Some 1,500 to 2,000 square dancers were expected to converge at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center this weekend for the 2008 Oregon Mid-Winter Square & Round Dance Festival.

This year’s festival features square dance caller Stefan Sidholm of Sweden, who said the activity has been growing in popularity in his country for the past 20 years. Steps, calls and songs are the same, he said.

He became a caller in 1983, mostly by accident. “I was young and I learned quick, so they made me the teacher,” he joked.

Temperatures in the low 30s made this year’s theme, “Winter Wonderland,” especially appropriate, but dancers said in spite of their teacup-shaped dresses, they didn’t feel the cold.

“Once you get doing it, you’re not cold anymore,” said Cathy Dietz of Florence.

The dancing continues today, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A style show is scheduled from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. today, and there will be sewing clinics and other related activities from 10:30 a.m. to noon and 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. today, and 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.

There is no cost to watch the dancing.

Democrat-Herald