{{Short description|Annual festival in North America celebrating Finnish culture}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2021}} {{primary sources|date=August 2024}} {{Infobox recurring event | name = FinnFest USA | logo = FinnFest_USA_logo.png | logo_alt = FinnFest logo, a blue circle with FinnFest and a Nordic cross, both in white | logo_caption = Official logo | logo_size = 200px | status = Active | genre = Festival | frequency = Annually | years_active = {{Age|1983|08|04}} | first = {{Start date|1983|08|04}} | last = September 19-22, 2019 | participants = 2,000–7,000<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.finnstyle.com/finnfest.html|title=FinnFest 2019|website=FinnStyle|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126073904if_/https://www.finnstyle.com/finnfest.html|archive-date=2021-11-26|url-status=live|access-date=2021-11-26|language=en|df=mdy-all}}</ref> | area = North America | website = {{Official website}} | footnotes = }} '''FinnFest USA''' is an annual festival, typically held in the summer, in locations throughout the United States of America. Aiming to celebrate Finland, Finnish America, and Finnish culture, the festival is organized by a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a national office maintained by its president, located presently in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The inaugural festival was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1983 with approximately 1,000 people attending. Subsequent festivals have taken place in locations throughout the country, typically hosted by communities with connections to Finnish-American cultural history. Attendance has varied from 2,000 to 7,000, depending on the location. Many attendants, performers and lecturers also include visitors from Finland. Festival events include lectures, classes, concerts, films, theatrical performances, dances, exhibitions and ceremonies. The festivals are financed by registration fees, event tickets, raffles, and many forms of donation and sponsorship.
2020 and 2021 being held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2023 festival was held in Duluth, Minnesota.
== Past sites == * 1983: '''Leamington Hotel''' & '''Loring Park''' (Minneapolis) * 1984: '''Fitchburg State University''' (Fitchburg, Massachusetts) * 1985: '''Finlandia University''' (Hancock, Michigan) * 1986: '''University of California, Berkeley''' (Berkeley, California) * 1987: '''Schoolcraft College''' (Livonia, Michigan) * 1988: '''University of Delaware''' (Newark, Delaware) * 1989: '''University of Washington''' (Seattle) * 1990: '''Finlandia University''' (Hancock, Michigan) * 1991: '''Bryant Park''' (Lake Worth Beach, Florida) * 1992: '''University of Minnesota Duluth''' (Duluth, Minnesota) * 1993: '''California Lutheran University''' (Thousand Oaks, California) * 1994: '''Northern Illinois University''' (DeKalb, Illinois) * 1995: '''Lewis & Clark College''' (Portland, Oregon) * 1996: '''Northern Michigan University''' (Marquette, Michigan) * 1997: '''All Seasons Arena''' (Minot, North Dakota) * 1998: '''University of Southern Maine''' (Gorham, Maine) * 1999: '''University of Washington''' (Seattle) * 2000: '''Mel Lastman Square''' (Toronto) * 2001: '''Villanova University''' (Philadelphia) * 2002: '''University of Minnesota''' (Minneapolis) * 2004: '''Bryant Park''' (Lake Worth Beach, Florida) * 2005: '''Northern Michigan University''' (Marquette, Michigan) * 2006: '''Astoria/Naselle High Schools''' (Astoria, Oregon/Naselle, Washington) * 2007: '''Kent State University at Ashtabula''' (Ashtabula, Ohio) * 2008: '''Duluth Entertainment Convention Center''' (Duluth, Minnesota) * 2009: '''Holland America''' '''MS ''Westerdam''''' (Alaskan Inside Passage cruise) * 2010: '''GFL Memorial Gardens''' (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario) * 2011: '''Town and Country Resort Convention Center''' (San Diego) * 2012: '''DoubleTree - Reid Park''' (Tucson, Arizona)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tucson, AZ - November 8-11, 2012|url=http://www.2012finnfestusa.org/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218212237if_/http://www.2012finnfestusa.org/|archive-date=2014-12-18|access-date=2021-11-25|website=FinnFest USA 2012|language=en|df=mdy-all}}</ref> * 2013: '''Michigan Technological University''' & '''Finlandia