Schedule of the Event:

July 31, 2025

Tour: EMBARRASS HISTORY AND ARCHITECTURE:  8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Barb Yarusso

Tour: HIDDEN TREASURES OF NW WISCONSIN: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Duane Lahti and Jim Pellman

Tour: NORDIC RIVIERA - 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Professor Arnold Alanen

Tour: FARMS, FORESTS AND FIRES: 8:30 am - 6:00 pm
Mary Lukkarila, Anja Bottila and Susan Vincent

9:00 am - 4:30 pm | LSBR MN
Sauna Seminar
Multiple Presenters

9:00 am - 3:00 pm | LSBR L
FINNISH LANGUAGE SEMINAR (Beginner) 
Tiina Watts

9:00 am - 3:00 pm | LSBR O
FINNISH LANGUAGE SEMINAR (Intermediate)
Lily Obeda

9:00 am - 4:00 pm | French River Room
Family History (Genealogy) Seminar 
Barb Wilson, James Johnson and K. Marianne Wargelin

11:00 am - 3:00 pm | Tours
Tour of RV Blue Heron: UMD Research Vessel
Lisa Sundberg 

2:00 pm - 4:00 pm | LSBR J
Simple Finnish Wellness in a Nutshell: Learn ASAHI
Margaret Vainio, Carol Curtis, Sue Schafer, Debra Wahlberg, and Don Bode 

5:00 pm - 7:30 pm | off-site location
Encountering the Invisible
Carrie VanderVeen

August 1, 2025

9:00 am - 10:30 am | LSBR L
The Moomins’ Creator: Tove Jansson
Helena Halmari, Amberyl Malkovich, Marianne Wargelin, & Heikki Maenpää 

9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Tori
PONSSE Harvester Simulator
PONSSE

9:00 am - 10:00 am | Split Rock Room
Moomin Films
The Moomins 

9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Tori
Finlandia Foundation National Oral History Project
Mirva Johnson/FFN 

9:00 am - 10:00 am | LSBR MN
Rugs, Raanu, and Rya: The Legacy of Finnish Weaving
Lisa-Anne Bauch 

9:00 am - 10:00 am | LSBR O
Northern Alliances: Finland–Minnesota Leadership in Forest Innovation
Jon Heyesen, Rolf T. Weberg, John Rajala and Ida Rukavina 

9:00 am - 10:00 am | Tori
Brooks Anderson Peace Walk
Duluth Sister Cities 

9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Edmund Fitzgerald Hall
Exhibits and Demonstrations
Multiple Presenters 

9:00 am - 10:00 am | Tori
Easy Does It – Safe & Effective Asahi
Asahi - the Nordic Wellness Practice from Finland 

9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Tori
Tori Nordic Fair – FREE and OPEN to the public
Numerous vendors and performers 

9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Edmund Fitzgerald Hall
Muuttoliike! A TINY ART EXHIBITION
Multiple Artists 

10:00 am - 11:30 am | St. Louis River Room
5-String Kantele Workshop
Margaret Vainio 

10:00 am - 10:30 am | LSBR O
ALA Architects – Shaping Public Space in Finland
ALA Architects, Ahti Westphal 

10:00 am - 11:30 am | French River Room
10/11-String Kantele Workshop
Kay Seppala 

10:00 am - 11:00 am | Tori
Steve & Kyle
Steve & Kyle 

10:30 am - 11:30 am | LSBR J
Nordic “Soft Diplomacy” in the 21st Century: A Panel
Ambassador Leena-Kaisa Mikkola and Ross Wilson from Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation 

10:30 am - 11:30 am | LSBR MN
Heritage and Culture: A Roundtable Talk with Nordic American Folk Artists from the Upper Midwest
Multiple Presenters from UW Madison 

10:30 am - 11:30 am | LSBR O
Sauna Lost & Found, Bringing Finnishness to a Global Tradition
Eero Kilpi 

10:30 am - 12:00 pm | Split Rock Room
Birchbark
Duluth Sister Cities 

11:00 am - 12:00 pm | Tori
Ida Metsberg, Singer-Songwriter
Ida Metsberg 

11:00 am - 12:00 pm | lsbr6:LSBR K
Peeks into the Dancing Moominvalley
The Moomins 

11:00 am - 12:00 pm | Gooseberry Falls Room
Traditional Finnish Folk Dance Choreography – Part 1
Kati Arikoski-Johnson 

11:00 am - 12:00 pm | Edmund Fitzgerald Hall
Kisarit – Finnish Folk Dance Performance
Kisarit Finnish American Folkdancers 

