HANCOCK, Mich. (WZMQ) – In light of a successful Juhannus celebration over the weekend, the City of Hancock has been internationally designated as the Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture for 2026 — the first United States community to ever receive the title.
“I think the fact that we’re being recognized outside of this continent really tells us that we’re doing something well, and we’re doing it right,” said David Maki, the director at the Finnish American Heritage Center in Hancock.
The deep-rooted Finnish region has represented generations of heritage. This designation will make Hancock a focal point, not just for the United States, but for Finns around the world, highlighting and creating new connections with Finno-Ugric people for years to come.
“One in three people here in the Copper Country have some Finnish ancestry,” said Maki. “If we can find some spark inside some new folks, maybe we’ll be able to do even more than we’re already imagining.”
2026 will bring a large amount of cultural celebrations to the city, with next year’s Juhannus festival at the top of that priority list.
“That is really going to be a big opportunity to make a big impression with all these Estonian, Hungarian, Finnish communities, and getting them here,” said Jesse Wiederhold, PR for Visit Keweenaw. “Especially, when people have been here once, they come back.”
This designation will significantly welcome new cultural learning experiences for the region.
“Here in the Keweenaw it’s very authentic, it’s been going on for a long time,” said Nate Kilponen-Fix, a project assistant at the Finnish American Heritage Center. “But, there are still opportunities for learning and sharing between Finnish Americans, Finns over in Finland, Finno-Ugric people, and this next year is a great opportunity to do that.”
Throughout the rest of the year, a committee will be created to plan for the coming year’s festivities, including accommodating for an expected influx in tourism.
Anyone looking to assist with planning for the coming year can contact Hancock’s DDA Office at dda@cityofhancock.com or Visit Keweenaw at visitkeweenaw.com.