University''' (Houghton/Hancock, Michigan)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.finnfestusa2013.org/|title=Home|website=FinnFest USA 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111205010225/http://finnfestusa2013.org/|archive-date=2011-12-05|url-status=usurped|access-date=2021-11-26|language=en|df=mdy-all}}</ref> * 2014: '''Hyatt Regency Conference Center''' (Minneapolis, Minnesota)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.finnfestusa2014.org/|title=The Annual Finnish American Festival|website=FinnFest USA 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108134103if_/http://www.finnfestusa2014.org/|archive-date=2021-01-08|url-status=dead|access-date=2017-05-22|language=en|df=mdy-all}}</ref> * 2015: '''Kleinhans Music Hall''' (Buffalo, New York)<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-06-30|title=FinnFest USA 2015|url=https://www.buffalo.edu/cai/create-art-in-buffalo/residency-planning.host.html/content/shared/www/cai/ub-art/artists-in-residence/past-artists-in-residence/finnfest2015.detail.html|website=Creative Arts Initiative|publisher=University at Buffalo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126054456if_/http://www.buffalo.edu/cai/create-art-in-buffalo/residency-planning.host.html/content/shared/www/cai/ub-art/artists-in-residence/past-artists-in-residence/finnfest2015.detail.html|archive-date=2021-11-26|url-status=live|access-date=2021-11-26|language=en|df=mdy-all}}</ref> * 2016: '''Holland America''' '''MS ''Veendam''''' (Saint Lawrence Seaway cruise) * 2017: '''Hilton Minneapolis''', '''Minnesota Orchestral Hall''' & '''American Swedish Institute''' (Minneapolis)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://finnfest.us/festival-2017/|title=FinnFest USA 2017|website=FinnFest USA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929130336if_/https://finnfest.us/festival-2017/|archive-date=2017-09-29|url-status=dead|access-date=2017-05-22|language=en|df=mdy-all}}</ref> * 2018: '''University of Tampere''' (Tampere)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://finnfest.us/about-us/history/festival_2018/|title=FinnFest USA 2018|website=FinnFest USA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407230403if_/https://finnfest.us/about-us/history/festival_2018/|archive-date=2019-04-07|url-status=dead|access-date=2019-04-07|language=en|df=mdy-all}}</ref> * 2019: '''Sheraton Detroit Novi''' (Detroit)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://finnfest.us/finnfest-2019/|title=FinnFest USA 2019|website=FinnFest USA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407222402if_/https://finnfest.us/finnfest-2019/|archive-date=2019-04-07|url-status=dead|access-date=2019-04-07|language=en|df=mdy-all}}</ref> * 2023: '''Duluth Entertainment Convention Center''' (Duluth, Minnesota)<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-25|title=June 2021 Newsletter - FinnFest USA In-Person Festivals Return|url=https://finnfest.us/blog/2021/08/25/finnfest-usa-in-person-festivals-return|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126042859if_/https://finnfest.us/blog/2021/08/25/finnfest-usa-in-person-festivals-return|archive-date=2021-11-26|access-date=2021-11-26|website=FinnFest USA|language=en|df=mdy-all}}</ref> * 2024: '''Duluth Entertainment Convention Center''' (Duluth, Minnesota)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-16 |title=FinnFest 2024 |url=https://folklife.wisc.edu/event/finnfest-2024/ |access-date=2026-05-10 |website=Nordic Folklife |language=en-US}}</ref> * 2025: '''Duluth Entertainment Convention Center''' (Duluth, Minnesota)<ref>{{Cite web |title=FinnFest USA 2025 {{!}} Visit Duluth |url=https://visitduluth.com/event/finnfest/2025-07-31/,%20https://visitduluth.com/event/finnfest/2025-07-31/ |access-date=2026-05-10 |language=en-US}}</ref> * 2026: '''Hilton Minneapolis''' (Minneapolis, Minnesota)<ref>{{Cite web |title=FinnFest 2026 |url=https://www.minneapolis.org/finnfest2026/ |access-date=2026-05-10 |website=Meet Minneapolis |language=en-US}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official website}} * [https://archives.lib.umn.edu/repositories/6/resources/5109 FinnFest USA Collection], ''Immigration History Research Center Archives'' (University of Minnesota)
Category:Cultural festivals in the United States Category:Finnish-American culture Category:Finnish-American culture in Minnesota