11:30 am - 12:30 pm | St. Louis River Room
The Finn I Am
Bill Väänänen 

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Gooseberry Falls Room
Balance Your Body and Mind the Finnish Way: ASAHI
Margaret Vainio, Carol Curtis, Sue Schafer, Debra Wahlberg, and Don Bode 

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Tori
Sámi Joik and Original Music Performance
Nathan Muus and Robert Jones 

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | LSBR MN
A Family Heritage Underfoot: Reconstructing Alma’s Rag Rug
Barb Yarusso 

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | LSBR O
ALA Architects Videos – Shaping Public Space in Finland – Kuopio City Theater and Dipoli
ALA Architects 

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | Split Rock Room
Moomin Films
The Moomins 

1:00 pm - 3:00 pm | lsbr5:LSBR J
Opening Convocation
Multiple Performers 

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | Tori
Lindula Brothers
Lindula Brothers 

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | Edmund Fitzgerald Hall
Combined Dance Performance with the Kisarit Folk Dancers and Kiikurit Folk Dancers
Kisarit & Kiikurit 
 
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm | Gooseberry Falls Room
Traditional Finnish Folk Dance Choreography – Part 2
Kati Arikoski-Johnson 

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm | Tori
Finnish Old Time
Jack Lind Old Time Accordion Music 

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm | LSBR MN
The Scenic Route: Presentation and Book Signing with Arnold Alanen
Arnold Alanen 

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm | LSBR L
Hobby Horsing: Vakavaa Hauskaa! (Serious Fun)
Colette Marie Mclaughlin 

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm | St. Louis River Room
Five Strings, Five Notes
Kay Seppala 

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm | LSBR O
Zero Arctic: Building a Sustainable Future with Lessons from the Past
Marko Huttunen 

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm | Split Rock Room
Finland, Minnesota: History, Culture, Legacy
William Besonen and Isaac Hanson 

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm | Gooseberry Falls Room
Traditional Social Dance Workshop 1
Metku & Friends

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm | Tori
Majority Finn
Majority Finn

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm | Edmund Fitzgerald Hall
Loistavat!
Kivajat Dancers

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm | St. Louis River Room
The Suomi Suite
Bill Väänänen

5:00 pm - 6:30 pm | Edmund Fitzgerald Hall
Traditional Nordic Open Jam Session
Lauluaika & Metku

5:30 pm - 7:30 pm | off-site location
FinnFest Gala Dinner and Award Ceremony
Multiple Presenters

6:00 pm - 9:30 pm | off-site location
Finnish Heritage Night at Duluth Huskies Baseball Game
FFN Young Leaders Board, FinnFest and Duluth Huskies

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm | Gooseberry Falls Room
Lavatanssit: Traditional Finnish Dance Music with Metku and Friends
Metku 

8:00 pm - 10:00 pm | off-site location
The FinnFest Symphony Orchestra Concert
FinnFest Symphony Orchestra

August 2, 2025

9:00 am - 10:00 am | LSBR MN
History of Finns in Florida
Sirpa Aho, Ph.D, and Timo Vainionpää 

9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Tori
PONSSE Harvester Simulator
PONSSE 

9:00 am - 10:00 am | LSBR L
Christian Nationalism in the United States of America and Finland
Jarmo Tarkki

9:00 am - 10:00 am | Split Rock Room
Moomin Films
The Moomins

9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Tori
Finlandia Foundation National Oral History Project
Mirva Johnson/FFN

9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Edmund Fitzgerald Hall
Exhibits and Demonstrations
Multiple Presenters

9:00 am - 10:00 am | Tori
Easy Does It – Safe & Effective Asahi
Asahi® - the Nordic Wellness Practice from Finland 

9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Tori
Tori Nordic Fair – FREE and OPEN to the public
Numerous vendors and performers 

9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Edmund Fitzgerald Hall
Muuttoliike! A TINY ART EXHIBITION
Multiple Artists

10:00 am - 11:00 am | Edmund Fitzgerald Hall
Loistavat!
Kivajat Dancers

10:00 am - 11:00 am | LSBR K
Urho & The Grasshoppers (rehearsal / performers only)
Bill Väänänen 

10:00 am - 11:00 am | Tori
The Northern Stars Sami Girls
The Northern Stars Sami Girls

10:00 am - 11:30 am | St. Louis River Room
Choir Workshop: Sing with us! Finnish International Choir
Finnish International Choir

10:30 am - 11:30 am | LSBR L
The War in Ukraine and the Russian Orthodox Church. Why does the Patriarch support Putin’s Invasion?
Kimmo Kääriäinen

