On march 14 the small town of Finland, Minnesota will feel, in equal parts, like a folk tale and a block party: a wooden statue of a pitchfork-wielding hero stands on Highway 1, papier-mâché floats line up for a parade, and purple-and-green costumes thread through a crowd gathered for a weekendlong calendar of events.
What happens on March 14 during the St. Urho’s weekend?
The heart of the celebration is the Saturday parade and activities that cluster around it. At high noon a tug-of-war will take place on the bridge over the West Branch Baptism River, immediately followed by the St. Urho’s Parade. The parade emerges from months of local preparation: a recent float workshop brought residents together to paint signs and build papier-mâché decorations for the official “Friends of Finland” float, a project organizers described as a show of communal effort: “The parade is a true community effort, ” organizers noted.
Earlier Saturday, a pancake breakfast at the Clair Nelson Center will serve as a fundraiser for the Finland Historical Society. The Finland Fire Department will be grilling throughout Saturday, and the Finland Co-op will hand out free festive cupcakes to shoppers. After the parade, a traditional Mojakka soup lunch will be served at the community center.
How do local groups and events shape the weekend?
St. Urho’s returns this year under a Wonderland theme that asks residents and visitors to mix the holiday’s traditional purple and green with surreal, imaginative costumes. The holiday’s local anchors are visible everywhere: a massive wooden statue carved by artist Don Osborn in 1982 still marks the town’s entry on Highway 1 and acts as a literal gateway to the weekend.
Longstanding elements of the program keep multiple generations engaged. The Miss Helmi competition, a long-running staple since 1984, features local men in comedic drag performing dances and talent routines for the title of St. Urho’s girl. In the evening, live music will animate a heated outdoor tent at the Four Seasons Bar and Restaurant, where The Northwoods Band is scheduled to play a set designed to keep people dancing. Other local businesses, including Our Place and Wildhurst, will host food and drink specials across the weekend.
Community fundraising and participation extend beyond food and entertainment. A St. Urho’s Online Auction is currently live with donated items from local businesses and closes Sunday at 7: 00 PM. Those who want to volunteer or help plan next year’s activities are invited to stop by the Clair Nelson Center or contact Friends, the organizing group working on future events.
Who else is celebrating in the region during the week of March 9–15?
The St. Urho’s weekend in Finland is part of a broader slate of northern Minnesota events running through March 9–15. Other communities, including Menahga and Jacobson, will also host St. Urho’s celebrations during that same week. Local event listings are made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund together with the citizens of Minnesota.
As the weekend unfolds — beginning Friday, March 13 and concluding Sunday, March 15 — the town’s known fixtures and newer touches will intersect: floats and cupcakes, a tug-of-war and a heated tent for live music, a statue carved in 1982 and a community auction that closes at 7: 00 PM on Sunday. Those details are the scaffolding for something intangible that the town has done for five decades: turn a quirky legend into an occasion where multiple generations meet, work and celebrate together.
On march 14 the purple and green will do more than decorate streets; they will mark a ritual of participation that keeps community history moving forward, even as participants invent new ways to join in.
