Don’t forget to order your tickets to a performance for Finlandia Foundation National Performer of the Year, Eeppi Ursin, at Nordia House, November 5th at 7pm.
https://www.nordicnorthwest.org/eeppi
Ismo Leikola coming to Nordia House. Mark your calendars! November 25, 2022 from 7pm – 8pm, doors open at 6pm. The link to register for advance tickets will be live on Thursday for advance sales to NNW members before being released to the general public.
https://www.nordicnorthwest.org/ismo
The Seattle Finnish Bazaar
After a two year hiatus due to Covid concerns, the Finnish American Heritage Committee invites one and all to the Annual Finnish Bazaar and Joulumarkkinat on November 12, 2022 at the Swedish Club in Seattle.
The Bazaar is a wonderful meeting place for all Finnish organizations, vendors, and lovers of Suomi culture. We will be sharing Finnish and Scandinavian related food, treats, gifts, music and dance, and we sincerely hope that you will be part of the celebration!.
The 2022 Finnish Bazaar is scheduled for 10 am to 3 pm on Saturday, November 12, at the Swedish Club, 1920 Dexter Ave. N., Seattle WA, 98109. Parking and admission are free, along with complimentary coffee.
We hope that you will join the Annual Finnish Bazaar/Joulumarkkinat as we celebrate Finnish community and culture in the Northwest!
Finnish American Heritage Committee
Finnish Genealogy Webinar
“Finding Your Roots in Finland” hosted by Arto Saarinen.
Saturday, December 11th, 2021 at 12 noon. Hosted via Zoom.
The event will be a Zoom lecture and Q&A session given by Mr. Arto Saarinen, Board member of the Finnish-American Society of the Midwest (Illinois).
Mr. Arto Saarinen has become an expert in researching family trees, first his own and then for many others. He will discuss how to use genealogy sites on the web to trace your roots in Finland. His presentation will include a case study showing how much you can do when all you know is an ancestor’s name, birthdate and place.
This event is co-organized by Finlandia Foundation Columbia-Pacific Chapter (FFCPC), Portland OR, and Appelo Archives Center, Naselle WA.
Please RSVP to finlandiafoundationcpc@gmail.com
Inaugural Nordic NW KUBB Tournament
Saturday afternoon ten teams competed in the Nordic NW Inaugural KUBB Tournament. Once again the aces Jacin Harter and Jake Mottern took top honors and are proudly holding the “Nordic KUBB Challenge Cup Trophy” made possible by the sponsorship of Nielsen’s Jewelers. Jacin and Jake’s names will be displayed on “tags” mounted on a separate board, and future winners’ names as well. The “Saucy Jespers” (Kristin McAuley and Ned Hayes) took Second place. Third place went to Dave Alford and Ray Wikman. The other Finnish team (Karin and Greg) competed and had fun along with everyone else. A big thank you to Dave for organizing the event and to FFCPC for sponsoring the three wooden KUBB trophies to the top three finishers. There was a post tournament barbecue on the Fogelbo grounds, and our thanks to Kristi Gustafson for providing the hamburgers, buns, and tomatoes, onions, etc to garnish the burgers. Ross was present to draw the door prizes.
Finnic 2021 enjoyed by all
“Finnic” takes place in August at the historic ax hewn Finnish log cabin built by Eric Lindgren in the 1920s. The cabin is at Cullaby Lake between Seaside and Astoria off Hwy 101. The event is open to all members of FFCPC, and we invite the Finnish community in the Astoria/Naselle area, as well. Salmon and hot dogs were served, beverages were provided, and people who attended brought a salad or dessert. Before the noon picnic there is a fun walk/run of 1.5 miles around the park grounds. After eating and socializing people gathered for the presentation of the Sauna Bucket Award given to a deserving Finn who has promoted Finnish culture.
Karl Marlantes and Liisa Penner were awarded the esteemed “Sauna Bucket Award” at this years “Finnic,” hosted by FFCPC and organized each year by Andrea Tolonen. The first picture is Karl Marlantes getting the “Sauna Bucket Award” for 2020 from Andrea, a board member of FFCPC (his award was delayed a year because of Covid).
