It’s time to Fest like the Finns from July 24-28 at the DECC. The national festival has been around for 40 years and made Duluth its home for several future gatherings.

Justin Juntunen, founder of Cedar + Stone Sauna and a FinnFest board member, said the Northland is a great fit.

“Finnish culture is in the water here,” Juntunen said.

In fact, Duluth was once referred to as “Little Helsinki.”

“This place now is interestingly sort of similar to modern-day Finland,” Juntunen said. “The festival isn’t just looking backwards. It’s not just for people with last names like mine that have too many vowels. It’s really looking at, Finland has something to say to the world.”

It’s been named the happiest country in the world for seven years in a row, and Juntunen said it’s also a leader in innovation, sustainability, and design. Finnish parliamentary members and business leaders will be in the U.S. for FinnFest.

“It’s actually an event for folks who are sort of Nordic-curious,” he said. “They’re like, ‘Wait, I want to learn more about this. I want to be part of this.’ And that goes from saunas to community to arts and culture to sustainability and on.”

If you buy your tickets soon, there’s a giveaway involving a free trip to Finland.