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.[1]
It is the largest event celebrating the 4th of July outside the USA.[2]
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 raised by Danish Americans to purchase to 200 acres (0.81 km2) of heather-covered hills and moorland, located within Denmark's largest forest, Rold Forest (Danish: Rold Skov).[3] [4] [5]
When the area for the park was presented to the Danish government, it was specified that the area was to remain in its natural state and be open to the general public throughout the year. Henius also required it to serve as the venue for annual Fourth of July celebrations.[4] Every July 4 since 1912, except during the two world wars and the COVID-19 pandemic, 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,[6] [7] including about 1,000 returning emigres to the U.S.[4] Attendance peaked at approximately 50,000 in 1948.[4]
| 1929 | Th. Stauning | |
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| 1954 | Ambassador Henrik Kauffmann | |
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| 1972 | Danny Kaye and Governor Ronald Reagan | |
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| 1978 | Dallin H. Oaks and Professor Morten Lange | |
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| 1986 | Maureen Reagan and Dr. Jørgen Kieler | |
| 1987 | Victor Borge and Erik Emborg | |
| 1988 | Dionne Warwick and Hofmarskal Hans Sølvhøj | |
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| 2004 | Ole Henriksen, Los Angeles, beauty expert and Etta Cameron, gospel singer | |
| 2005 | Jakob Nielsen, Nielsen Norman Group and Helge Sander, science minister | |
| 2007 | Former president of Parliament Christian Mejdahl | |
| 2008 | Mayor of Aalborg Henning G. Jensen | |
| 2009 | Niels Arden Oplev | |
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| 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 | |
| 2014 | Model and singer Malena Belafonte | |
| 2016 | Ambassador Rufus Gifford and Mogens Lykketoft | |
| 2017 | René Gross Kærskov and Anders Fogh Rasmussen | |
| 2018 | Ambassador Carla Sands | |
| 2022 | Ambassador Alan Leventhal and Caspar Phillipson (as John F. Kennedy) | |
| 2023 | Author/playwright Adam Price and author/bureau chief of The New York Times Elisabeth Bumiller[8] |