Karl, as you know, is the author of Matternhorn, his debut novel regarded as a modern classic of war literature based on his experience in Vietnam, and Deep River, an epic work about the shifting fortunes of three Finnish siblings struggling to make a living in the early twentieth century in the Naselle/Astoria area.
The second picture is of Liisa Penner getting the award for 2021.
Liisa, born in Finland, is the archivist for the Clatsop County Historical Society. She has done so much over the years in preserving Finnish History in the Oregon and Southern Washington area and has contributed many articles to Cumtux, the quarterly publication of the Clatsop Historical Society.
Easter Family Event and Egg Hunt
Saturday, April 16th from 10am-1pm at Fogelbo Grounds next to Nordia House.
Parents, grandparents, and friends can enjoy coffee and pastries while kids make crafts and go egg hunting. Bring your lawn chairs and/or blankets. KUBB and some Finnish lawn games will be played as well. Register for this FREE event at the Nordic Northwest website, Upcoming Events. The event will be posted soon, so please register early, so we know how many to prepare for.
https://www.nordicnorthwest.org/upcoming-events
Vappu Celebration
Saturday April 30th from 12-4pm we will be gathering at Fogelbo again. This time to celebrate Vappu, the Finnish way. It will be a family event with games and activities for children and adults alike. We will serve complimentary Vappu food with makkara, perunasalaatti, sima, tippaleipa, and munkki.
No-host bar will be available with wine, beer, and hopefully sparkling as well as sodas and waters.
Finnish Independence Day at Nordia House
On Monday, December 6th at 7:30pm, The Finnish Messiah Lutheran Church (MLC) will be hosting an Independence Day Concert featuring vocalist Marja Liisa Kay. FFCPC is partnering with MLC to bring you this performance. We hope to see you there. There will be no admission charge, but a donation will be greatly appreciated. The schedule and information for that evening can be found here:
Finland’s 104th Independence Day Concert and Celebration
Finding Your Roots in Finland
Finnish Genealogy Webinar hosted by Arto Saarinen
Date: Saturday December 11, 2021 @ 12 noon.
Appelo Archives to host a Finnish opera
Appelo Archives is hosting a performance on Saturday, July 24th at 1pm in Naselle. Tickets go on sale July 1st.
Finnic 2021
Come join us at the Lindgren Cabin for Finnic 2021 on August 7th at noon. The fun run will begin at 11:30am. Salmon and potato salad will be served.
Friday Night Lecture Series
Growing up in Finland
Vesa Vihavainen shares his experience of growing up in Finland. Register online at Nordic Northwest . Seating is limited to 50, so register early. October 2nd, 2020 7:30pm at Nordia House, 8800 SW Oleson Rd, Portland.
Finlandia Foundation National meeting Oct 1st – 4th
Our board had a busy weekend. On Friday we hosted a reception at Ross Fogelquist’s house for several members of Finlandia Foundation National. They were in an all day meeting at the Nordic Northwest, and at 5 pm they arrived at Ross’ for food and beverage. Those attending from FFN were Anne-Mari Paster, President of FFN (Lexington, Massachusetts) ; Tim Nurvala, FFN Trustee (Philadelphia); Maria Kizirian, FFN Executive Assistant to the Trustees (Los Angeles); Sabrina Linnala, Finnish friend of Maria’s (Seattle); Katariina Lehtonen, FFN Trustee and FFCPC member (Lake Oswego); Dirk Schulbach, FFN Treasurer and Trustee; Member of FFCPC and Finnish Brotherhood (Portland, OR). Volunteers who made the reception a memorable experience for FFN were Katja Erringer, Karin Lahti, Dave Alford, Ray Wikman, and Jim Rinta. Two of our board members, Anu Erringer and Elizabeth Newton, spent hours preparing wonderful finger food (as you see below), and we even offered Sisu beer from the Times Theatre and Public House where several varieties are brewed. The Public House is located on the corner of 2nd and Broadway in Seaside. Ross gave the FFN trustees a tour of his Steiner built Fogelbo House, which is now on the National Register for historic places.
More reception photos here: FFN Reception 2020
On Saturday, FFN toured the Lindgren Cabin at Cullaby Lake.
