Stories & Spotlights Sponsor spotlight
Finlandia Foundation National at FinnFest 2026: Where History, Music and Community Come Together
Get Your FinnFest Pass
Explore the Full Program
A forgotten founder returns to the stage. A Finnish-born artist turns mythology into music. A folk band brings the old Finn Halls back to life. And a new generation gathers to carry the story forward. Experience it all at FinnFest USA 2026.
September 17–20, 2026 · Minneapolis
What Finlandia Foundation National Is Bringing to FinnFest
- Ruut: 2026 Performer of the Year — Hear the Finnish-born singer, pianist and storyteller whose music draws inspiration from Finnish mythology, cultural heritage and the Kalevala.
- Jay Smith: 2026 Lecturer of the Year — Discover the little-known story of John Morton, the Finnish American founder whose deciding vote helped move the colonies toward independence.
- A free night of theatre — See the premiere of MORTON: The Forgotten Founder at Minnehaha Park—then stay for traditional Finnish music, singing and dancing with Lauluaika.
- Young Leaders at the American Swedish Institute — Meet emerging leaders, professionals and community builders helping shape the future of Finnish America. This is an excellent networking opportunity for young professionals who are Finnish, Finnish-American, or interested in Finland and the Nordic countries.
A Partnership You Can Hear, See and Experience
Some sponsorships appear as a logo at the bottom of a page. Finlandia Foundation National’s partnership with FinnFest USA is woven through the entire festival experience.
You will hear it in the powerful piano and vocals of Ruut. You will encounter it in Jay Smith’s exploration of a forgotten chapter of American history. You will see it brought to life onstage in MORTON: The Forgotten Founder. You will feel it when Lauluaika’s music fills the Minnehaha Park Pavilion and people begin to dance.
And on Sunday, you will see the story continue as Finlandia Foundation National’s Young Leaders gather at the American Swedish Institute to build relationships, network, and imagine what comes next.
Together, these experiences reflect the heart of Finlandia Foundation National’s mission: preserving Finnish American history and culture, building connections with contemporary Finland and creating opportunities for future generations to take part.
Ruut Brings Finnish Mythology into the Present
Finnish-born singer, pianist, author and educator Ruut DeMeo—known professionally as Ruut—is Finlandia Foundation National’s 2026 Performer of the Year.
For more than two decades, Ruut has built a creative life around music, storytelling and the belief that art can help people remember where they came from while discovering something new about themselves.
Known in Baltimore as the city’s “piano girl,” she has released nine independent albums and performed internationally. Her performances combine commanding piano work, expressive vocals and deeply personal storytelling.
Her newest creative work reaches back toward Finland. Ruut’s upcoming album, Motherland, draws from Finnish mythology, cultural memory and oral storytelling traditions. The project is closely connected to her forthcoming novel, which reimagines the characters and world of the Kalevala.
At FinnFest, audiences will have opportunities to experience Ruut as both a performer and a Finnish-born woman creating a life and body of work in America. She will also join a conversation featuring five Finnish-born women artists whose work spans music, writing, visual art and performance.
Ruut’s work is a reminder that Finnish heritage is not something preserved only in archives. It continues to evolve through the artists who interpret it, challenge it and carry it forward.
A Forgotten Finnish American—and a Vote That Shaped a Nation
As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Finlandia Foundation National is helping FinnFest audiences rediscover an important Finnish-American connection to the nation’s founding.
John Morton was a Pennsylvania delegate to the Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Although his name is unfamiliar to many Americans today, his decision played a pivotal role in moving the colonies toward independence.
Morton cast a deciding vote from Pennsylvania in favor of independence, helping unite the colonies behind separation from Britain. He was also of Finnish descent.
At FinnFest, John “Jay” E. Smith, Finlandia Foundation National’s 2026 Lecturer of the Year, will bring Morton’s story back into public view.
Smith is a trained public historian, researcher and archivist dedicated to making history accessible, engaging and relevant. His work bridges the distance between academic research and the stories communities tell about themselves.
Through presentations, writing, archival research and interactive storytelling, Smith helps audiences understand not only what happened in the past, but why it continues to matter. His exploration of John Morton asks us to reconsider whose stories are remembered, whose are overlooked and how Finnish Americans helped shape the larger American story.
