FinnFest

Kantele recital featuring musicians who attended Friday’s workshops.

This will be the premiere performance of many new kantele arrangements of songs and hymns from the Finnish Heritage Hymnbook as well as other traditional kantele tunes. Kanteles of different sizes will perform in small groups and as one large ensemble. Contact Kay Seppala if you or your kantele ensemble would like to take part in this: seppalakay@gmail.com

Performer Bios:

Margaret Vainio got her BA in music from Northern Michigan University. She was tour manager for the NMU Arts Chorale’s Bicentennial Concert Tour to Finland and moved to Finland permanently a year later. There she got a degree as a church musician and served in the Lutheran parishes of Pylkonmäki and Saarijärvi and later in Rhodes, Greece, directing choirs of all ages. In 1992 she completed further studies in preschool music education, teaching kantele groups at the local music school, and preschool music as part of her job with the congregation. In 1999 she completed a MA in music history from the University of Jyväskylä in Finland. Vainio brought choirs from Finland to perform at FinnFest in 1996 and 2007, and has been a presenter at numerous FinnFests since then.

Kay Seppala, 5-string kantele and Finnish folk dance instructor

A third generation Finnish-American, Kay grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and moved to St. Paul as a young adult. There she began Finnish folk dancing with the Kisarit, and learned to play the 5 and 10 string kantele (Finnish lap harp) from Joyce Hakala, as a member of the Koivun Kaiku Kantele Ensemble.

Now in Hancock MI, Kay is helping to preserve Finnish folk culture through teaching Finnish folk dancing and the small kantele. She is the director of the children’s group, Kivajat Finnish Dancers, as well as Ilon Kaiku, an adult kantele ensemble for 5 and 10/11 string players. Both groups are sponsored by the Finnish American Heritage Center (now a part of Finlandia Foundation National).

Meet Snufkin & The Moomin family!

“Peeks into the Dancing Moominvalley @ Finnfest USA 2025” is an interactive music story guided by actor, musician, & composer Heikki Mäenpää. On stage, the audience will meet Snufkin and the Moomin family. The versatile Dancing Moominvalley ensemble leads the audience into a magical place of searching, experiencing, and learning about life’s little and big wonders. Catch the show Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at FinnFest USA this year. Also be on the lookout for surprise street performances by The Dancing Moominvalley ensemble in the Tori on all three days!

Presenter Bio:

Heikki Mäenpää got the idea of Dancing Moominvalley during the Moominvalley Orchestra’s tour of Germany in 2001. Nine years later “The Dancing Moominvalley” was presented at Shanghai EXPO 2010. Three days of performances included a contemporary dance piece, interactive concert called “Peeks into the Dancing Moominvalley,” art exhibition, lectures, workshops, and symposium. The production received Shanghai EXPO 2010’s Culture Award as the only one of the Finnish Pavilion Culture Program.
In the last 15 years “Peeks into the Dancing Moominvalley” has been performed in Europe, USA, China, Japan, and South Korea. This Year 2025 Dancing Moominvalley is celebrating MOOMIN 80th anniversary!

The presentation will share a Floridian’s perspective on how Finnish Americans have shaped services in Florida and why their presence continues to be a vital asset to our communities.

Dan Benson, a native Floridian, has seen firsthand the significant impact that Finnish Americans have had on local communities. Florida, with its large Finnish population, has benefited greatly from their dedication, strong sense of community, and commitment to supporting services tailored to their needs.
The concentration of Finns in certain areas has led to the development of specialized healthcare facilities, senior living communities, and home care services that not only serve Finnish Americans but also contribute to the broader healthcare industry. This demand has created jobs for Finns, and strengthened the local Finnish economy.

Presenter Bios:

Armi Sturges
Retired teacher and Social Worker, MS of TESOL, BS Social Work, Florida International University, Miami-Dade Public School South Dade Technical College. Born in Helsinki, Finland.

Daniel Benson, MS, LNHA
CEO of the Finnish American Rest home
A native Floridian and sixth-generation resident, Dan Benson has been a healthcare executive in the South Florida market for over 22 years. His extensive background includes serving as an Administrator, Executive Director, Regional Operations Manager, and CEO across various healthcare sectors, including nursing homes, assisted living facilities, home health agencies, nurse registries, and outpatient therapy clinics.
With his deep-rooted ties to Florida, extensive healthcare expertise, and dedication to the Finnish community, Mr. Benson is a distinguished speaker on all aspects of healthcare in South Florida, offering a unique Floridian perspective on Finns in the region.

