Finnish folk festival has an air of family

The Finnish American Folk Festival had an air of reunion about it. There were three class reunions and Naselle residents and relatives from near and far greeted each other and chatted in hallways, classrooms, at tables, at the market and in line for food. Even new visitors made connections. No one seemed to be a stranger.

According to Anita Raistakka, 1,450 people signed the registration books, though not everyone who attended signed. There were visitors from 24 states and four foreign countries, including Canada, Costa Rica, the United Kingdom and Australia.

"It seemed like there were more attendees than that," she said. "Many were first timers."

Raistakka spoke of one man who visited the festival from Yakima.

"He was in tears on Saturday because he found it all so meaningful and we were so welcoming to him," she said. "He stayed until 4:00 p.m. on Sunday to help us take down everything. I have a feeling we will see him many, many times at other Naselle events."

There were lectures, traditional music and dancing, films, arts and crafts, food vendors and a market and more. Attendees could talk with someone about their genealogy or take in hundreds of pictures of Finnish American pioneers.

The winners of the wife carry event were Sheriann and Peter Hakim from Salem. Paul Wirkkala of Olympia won the Nokia phone toss and Conor Smith won the boot toss. Sheriann Hakim, Wirkkala and Smith are all graduates of Naselle High School.

Dylan Wirkkala won the men's Paavo Nurmi 5K with a time of 17:24. Samantha Shivji won the women's race with a time of 22:58.

Raistakka expressed gratitude for the five adults and 15 youth who showed up on Monday from the North Creek Church in Vancouver to help set up for the event all week.