History Moves from the Lecture Hall to the Stage
The story of John Morton will also come alive through a new theatrical production created in recognition of America’s 250th anniversary.
Finlandia Foundation National and Frank Theatre, together with FinnFest USA, present the premiere of:
MORTON: The Forgotten Founder
A History Play with Music
In Honor of the Nation’s 250th Anniversary
By Laurie Flanigan Hegge
Directed and Produced by Wendy Knox
Saturday, September 19, 2026
Play begins at 5:30 p.m.
Minnehaha Park Pavilion, near Sea Salt
One performance only—free and open to everyone
What Makes a Revolution a Revolution?
MORTON: The Forgotten Founder explores the choices, convictions and personal consequences behind one of the most important decisions in American history.
Morton was not simply casting a vote. He was taking a position that divided communities, families and political leaders. His decision helped break Pennsylvania’s deadlock and move the colonies toward a united declaration of independence.
Through theatre and music, the production invites audiences to look beyond the familiar names of the American Revolution and meet a forgotten founder whose Finnish roots form a remarkable connection between Finnish American history and the birth of the United States.
MORTON: The Forgotten Founder was commissioned by Finlandia Foundation National. The play will kick off with a short introduction about John Morton, his life and history, by Finlandia Foundation National’s Lecturer of the Year, Jay Smith.
No FinnFest ticket is required for this free Saturday evening performance.
When the Play Ends, the Finn Hall Comes Alive
The evening does not end with the final curtain.
Following the play, the Minnehaha Park Pavilion will fill with Finnish and Finnish American folk music as Lauluaika, whose name means “Song Time,” invites the community to stay, listen and dance.
Based in the Twin Cities, Lauluaika was formed in 2016 by musicians who share a commitment to learning, preserving and teaching the music and dances once enjoyed in Finnish gathering places and old Finn Halls.
Their repertoire includes Finnish couples dances such as waltzes, polkas, humppa, jenkka, masurkka and hambo, as well as lively group dances for all ages. The band also enjoys discovering newly composed music that captures the spirit of Finnish heritage—connecting the traditional sounds of Finnish America with the communities enjoying them today.
Come for the play. Stay for the music, singing and dancing. Bring your family, meet new people and experience the welcoming spirit of an old-fashioned Finnish community gathering.
Saturday, September 19 · Immediately following the play · Free
Young Leaders: the Story Looks Forward
FinnFest moves to the American Swedish Institute on Sunday, September 20, for a day of music, art, history and community.
It is also where Finlandia Foundation National will turn its attention toward the future.
The Finlandia Foundation National Young Leaders Networking Event will bring together emerging leaders, young professionals, cultural advocates and community builders who share an interest in Finland and Finnish America.
The Young Leaders Board (YLB) introduces new perspectives and energy into Finlandia Foundation National’s work. Its members help create ways for younger generations to explore their heritage, develop relationships with modern Finland and take active roles in sustaining Finnish-American culture.
The gathering offers more than networking. It creates a place for people to find one another, exchange ideas and consider what Finnish American identity, leadership and cultural engagement might look like in the decades ahead.
Preserving the Story—and Creating What Comes Next
For more than 70 years, Finlandia Foundation National has championed Finnish-American heritage while building bridges between modern Finland and the United States.
Its work includes cultural programs, performers, lecturers, grants, scholarships, Finnish language support and the preservation of important Finnish American archives and artifacts.
That work is visible throughout FinnFest 2026. It can be found in a historical story recovered from obscurity, a new play commissioned for America’s 250th anniversary, an artist reimagining Finnish mythology, a folk band preserving the music of old Finn Halls and young leaders preparing to carry the culture forward.
This is more than a collection of programs. It is a story moving from the past, through the present and into the future. And everyone is invited to be part of it.
Join Us at FinnFest USA 2026
September 17–20, 2026 · Minneapolis, Minnesota
FinnFest is North America’s premier experience of Finnish and Nordic culture and learning. Enjoy four days of live music, performances, history, art, films, workshops, cultural experiences and community.
Come for one day or experience the entire festival. You do not have to be Finnish to belong at FinnFest. You simply need to be curious.