per group. The classes are:
1. Plant a Seed, Read! 
2. Danish / Gnome / Troll
3. Book Theme

Bring your creations to the Elk Horn Public Library between Thursday May 21st and Friday May 22th. Entries will be displayed from 12:00 - 3:00 on Saturday May 23rd. Entries available for pickup 3:00PM Saturday or following week during regular hours. Winners receive free Tivoli t-shirts! 

Saturday activities at the library include indoor and outdoor games and the Small Canvas Contest: use a 4-inch canvas to draw, paint, or color a portrait, landscape, pet, or abstract! Bring your painting to the library before May 20. Paintings will be judged on Friday May 22 and displayed during the festival. 

Saturday, 3pm - 4pm: The library will be hosting a Joke Contest at the Elk Horn Fire Station. 

MILL TO MERMAID 5K

Saturday, 8:15 AM
Start at Windmill
Free-Will Donation ($5 suggested) 
Registration table in parking lot near windmill

Race finishes at the Little Mermaid fountain in Kimballton. T-shirts given to winners by age-group. 

Shuttle will be available to transport runners back to Elk Horn. 

TIVOLI PARADE

Saturday, 11:00
Start at EEHK School on Madison St., runs North to South down Main St. 

Free to participate, no registration. Line up on Madison St. in front of the school.

Parade winners announced at fire station at 3:00. 

TIVOLI FIREWORKS

Saturday, After Dark
Downtown Elk Horn

Presented by the Waymire Brothers

FLASH TATTOOS
Seneca Studios

Danish hand-poked flash tattoos
Friday and Saturday by appointment only

Book your appointment today with this link

DANISH WINE
Danish Countryside Winery

Open Daily: 12:00 - 5:00
19 varieties of locally-made wine and quality chocolate in a rustic setting

DANISH PASTRIES
Kringleman Bakery

Enjoy fresh-baked kringle in a variety of flavors plus Danish letters, stroopwaffels, creamed-horns, and more. 

ENCORE! TIVOLI SUNDAY IS BACK FOR 2026!

With it being the 50th Anniversary of the Danish Windmill's arrival to Elk Horn, the windmill is hosting an extra day of programs to extend this year's Tivoli celebration into Sunday! 

The feature event is a familiar one, we've brought back the Tour de Tivoli Bike Ride, a 26-mile ride starting in Elk Horn and passing through Prairie Rose State Park and Kimballton before ending back at the windmill. Proceeds are going towards the windmill's Back on the Grind capital campaign to get new millstones. Tickets are available online here, or register in person the morning of! 

At the same time, the windmill is sponsoring a breakfast at Hygge Inn & Suites thanks to the support of SCSB and METC. From 8 - 11, a breakfast buffet will be open for free-will donation, and all proceeds are going towards the windmill's millstone campaign. 

At 11:15, join us for Elk Horn Lutheran Church's Sunday Service, this time outside at Morning Star Chapel outside the windmill. 

Viking performers will be active throughout the day with a battle shortly after noon. The windmill will be free admission all day from 8AM to 5PM!