by Katja Tiainen Zarns
ST. PAUL, Minn. — It is exciting when the latest Finnish American Reporter arrives in our mailboxes. In a time when every communication seems electronic, this newspaper is a breath of fresh, ink-scented air. In a world where it is increasingly difficult to decipher if a (social) media photo is real or AI-generated, the honest and informative texts and candid photos in FAR add to a concrete sense of reality, telegraphed only through hardcopy paper. From just a glance at the area news columns, it seems an exorbitant amount of coffee and pulla are enjoyed at the tables of our get-togethers!
Tradition and creativity flow together amid our gatherings. A local custom celebrated by the FAA, the Finnish American Association (formerly FACA, the Finnish American Cultural Activities), is the Sauna Bucket Award. As elsewhere with similar recognitions, the recipient of our award is selected via member nominations and honors a member or members for outstanding service to our organization and/or the Finnish-American community in the Twin Cities. This year’s FAA Sauna Bucket Award was granted to long time members Heidi and Harvey Barberg! There is a great chance that you have already heard about them or met the pair in person as the list of their presence and involvement with the Twin Cities, Cokato, and Minnesota Finns, and beyond is both exhaustive and impressive.
Typically, the award is given as a surprise at one of FAA’s spring programs. Yet, since the last events were co-hosted with other organizations, and since the Barbergs live quite a distance from the Twin Cities, the FAA board chose to orchestrate a road trip. With the help of FAA member Mike Fredrikson, the plan was to arrive under the guise of a tour of the Finnish Pioneer Park also known as Temperance Corner. Harvey met us with a big, welcoming smile, instantaneously stepping into the role of a tour guide. Inside the Temperance Hall, Heidi and a friend met us with warmth while setting up a table of goodies, the board hailing with some added baked items and coffee to the spread. After a lovely time socializing and learning about the history of the building, Mike revealed the true reason for the visit - the brewing surprise finally revealed that Heidi and Harvey were the Sauna Bucket Award recipients!
Later, yet on the same day, a cultural experience of a very different sort was presented when Finnish bands The Rasmus and Apocalyptica descended on and got the crowd going at the MYTH in Maplewood, an eastern suburb to the Twin Cities. Headlining the concert was Mongolian band, the HU - wow! A few FAA members along with some Salolampi staff and former villagers were spotted bopping their heads. The Rasmus is a band that got started in the mid 1990s when the band members were still teenagers. Apocalyptica is a symphonic metal band. Apocalyptica also got its start in the 1990s when the band members met at Sibelius Academy, each member a classically trained cellist.
While not organized by any specific Finnish group in the Twin Cities, it was another exceptional event where Finnish music and cultural expression was showcased and unleashed. Fun fact: Finland has the most rock and heavy metal bands per capita in the world!
We will have found ourselves celebrating Juhannus one week and 4th of July thereafter. Some will have retreated to cabins; some will have headed to visit their ancestral land over the Wherever your paths lead you this summer, we wish you joy and relaxation. We hope to see you at FinnFest as we kick-off our fall events and activities here in the Twin Cities! Nähdään!