Have passport, will travel.
I have known since last fall that FinnFest 2018 would be held in Tampere, Finland. In fact, knowing this spurred me to acquire a USA passport.
Now, I have learned the dates: June 24-July 1.
The following note is posted on the FinnFest USA Facebook page:
It’s happening! FinnFest in Tampere June 24-July 1, 2018!
We are putting the final plans together with an exceptional program. There will be current and historical context, local tours and day trips, comfortable lodging, singing, dancing, pulla and sauna!
Registration will be up on the website with more information soon!
Photo courtesy of Visit Finland.
Tampere was selected to be the site of this event as it was the location of one of the key 1918 battles in the Civil War between the White Finns and Red Finns (Communists). Fortunately, the Whites won, thus avoiding Finland slipping into the sphere of influence of the emerging Soviet Union.
Wikipedia has a concise article on the Finnish Civil War.
As a side note, Tampere is about four hours drive from my paternal grandparents’ village of Vesanto. The town website is in Finnish, but since I use Google Chrome as my browser, it was automatically translated into English.
I have already been contacted by cousins in Finland wanting more details of when and where, etc.
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