The Sauna Expo on the Quincy Green will look a bit like Heikinpäivä's setup. (City of Hancock)
THE KEWEENAW — Relax and free your mind with a Finnish tradition dating back 2,000+ years. Sauna culture still burns strong in the Keweenaw today. The Finnish do it best, their Sisu culture is known for inventing a sauna documented in writing as early as 1112.
To commemorate the beloved tradition and to honor the culture of the Keweenaw – participate in National Sauna Week in February. The week-long celebration was declared by the Finlandia Foundation and serves to raise awareness of the tradition and Finnish Culture as a whole. The Foundation is currently investing to preserve cultural assets previously held by Finlandia University (Suomi College) in Hancock.
National Sauna Week in the Keweenaw (Feb. 18-25)
Schedule of Events:
Sauna Week Exhibits: (Feb. 18-23, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily at Finnish American Heritage Center) See sauna week art poster exhibits, featuring Calumet Debbie Paver’s winning poster. Learn about sauna culture and history through stories and see a Finnish log-building exhibit. Copper Island Academy third graders will also submit Sauna Week projects to be displayed at the Heritage Center. They interviewed grandparents and elders about sauna and sauna traditions.
Sauna Stories: (Feb. 19-23 on Hancock Quincy Green) These will be recorded in a fun style by 2nd Sandbar Productions. The oral history project from the Finnish Theme Committee invites the public to share their most memorable sauna memories inside a Copper Country Sauna! Recordings will take place throughout the week in 15-20 minute slots. The recordings will be available and archived at the Finnish American Heritage Center. Sign up for a slot and check out the event details online.
Sauna Forum: (Feb. 24 @ 10 a.m. @ Finnish American Heritage Center) A public forum to discuss the possibilities of a public sauna in the area. Inspired by the “new” public saunas going up in Finland, the idea has been raised here. National Sauna Week is a good time to talk about the possibilities of more public saunas in the Keweenaw. The forum is free and open to the public and hosted by the Finnish Theme Committee of Hancock and the Finnish American Chamber of Commerce – Upper Peninsula Chapter
Sauna Expo: (Feb. 24 @ 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Hancock Quincy Green) Enjoy several locally crafted saunas on display in Downtown Hancock. The saunas are supplied by local sauna manufacturers and high school shop classes. Builders will be on-site to answer any questions and facilitate sauna viewing.
Copper Country Sauna Tour: ( Sunday - 25 Feb): The Sauna Tour features five area saunas, including a newly built log sauna, a century-old sauna, and a sauna with a spring-feed dipping barrel. Ticket holders can visit each sauna, visit with the owners, and learn the distinctive features of each sauna on Sunday, February 25th between the hours of 1 pm to 5 pm. Proceeds for the Sauna Tour help fund Finnish Theme Committee programming. Tickets are available at North Wind Books and during the Sauna Forum & Expo on Saturday, 24 February, or by emailing FinnishTheme@gmail.com
Adventure north this February and test your Sisu spirit! Find the perfect sauna for you at Mount Bohemia Ski Resort, Superior Steam, or someone’s homemade creation on the Copper Country Sauna Tour. Fill the Sauna Expo at the Quincy Green and enjoy locally made Keweenaw saunas sure to sweat you out. Make sure to drink lots of water!