10:30 am - 11:30 am | LSBR O
Tampa to Tapio – Moving to Finland and Building a Life Above the Arctic Circle
Debra Ogston

10:30 am - 11:30 am | LSBR J
Collaborative Curiosity and Fulbright Finland: Diplomacy, Leadership, Innovation and Wellbeing
Ambassador Leena-Kaisa Mikkola, Edward Sivak, Mia Filardi, Joseph Zinno, Bethany McGowan

10:30 am - 11:30 am | LSBR MN
Sauna Sherpa Tours Finland, Scandinavia and the Baltics
Kimmo Raitio

10:30 am - 11:30 am | LSBR MN
A Floridian Perspective, Significant Role of Finns in Development of the State of Florida
Timo Vainionpää, Armi Sturges, Daniel Benson, MS, LNHA, and Tiina Rogers

11:00 am - 12:00 pm | Edmund Fitzgerald Hall
Kisarit – Finnish Folk Dance Performance
Kisarit Finnish American Folkdancers 

11:00 am - 11:30 am | Tori
Sámi Joik and Original Music Performance
Nathan Muus and Briand Morrison 

11:30 am - 1:00 pm | Split Rock Room
Birchbark
Duluth Sister Cities

11:30 am - 12:00 pm | Tori
Finnish International Choir Performance
Finnish International Choir

11:30 am - 12:00 pm | LSBR K
Urho & The Grasshoppers (performance)
Bill Väänänen and children

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Tori
Marimekko Fashion Show With a Twist
Finlandia Foundation National, Phyllis Fredendall and Kirsten Aune

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Edmund Fitzgerald Hall
The Scenic Route: Book Signing with Arnold Alanen
Arnold Alanen

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Gooseberry Falls Room
Balance Your Body and Mind the Finnish Way: ASAHI
Margaret Vainio, Carol Curtis, Sue Schafer, Debra Wahlberg, and Don Bode

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | lsbr6:LSBR K
Peeks into the Dancing Moominvalley
The Moomins

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | Edmund Fitzgerald Hall
Salolampi Singalong
Salolampi Singers

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | Edmund Fitzgerald Hall
“Runic Alphabet Bingo” for the whole family
Loraine Jensen

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | St. Louis River Room
Finnish Piano Music: A Portrait In Sound
Kati Eriikka Arikoski-Johnson

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | Split Rock Room
Finland, Minnesota: History, Culture, Legacy
William Besonen and Isaac Hanson

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | Tori
Steve Solkela’s “Overpopulated” One-Man Band
Steve Solkela

1:00 pm - 3:00 pm | Gooseberry Falls Room
Finnish Dance Workshop with Kisarit Folk Dancers
Kisarit Finnish American Folkdancers

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | LSBR O
Storytelling in Unprecedented Times Inspired by the Kalevala
Lisa Fitzpatrick

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | LSBR MN
Exploring the History of St. Croix Avenue
Lakehead (Jarvenpaa) Chapter No. 1 – MFAHS 

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm | Edmund Fitzgerald Hall
Mun kanteleeni kauniimmin
FinnFest Kantele Tähdet

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm | Tori
Ida Metsberg, singer-songwriter
Ida Metsberg 

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm | LSBR J
Finland in the 21 st Century World: Fireside Chat
Ambassador Leena-Kaisa Mikkola, Phil Hansen and Tom Hanson

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm | LSBR L
Runes and Runic Inscriptions in the Viking Age and Beyond
Loraine Jensen

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm | French River Room
Wild Power and Luminous Song – The Way She Told Her Story
Diane Jarvi 

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm | LSBR MN
Heritage and Culture: A Roundtable Talk with Nordic American Folk Artists from the Upper Midwest
Alan Anderson, Mary Erickson, Taylor Johnson and Karen Keenan

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm | St. Louis River Room
Finnish American Dance Tunes Reawakened
The Northern Stars Sami Girls 

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm | Tori
One Weary Traveler: A Tribute to Egotrippi
Kyle Gray Young

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm | French River Room
Finnish-American Writers Showcase
Multiple Presenters

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm | Tori
Bill Väänänen – Songs and Sing-Alongs
Bill Väänänen

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm | Edmund Fitzgerald Hall
Finnish and Finnish American folk music
Lauluaika

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm | off-site location
Finnish International Choir: Songs and Stories of the Heart
Finnish International Choir

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm | Gooseberry Falls Room
Traditional Social Dance Workshop 2
Lauluaika & Friends

