For more than 40 years, FinnFest has brought the cultures and traditions of Finland across the United States. The event features expert guests and speakers, art, food, dance and music – often joined by dignitaries such as presidents, prime ministers and ambassadors.

Teresa Aho (music education, ’80), her daughter, Kristiina Thums (music education, ‘20), along with Terri Lehr, sister, aunt and former UW-Superior student, will be on hand to share their family’s Finnish heritage and showcase their musical talent performing traditional Finnish music.

“FinnFest is a great opportunity to celebrate and experience the richness of Finnish and Finnish American culture,” said Aho. “We have been involved in FinnFest for over 30 years, and this is the third year in a row that Duluth has hosted FInnFest.”

At 8 p.m. on Friday, August 1, in the Denfeld High School Auditorium, the three will perform with the FinnFest Symphony Orchestra for a classical concert of all Finnish composers, including Jean Sibelius, KariTikka and Eino-Juhani Rautavaara.

The family band, The Northern Stars Sami Girls, comprised of Aho, Thums and Lehr, will perform at 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 2, with an additional performance Sunday, August 3, at 2 p.m. Both performances will take place in the Nordic Tori Fair, located in the DECC’s Edmund Fitzgerald Hall.

On Saturday at 3 p.m. in the DECC’s St. Louis River Room, the trio will present Finnish American Dance Tunes Reawakened.

“The Finlandia Foundation National (FFN) organization reached out to us and asked if we would share our oral traditions passed down to us from our Finnish and Sami ancestors,” said Aho. “We hope to take the audience on a journey of our oral history and music traditions by presenting creative arrangements of traditional Finnish dance music that reawaken Finnish American dance tunes.

“I was taught all these songs by ear from my father at a very young age, and I have taken these songs and arranged them for accordion, violin and bassoon. Along with learning music as a young girl and growing up with these traditions, I also was classically trained.

The arrangements give our musical sound a classical flair, which we hope will continue to preserve traditional Finnish American dance music.”

FinnFest will have a grand sendoff on Sunday, August 3, at 4 p.m. in the Nordic Tori Fair. This joyful closing celebration will combine many of the talented musicians and performers from throughout the four days. The Northern Stars Sami Girls will be one of the groups performing with the Finnish International Choir. 

“FinnFest 2025 has something for everyone,” said Aho. “From Finnish language classes and sauna culture to kantele workshops, Nordic dance sessions, a Finnish fashion show, and more.”