Tiina Rogers
Director of HR at Finnish American Village
Tiina Rogers was born and raised in Finland, before moving to Florida in 1991. Tiina has worked in the travel industry and banking industry in both Finland and the United States. She has also held key administrative roles in Finnish associations and companies.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Tiina is deeply involved in the Finnish-American community, dedicating much of her free time to various Finnish organizations. She has held leadership roles in the Midnight Sun Festival, serving as President after previously acting as Treasurer. Through her ongoing work with the festival and other cultural initiatives, Tiina strives to keep Finnish traditions alive and foster a strong sense of community among Finnish-Americans.

Timo Vainionpää
The Owner and editor of USAsuomeksi.com
Timo Vainionpää has more than five decades of experience in the IT field. In earlier years Timo was a part of a development team of products that drew international interest and Timo was often seen as a speaker in international software conferences.
After moving to USA Timo developed one of the first Finnish websites some 30 years ago.
USAsuomeksi.com gained popularity and consequently got Timo to start producing content for the readers. This brought Timo to photojournalism and honed his writing skills. These articles were widely noticed and Timo was invited as an international correspondent of a news bureau in Finland.

Lake Worth – Lantana is a well-known center for Finns in Florida, but who were the first Finns in Florida, when did they arrive, and what did they do?

There were Finnish sailors in Pensacola already in the 1880s and even before. First farmers, carpenters, and builders arrived around 1900 in several areas. Some farmers settled in Lake Worth during the 1930s, and when tourists and snowbirds found Florida, the farmers greeted them with good Finnish saunas.
Was it then the friendly farmers and their saunas that started the Lake Worth – Lantana Finntown during the 1940s?

Presenter Bios:

Sirpa Aho, Ph.D
Served as the president of Finland House for 12 years, currently a board member.
Sirpa Aho received her doctoral degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Turku, Finland 1980. She had a long career in several universities and research laboratories around the world, including the Universities of Turku and Helsinki, Japan, Philadelphia, and Connecticut in the private sector.
She has published 70 peer-reviewed research articles and received multiple international grants and awards. After retiring in 2012, she moved to Florida and became interested in the Finnish cultural heritage in the development of the State of Florida. This interest led to two books about Finns in Florida.

Finnish American accordionist, Teresa Aho and her family reawaken old traditional dance tunes with a classical flair.

The Northern Stars Sami Girls, also known as the Northern Stars, is a family band (the Aho family) that started on the Iron Range in northern Minnesota in the late 1960s. The band originally consisted of the Aho family parents, Ernie and Joan, who played the accordion and drums, respectively. They raised five children on a family farm on the Iron Range just north of Virginia, MN. The band was then joined by the oldest daughter, Teresa, on the accordion and vocals, daughter Tina on banjo, and daughter Terri on drums and violin. More recently, Teresa’s daughter, Kristiina joined the band on bassoon and vocals. Other instruments, including the cello, banjo, tambourine and guitar, are featured on select tunes.
The band started using the title “Sami Girls” to recognize and honor their paternal and maternal grandparents, all of Sami heritage, who immigrated from Finland, Europe, to the United States in the early 1900s. This heritage is important to the family and is reflected in the unique musical style of the family band.

Teresa, Terri and Kristiina received their classical music training at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. Teresa received her Bachelor of Music in education, Terri received her Juris Doctor in law, and Kristiina also received her Bachelor of Music in education. Their music consists of traditional dance music including waltzes, polkas, jenkkas, mazurkas, humppas, and tangos.

The Northern Stars have completed several recordings (vinyl, cassettes and CDs) over the years. Their most recent CD was completed this past year and is titled, “What is Old is New Again,” and features vocals, the accordion, violin, bassoon, drums, cello, and banjo. This CD is full of traditional Finnish dance music with arrangements by Teresa which gives their music a classical flair.

Original Sámi joik and folk! Nathan Muus will be performing an exciting set of Sámi joiking and other folk music. Nathan will perform on Friday and Saturday in the Tori.

Performer Bio: Nathan Muus has an eclectic taste in music and performance. He is one of the only North American descendants doing Sámi Joik professionally, and has combined this with other contemporary sounds for many years. His online music postings have recorded over 100,000 listeners.