The week before volunteers showed up to the cabin for a work party. The cabin looks amazing!
Vappu Celebration at Fogelbo April 26th, 2020
Come and join us on the Fogelbo grounds at Nordic Northwest on Sunday April 26th, 4-7pm, for a day of celebration (think spring). In Finland, it is known as Vappu, in Sweden Valborg’s Mass Eve, and in Germany it’s Walpurgisnacht.
Finlandia Foundation Columbia-Pacific Chapter and New Sweden will provide complimentary hot dogs, sima (think of mead), doughnuts (munkki), and coffee. Wine and beer will be available for purchase. There will be childrens games, adult games, a tug of war between the Swedes and Finns, and a sing-a-long beside the traditional fire, albeit a fairly small one. It will be a laid back time to socialize and have fun. Rain or shine, we will be there. We hope you and your family will join us!
Finnish Celebration Cake and Foodways April 14th, 2020 6:30pm at Nordia House
In celebration of Nordia House’s June 2020 five-year birthday, a special Cook and Eat class will be led by Finlandia Foundation National’s Lecturers of the Year, food experts Soile Anderson and Eleanor Ostman. Soile is a renowned Minnesota caterer and Eleanor is a long-time food writer for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. This class is generously co-sponsored by Finlandia Foundation National, Finlandia Foundation Columbia-Pacific Chapter and Nordic Northwest.
For details click here: Finnish Celebration Cake
Membership Event, Meet and Greet – Nov 9th, 2019 at Fogelbo. The board of Finlandia Foundation Columbia-Pacific Chapter invites you to a social hour at Ross Fogelquist’s house on the grounds of Nordic Northwest. We will provide hors d’oeuvres and assorted drinks from wine to coffee. The address is: 8740 SW Oleson Road, Portland.
Pianist Ruusamari Teppo performs Dec 6, 2019 at Nordia House. Portland, Oregon, November 4, 2019 – Finnish pianist Ruusamari (Rosa)Teppo, great great granddaughter of composer Jean Sibelius, will give a concert as part of the Finland Independence Day celebration on December 6, 2019 from 7-9pm at Nordia House, 8800 SW Oleson Road, Portland, Oregon. This is a free event, donations are appreciated. Suggested donation is $20. Finlandia Foundation Columbia-Pacific Chapter is sponsoring Teppo’s concert at the celebration of the 102nd anniversary of Finland’s independence. Messiah Lutheran Church, Portland’s Finnish church, annually organizes an Independence Day celebration. Finland became an independent nation on December 6, 1917.
Friday Night Lecture – Benefits and Downsides of Scandinavian Health Systems: A Comparative Review Friday, Oct 11th 2019, 7:30pm at Nordia House.
Come explore the differences between the five Scandinavian Health Systems and the US and their success, challenges, costs, outcomes, and the impact on net happiness. What can we learn from the Scandinavian experience? Presented by Joanna M. Cain, MD
Pianist/Composer Jeffrey Jacob Plays Benefit Concert – May 5th 2019 at Nordia House. The program on May 5 includes: Mozart’s Fantasy in D Minor, Beethoven’s Sonata in C Minor, Op. 13, Sibelius’ Romances, Op. 9; Chopin’s Nocturne in E Minor, Grieg’s Nocturne and Wedding Day at Trolhaughen, Weiner’s Anagram No. 1 and Anagram No. 2, Debussy’s The Engulfed Cathedral and Fireworks, Chopin’s Polonaise Militaire and Ballad #1 in G Minor, and concludes with Sibelius’ Finlandia.
Vappu Celebration April 28, 2019 at Fogelbo. Also known as Walpurgis Eve, this holiday is celebrated on the last day of April throughout Finland and Sweden. May 1st is a national holiday, so these public events include warm food, large bonfires, choral singing and when the fire dies down, folks move on to the pub or the home of a friend to continue the celebration.
Saturday, Aug 24th, 2019 from 10am-3pm. Come join in the fun, sun and Paavo Nurmi run! At the Lindgren Cabin at Cullaby Lake. Some food will be available but it is a potluck so bring whatever food you would like to share and enjoy.
