Since 1999, the annual Heikinpäivä celebration has marked the point where “the bear rolls over in his den.” The bear itself can be seen walking down Quincy Street Saturday morning, along with figures from Finnish folklore and more recent Finnish American inventions like St. Urho.

The days leading up to Saturday’s parade feature a series of traditional Finnish lessons, including the Vanhimmat class for folk and ballroom dances. That will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday night at the Finnish American Heritage Center in advance of Saturday night’s traditional dance, which closes out the festival.

“The class is intended to help people who need a refresher, or who’ve always wished they could do those dances when they’ve seen them,” said Jim Kurtti, head of the Heikinpäivä committee. “This way they have a chance to prepare for Saturday.”

Dances include the mazurkas, waltz (or valssi in Finnish), polka (polkka) and the Raatikkoon, which has no English equivalent. While that folk dance has died out in Finland, it remains popular in Finnish American celebrations, Kurtti said.

Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette Chris Endres and Lily Boswell compete in Heikinpäivä’s wife-carrying competition in 2023. Styled as a typical Copper Country Saturday, the course asks contestants to beat rugs, enjoy the sauna and serve coffee to their guests.

Instructor Kay Seppälä is leading the class. For more email KivajatDancers@gmail.com.

The biggest draw comes on Saturday, starting with a parade down Quincy Street beginning at 11 a.m.

Kurtti encouraged people to participate in the parade. Anyone’s welcome to join in, he said. People with costumes celebrating winter or Finnish lore also have a shot at a cash prize. They can sign up with parade director Mary Brunet when they arrive; she’ll be the one with a clipboard, Kurtti said.

After the parade, people will congregate at Quincy Green. First, there will be the famous “bear spiral,” where people form a chain and dance around the green in an “ever-tightening circle,” Kurtti said.

“The first year we did it, we wondered if anyone would do it, and people jumped up and went,” he said. “It’s become our signature event.”

Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette The Swan of Tuonela, a character from the Kalevala, demonstrates its wingspan during the 2023 Heikinpäivä parade.

Following that comes a series of events, from kicksled races to the wife-carrying event. Despite the name, any group of two people can participate, Kurtti said. The progression of the race mimics a typical Finnish American Saturday, Kurtti said: cleaning the house, then a sauna, then an after-sauna coffee.

“It’s more than a real competition, it’s street theater, so people enjoy watching it,” Kurtti said.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, there will be toris at the Finnish American Heritage Center and United Methodist Church, where people can buy crafts and a variety of foods.

This year will also see the return of the Polar Plunge, a longtime staple of the event which had been absent from the lineup for several years. This year, it moves from the Portage Canal to Quincy Green, where a large pool will be set up for people to dive into.

There will be a changing booth on-site, and no less than three saunas for people to warm up before and after they jump into the icy water.

Kurtti recommends people put something on their feet, whether water shoes or thick socks.

“It’s your feet that really feel it the most, when you’re running on bare ground,” he said.

This year is the first Heikinpäivä since last year’s closure of Finlandia University. Kurtti said Heikinpäivä should be reassuring to Finns in the area that their culture will continue to be celebrated.

The festival will feature live Finnish American musicians, including local favorites and musicians from Marquette, Detroit and Washington, D.C.

This year’s festival also celebrates the Finlandia Foundation. The Pasadena, California-based nonprofit raised $3 million to preserve several important heritage sites at the university, including the Finnish American Heritage Center.

The foundation was honored as this year’s Hankookin Heikki (The Heikki of Hancock). Executive Director Tommy Flanagan will represent the organization at the festival, serving as grand marshal for the parade.

“It’s important for Finlandia Foundation to see there’s such a vibrant Finnish American culture here,” Kurtti said. “Even among our youngest kids, there’s this pride among Finnish Americans. Heikinpäivä’s a way to express this pride.”

A full schedule of events can be found at finlandia.edu/Heikinpäivä/2020-schedule.