Finland Ambassador Leena-Kaisa Mikkola and her Estonian counterpart, Kristjan Prikk, will be in the Keweenaw on Friday. They will be joined by Balint Bakondi, the charge d’affaires for the Consulate General of Hungary, as special guests of the Juhannus planning committee, Maki said Friday morning.

The three dignitaries will deliver keynote addresses from 11 a.m. to noon Eastern time Friday at Hancock Central High School, offering insights about their respective countries and exploring cultural commonalities. A brief question-and-answer period will follow. There is no admission fee for these presentations.

The school also is the site of a day-long lecture and presentation series that day, and is hosting the festival’s tori, or marketplace, Friday and Saturday. Hancock Central High School is at 501 Campus Drive in Hancock, only 3 miles from downtown.

“All three keynote speakers represent Finno-Ugric nations,” Maki said, “and are coming to Hancock to celebrate the city’s recognition as the world’s Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture for 2026.”

Leena-Kaisa Mikkola, Finland ambassador to the United States, will be in Hancock on Friday to participate in the city’s Juhannus celebration. (Courtesy photo)

Maki said it is the first time in history that honor has been bestowed upon a location outside of Europe.

Finno-Ugric refers to a group of peoples found mostly within northern Europe and Hungary; these people have related languages and cultures. Many Finno-Ugric peoples share remarkably similar traditions, such as sauna bathing and instruments resembling the Finnish-Karelian kantele.

“Finno-” refers to the numerous Finnic peoples in Northern Europe, such as the Finns, Karelians, Sámi, Kvens, and Estonians. The last part, “-Ugric,” refers to the Hungarian, Khanty, and Mansi peoples, who share similarities with one another but not always with their Finnic cousins.

The Juhannus celebration planning committee in Hancock has developed a multi-day slate of family-friendly events that get under way Wednesday.

For a full schedule, go to hancockfinnougric.com.

Kristjan Prikk, Estonia’s ambassador to the United States, will be in Hancock on Friday to participate in the city’s Juhannus celebration. (Photo from the Embassy of Estonia in Washington website)

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Graham Jaehnig can be reached at 906-482-1500 or gjaehnig@mininggazette.com.