Rovaniemi Week to feature many new events

The 38th Rovaniemi Week slated for September 3 Monday to September 9 Sunday will comprise many new events with a special focus given on the legendary designer and architect Alvar Aalto marking his 120th birth anniversary.

The theme of the week this year is ‘Rovaniemi − My Dear Hometown,’ which is aimed at celebrating those features that make Rovaniemi a pleasant place to live and visit.

The week’s programme has already been published and can be found on the Rovaniemi City’s webpage. As usual, the programme includes a number of concerts, performing arts, open-door events, tours around the city, and workshops, among others.

The week will also showcase some special and novel events like pajama party, night camping at the Arctic Adventure Park Huima, high-heel dancing, blues concert, and sensory walks where one can experience, see, smell and taste what Rovaniemi feels like. There will also be presentations of popular hits, for instance, a YouTube video watching session.

“Rovaniemi-week is a large collaboration of different groups; communities, entrepreneurs, individuals in Rovaniemi. Rovaniemi-week is everyone’s week and many people are taking part in different happenings. We are offering various programs where anyone can find something suitable for him or herself. We have 160 events happening this autumn,” Roosa Nevala, the event organiser and cultural producer at the City of Rovaniemi told Daily Finland, adding that as a coordinator she always looks at the whole picture and try to make sure there is something available for all kind of different target groups and always add some special ingredients to spice up the delicious program.

She said Aistikävelyt (sensory walks) is definitely one of the interesting new ones. It’s a meditative and playful tour where people can explore how Rovaniemi feels, sounds, tastes and so.

Lapland Brewer (Lapin Panimo Oy) is also taking part in the program for the first time. At their open door event one can get familiar with the secrets of local beer brewing.

Studio Gallery Villa Vinkkeli is also a newcomer in Rovaniemi week. The studio is hosted by photographer Kaisa Siren, who has curated a “Kesäkeittoa” (Summer soup) exhibition for Rovaniemi-week. The gallery will be open every day of the week with different artists working and holding workshops. People can come and watch their works and enjoy a cup of tea in the beautiful garden. The garden will also have sculptures from Anu Pentik and Risto Immonen, said Nevala.

“Every year I look forward to see how the programme takes shape. The familiar traditional events will delight and new innovative contents will make the week feel fresh. The week has evolved over the years to become an interesting city event in which everyone in Rovaniemi and visitors will certainly find something suitable for themselves. Arts and culture will breathe strongly into the programme. The week will culminate in love for the hometown. From the creators’ perspective, it will be colourful and imaginative,” said a recent press release issued by Rovaniemi City quoting Roosa Nevala as saying.

The week will celebrate Alvar Aalto’s 120th birth anniversary, commemorating his significant and distinctive contributions to the city’s image reflected in the themes of many of the events.

“We have an Alvar Aalto tour coming up. We wanted to make it somehow special, so we decided to organise a bike tour! This way we can reach all the areas around the city. The trip will be approximately 5 kilometers. It will be good exercise in the fresh autumn air!,” said the cultural producer.

An architectural tour will be also organized in the City Library. One can get to know also less-seen spaces such as the cellar. It is also open for everyone to participate in a multiple workshop in the Library and Asukastupa where one can make key chains inspired by Alvar Aalto shapes, she added.

The traditional Night of Art falls on September 8 and on Sunday many cultural events will be held with the gates kept open for all.

“Night of the Arts is organized on Rovaniemi Week’s Saturday. The whole day is filled up with colorful program from different kind of workshops and concerts, drama etc,” she said.

“One can for example head to the art museum for tattoo walk-ins, create rap lyrics in a workshop, participate in a blues concert in a car repairing shop, prepare a self-portrait with items collected from nature or express their opinions about climate change through artistic methods like singing, or listen to young local poets reading there texts at a gallery or try out high heel dancing. Night of the Arts program can often be quite experimental and surprising!”

Rovaniemi produces this programme in collaboration with its residents, different organisations, communities, and other actors, with the city council being responsible for coordination, communication, and marketing.