Friday June 21st, 2019 at Lindgren Cabin Cullaby Lake, Finlandia Foundation Lecturer of the year, Frank Eld will speak about Finnish log cabin construction.
Midsummer Celebration at Oaks Park
This Saturday, June 8th at Oaks Park. The annual Midsummer festival. Come by our booth for some Salmon chowder, a Karelian dog, or simply stop to say hello. Looking forward to seeing everyone.
“Sibelius and Grieg: Influences and Legacies”Sunday, May 5, 2019 in SW Portland
Sacramento-based pianist and composer Jeffrey Jacob will play a concert, “Sibelius and Grieg: Influences and Legacies” to benefit Nordic Northwest, starting at 7pm on Sunday, May 5 at Nordia House, 8800 SW Oleson Road, Portland, Oregon
Vappu Holiday Celebration, April 28th, Nordia House
Vappu kickstarts Spring on Fogelbo Lawn at Nordia House this month. The event is free and open to the public. Come join us for fun, food and a fire!
“Finland and the Cold War” free lecture by James Ford Cooper at Portland State University on Friday, March 1 at 7:30pm
James Ford Cooper, who during the course of a 34-year career with the U.S. Foreign Service, served at the American Embassy in Helsinki between 1976-1979 and again 1984-1986, will speak about the relationship between Finland and the U.S. during the Cold War on Friday, March 1 at 7:30pm at Portland State University, Cramer Hall, room 171.
This presentation is part of the free Friday Night Lecture Series co-sponsored by Nordic Northwest and PSU’s Department of Foreign Languages & Literatures. Cooper’s talk is also co-sponsored by Finlandia Foundation National and Finlandia Foundation Columbia-Pacific Chapter.
Cooper is the author of On the Finland Watch, a 1999 memoir based on observations and analysis during his time with the State Department. He served as Political Counselor during his first posting to Finland and as Deputy Chief of Mission for his second posting.
Saxophonist/Vocalist Juli Wood Puts A Jazz Spin on Folk Songs from Finland Thursday, February 28, 2019 at Nordia House in SW Portland
Portland, Oregon, February 4, 2019 – Chicago-based jazz saxophonist, vocalist and composer Juli Wood and guitarist Paul Silbergleit will explore Finnish folk songs from a jazz perspective starting at 7:30pm on Thursday evening, February 28, 2019 at Nordia House, 8800 SW Oleson Road, Portland, Oregon.
Tickets are available online at https://www.nordicnorthwest.org/0228191 or at the door. Ticket price is $25 for members of the two sponsoring organizations, $30 for non-members. The concert is sponsored by Finlandia Foundation Columbia-Pacific Chapter and Nordic Northwest. Wood is Finlandia Foundation National’s 2019 Performer of the Year.
Sunday, July 29, 2018, 7:30pm, Aallotar Concert, Nordia House, Portland:
Aallotar Concert at Nordia House, 8800 SW Oleson Rd, Portland.
Aallotar is Teija Niku from Finland and Sara Pajunen from the USA. FFCPC has invited them to perform in the Great Hall at beautiful Nordia House on Sunday, July 29, 2018. Ancestors of Sara Pajunen and Teija Niku lived within hours of each other in western Finland – speaking the same language, playing the same music, living the same culture. In the late 19th century, Pajunen’s ancestors emigrated to northern Minnesota; Niku’s family remained in Finland. Today, they explore a common heritage in Finnish folk music, even as they create new sounds that reflect their contemporary cultures and various interests. Pajunen is a violinist, and Niku an accordionist; their lithe instrumentals and beautiful vocal harmonies in both Finnish and English demonstrate how gracefully traditional and modern folk music can speak together. Pajunen is a former Finlandia Foundation National Performer of the Year. Aallotar has performed throughout the United States and at European festivals, including Kaustinen Folk Music Festival and Sounds of the North in Gdansk, Poland. They released their debut recording ‘In Transit’ in 2014.
Sunday, August 19, 2018, Noon to 3pm, Finnic Picnic, Lindgren Cabin, Warrenton:
Annual Finnic Picnic at the Lindgren House, Cullaby Lake County Park, 89990 Hawkins Rd, Warrenton, Oregon. Free tours of the Lindgren Cabin.