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Heikinpäivä is well under way and the city of Hancock is making preparations for a weekend full of winter fun as the signature events are scheduled for tomorrow.
The list of activities for this weekend includes a downtown parade, kicksled races, the wife carrying contest and several other unique activities to take place on the Quincy Green.
The festival has been a Keweenaw tradition since 1999 and people come from all over every year.
“Heikinpäivä is definitely a family festival and being Finnish is not a requirement because anyone can enjoy the culture whether you grew up in it or not. It’s a great way to make the best of winter rather than to let winter get the best of you,” said David Maki, Chairman of the Finnish Theme Committee of Hancock, the founding organization behind the festival, who encourages everyone to come out and enjoy the celebration.
The weekend activities include a concert tonight with artist Jonathon Rundman at the Chapel of St. Mathew. “We’re very blessed to have someone of his caliber interested and eager to be a part of our festival as well,” said Maki.
Finnish intern Mika Tompuri is anticipating the iconic weekend and says that the unique celebration is unlike anything he’s ever seen in Finland. Tompuri said, “Just being part of the parade, wearing a national costume is something I don’t do back home ever, really, so it’s going to be pretty exciting to see what all happens here in Hancock because Heikinpäivä is not a big thing in Finland. Here, it’s a special thing to have Finnish heritage.”
Saturday’s parade begins at 11:00 am, followed by an afternoon full of events including the Polar Bear Dive on the Portage Canal.
A full schedule can be found at www.finnishamericanreporter.com.