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm | Gooseberry Falls Room
Traditional Finnish Lavatanssit
Lauluaika & Friends

August 3, 2025

8:00 am - 10:00 am | Tours
St. Croix Avenue Walking Tour
Jarvenpaa (Lakehead) Chapter No. 1 of the Minnesota Finnish-American Historical Society 

9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Tori
Tori Nordic Fair – FREE and OPEN to the public
Numerous vendors and performers

9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Tori
PONSSE Harvester Simulator
PONSSE

9:00 am - 10:00 am | LSBR MN
Sauna Lost & Found, Bringing Finnishness to a Global Tradition
Eero Kilpi

9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Tori
Finlandia Foundation National Oral History Project
Mirva Johnson/FFN

9:00 am - 10:00 am | LSBR O
The Gift of Cultural Exchange: The Rudy Johnson Memorial Sámi Collection
Chelsey Miller

9:00 am - 10:00 am | LSBR L
Rugs, Raanu, and Rya: The Legacy of Finnish Weaving
Lisa-Anne Bauch

9:00 am - 10:00 am | Tori
Easy Does It – Safe & Effective Asahi
Asahi® - the Nordic Wellness Practice from Finland

9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Edmund Fitzgerald Hall
Exhibits and Demonstrations
Multiple Presenters

9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Edmund Fitzgerald Hall
Muuttoliike! A TINY ART EXHIBITION
Multiple Artists

10:00 am - 11:00 am | Split Rock Room
Moomin Films
The Moomins 

10:00 am - 11:00 am | Tori
Heikin Laulukirja
Heikki Mäenpää 

10:00 am - 11:00 am | off-site location
Ecumenical Church Service with Finnish International Choir
Jarmo Tarkki, Kimmo Kääriäinen, Finnish International Choir

10:30 am - 11:30 am | LSBR L
A Family Heritage Underfoot: Reconstructing Alma’s Rag Rug
Barb Yarusso

10:30 am - 11:30 am | LSBR O
Tampa to Tapio – Moving to Finland and Building a Life Above the Arctic Circle
Debra Ogston

11:00 am - 12:00 pm | Split Rock Room
Finland, Minnesota: History, Culture, Legacy
William Besonen and Isaac Hanson

11:00 am - 12:00 pm | Tori
Nordic Neighbors
Tre Björnar

11:00 am - 12:00 pm | St. Louis River Room
Women’s Voices Then & Now
Mimmi Fulmer

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Gooseberry Falls Room
Balance Your Body and Mind the Finnish Way: ASAHI
Margaret Vainio, Carol Curtis, Sue Schafer, Debra Wahlberg, and Don Bode

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | St. Louis River Room
Kantele Music and Tradition: Songs of Finland
Sheila Coughlin

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Tori
A Musical Journey Around the World
Charlotte Loukola

12:30 pm - 2:00 pm | Split Rock Room
Birchbark
Duluth Sister Cities

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | Edmund Fitzgerald Hall
Happy Himmeli Returns: Explore a Nordic Craft Revival for Children
Alison Aune

1:00 pm - 4:00 pm | Gooseberry Falls Room
Mini-Salolampi-Finnish Language and Culture Afternoon
Tiina Watts and Susan Harstad

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | St. Louis River Room
Fishbone-Kantele, Vaski-kantele, Jouhi-kantele
Alice Margerum

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | Edmund Fitzgerald Hall
Family Fun Finnish Trivia
Molly Tynjala, Anna Laine

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | LSBR O
Putting Up the Lavvu: A North American Sami Tale
Marlene Wisuri 

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | lsbr6:LSBR K
Peeks into the Dancing Moominvalley
The Moomins

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | Tori
Kristie Cunningham
Kristie Cunningham

2:00 pm - 2:30 pm | St. Louis River Room
Harmonizing Identities: The True Story of a Transgender Nyckelharpist in 1700s Åland to Sweden
Renee Vaughan

 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm | Tori
The Northern Stars Sami Girls
The Northern Stars Sami Girls

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm | LSBR L
Paavo Nurmi: The Greatest Runner of All Time
Kalle Virtapohja, Jari Salonen and Anne-Mari Paster

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm | Tori
Majority Finn
Majority Finn

3:00 pm - 3:30 pm | St. Louis River Room
You Appropriated What?? Finnish Music On The Hardanger Fiddle
Sarah Pradt

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm | Tori
FinnFest Grand Finale
FinnFest USA

Date: July 31 - August 3, 2025

Location: Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, 350 Harbor Drive, Duluth, MN 55802

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