Heikinpäivä

Heikinpäivä Heikinpäivä - A Mid-Winter Finnish-American Festival in Michigan's Copper Country

In the early 1980s, the Hancock City Council appointed 12 residents to the city’s new Finnish Theme Committee, a group that was directed to preserve Finnish heritage and utilize Finnish themes for community development. The committee worked to develop a sister-city relationship with Porvoo, Finland, display Finnish flags and bilingual street signs along the city’s main street, gave recreational ar

eas new Finnish names and encouraged businesses to adopt a Finnish flavor. These endeavors were the committee’s primary tangible efforts until 1999, when the group created Heikinpäivä, a mid-winter celebration of ethnic identity. Since its inception, the festival has grown into one of the region’s largest winter events. Each year features a wide variety of Finnish crafts, food and entertainment and draws attendance from throughout the Midwest. Along with the planning and execution of Heikinpäivä each winter, several committee members are working to promote Finnish culture in the area. One committee member teaches a youth folk-dance class, another is a second-grade teacher who includes a section about Finland in each year’s lesson plan. Each of these groups show what they’ve learned to the community during Heikinpäivä each year. At the conclusion of Heikinpäivä 2006, the committee announced its affiliation with Finlandia Foundation, becoming the City of Hancock’s Finnish Theme Committee – Finlandia Foundation Copper Country chapter.

01/22/2026

Heikki Lunta's throwing us a curve so check out which events are cancelled or postponed. They presently include:
Calumet Theater - Club Finndigo - to be rescheduled
Polar Plunge - rescheduled for 7 February
Heikinpäivä Snowshoe! at Maasto Hiihto - cancelled

Stay tuned for more details! In the meanwhile, the Keweenaw Co-op is and will be opened, and they are running a special menu for Heikinpäivä weekend.

Saturday 1/24/2026
Menu
Smoked Salmon Sandwich kylmäsavulohileipä
Cabbage Soup Kaalikeitto Free Rye roll if you mention Heikinpäivä
Nisu Cinnamon Cardamom Roll
Cardamom Coffee kardemummakahvi
Kids Ham and Cheese lasten kinkku-juustoleipä
PBJ Lingonberry and Fresh Ground Peanut Butter maapähkinävoi ja hillo
Pasty Cornish Piirakka

Sampling 10-4
Juustoa Tasting
Kiska Sausage
Sauna Makkara Sausage
Lingonberry Jam
Sauna Waters 3 flavors

Alcohol Sampling 12-2
Long Drinks: Traditional Mix w/NA Gin and RTD Canned Long Drinks

All Day
Kids coloring sheets. And mini snowmen building. (this is under development).

Sunday 1/25/2026
Sampling 10-4
Juustoa Tasting
Kiska Sausage
Sauna Makkara Sausage
Lingonberry Jam
Sauna Waters 3 flavors

All Day
Kids coloring sheets.

Heikinpäivä is coming soon, but the fun has already begun. Check out these opportunities.
01/04/2026

Heikinpäivä is coming soon, but the fun has already begun. Check out these opportunities.

11/06/2025
09/16/2025
Heikinpäivä 2026 is slated for 24 January. This coming year the festival will take on dimensions of Finno-Ugric heritag...
07/25/2025

Heikinpäivä 2026 is slated for 24 January. This coming year the festival will take on dimensions of Finno-Ugric heritage as we celebrate Hancock, Michigan - the Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture 2026!

At our annual potluck gathering Visit Keweenaw awarded CCF&F with the proceeds from Juhannus 2025. Suurimmat kiitokset! This very generous gift sets the basis for our Juhannus 2026 celebration of Hancock, Michigan - Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture 2026. Plan to join the fun throughout the year, but in particular 18-21 June! Stay tuned for more information, but we are inviting Finno-Ugric presenters, artists, musicians, folk demonstrators and the like to submit proposals.

Midsummer fun in the City of Hancock during Juhannus!
06/03/2025

Midsummer fun in the City of Hancock during Juhannus!

The public is invited to a presentation by Oliver Loode of the Uralic Centre for Indigenous Peoples (Tallinn, Estonia). ...
04/28/2025

The public is invited to a presentation by Oliver Loode of the Uralic Centre for Indigenous Peoples (Tallinn, Estonia). Loode is visiting the area to promote his organization and create dialogue with the community regarding application for the designation as a Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture. If awarded, Hancock would be the first North American community with that designation.

Loode is a leading member of the Uralic Center (Tallinn, Estonia) and the creator of the Finno-Ugric Capitals of Culture program. He recognizes that Hancock is the hub of Finnish American history and culture, which includes Finns, Saami, Kvens (Finnish speakers from Arctic Norway), Karelians, Estonians and Hungarians. He hopes to meet as many residents as possible, regardless of ethnic background, but is interested in community development.

Loode, a graduate of Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, has been involved numerous ethnic and indigenous peoples’ programs, and has been an Expert Member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), and has been the Head of Cultural Programmes at the Minority Rights Group International. Loode’s professional career includes tourism development and marketing consultant, focusing on cultural tourism and place marketing.

The program is free and open to the public. Loode’s presentation will be followed by Q&A. The event is sponsored by the Copper Country Finns & Friends and the Finnish American Heritage Center.

It's been a while since Heikinpäivä but the good memories go on. Thanks to Minea Herwitz of Finlandia Foundation we hav...
03/14/2025

It's been a while since Heikinpäivä but the good memories go on. Thanks to Minea Herwitz of Finlandia Foundation we have these great photos to remind us.

Photo collection by Finlandia Foundation National

Address

435 Quincy Street
Hancock, MI
49930

Telephone

(906) 487-7459

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