Three years ago, Sheila Coughlin’s journey exploring her own roots led her to Hancock, where her great-great-great-grandmother, her earliest-arriving Finnish ancestor, first settled in America. It also led her to the annual Heikinpäiva celebration, where she donned the golden Sampo costume for the second time during the morning parade.

This year, she was joined by her husband Tim Barney as Ilmarinen, and their son Destin Barney’s as the Kalevala’s main character, the demigod Väinämöinen.

“It’s really cool to be part of this community,” said Coughlin, of Kettle River, Minnesota. “Everyone is so kind and welcoming. It’s just a fantastic celebration that celebrates Finnish-American heritage and culture. And it’s great to see everyone … Winter’s something to celebrate. We’re midway through winter.”

Since 1999, the annual celebration in Hancock has marked the traditional point in Finnish culture where “the bear turns over” halfway through hibernation.

Phyllis Fredendall and her husband, Hannu Leppanen, preside over the parade as the Hankookin Heikit honorees. (Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette)

In the weeks leading up to the event, enthuasists take in Finnish culture through workshops on traditional practices such as weaving rag rugs or playing the five-stringed kantele.

It culminates in Saturday’s activities, which include the parade, competitions on Quincy Green, tori markets and a closing dance.

David Maki, marketing coordinator for organizing group Copper Country Finns and Friends, loved Saturday’s “energized, enthusiastic crowd,” which drew folks from far outside the area.

“I think the word is out more so that people are recognizing this as not just a Finnish festival, but a festival that has Finnish cultural elements to it,” he said. “And I think being able to draw from outside of the Finnish American circle has really increased the crowd size.”

After Saturday’s parade, many of the crowd that lined Quincy Street walked up to Quincy Green, where onlookers merged with the people dressed as figures from Finnish lore — or, like St. Urho, Finnish-American lore — in the Bear Spiral Dance.

The Bear Spiral Dance is viewed from the top of Quincy Green. (Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette)

Some pairs also braved the snow for the annual wife-carrying competition, where they made their way through a course combining aspects of a traditional Saturday out, including shaking out rag rugs, beating each with birch whisks for their saunas, and joining others for coffee.

Michigan Technological University students Dane Matson and Julia Junkkala led off this year’s competition.

For Junkkala, a native of Finland, it was a chance to see what felt like Finland, and what’s a Finnish-American spin on things.

The traditional Finnish clothes in the parade reminded her of home, as did the kicksleds children raced on Quincy Green.

While some wife-carrying contestants tried piggyback, Junkkala added a traditional Finnish touch.

Tim Barney and Sheila Coughlin of Kettle River, Minnesota participate in Saturday’s Heikinpäivä parade as the blacksmith Ilmarinen and the Sampo. Their son Destin Barney, not pictured, also dressed up as Väinämöinen, the main character in the Kalevala. (Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette)

“She said when they do it, they normally have the wife held over the shoulder, so we tried to make it as realistic,” Matson said.

In the biggest addition to this year’s festivities, the Finlandia Foundation National’s Sauna Week celebration was moved up to coincide with Heikinpäivä weekend. It concluded Saturday with a speech by Finlandia Foundation lecturer of the year Eero Kilpi, “Sauna Lost and Found: Restoring Finnishness to a Global Tradition.”

“But all in all, I think we’ve been able to stick with the traditions that people have come to embrace, and they look forward to it,” Maki said. “It’s a great way to celebrate the post-holidays and the greatest month of the year with a whole lot of color.”

A former staple of the event, the polar bear plunge, had been discontinued for several years before returning briefly last year with a tank on Quincy Green. Because of issues with access on the Portage Canal and safety concerns with the terrain underneath, it has been removed from the event calendar for now, Maki said. Doing it on land is equally difficult, he said.

“Most people don’t keep their swimming pools readily available for this time of year, and we never know what weather we’re going to get,” he said. “So it’s a challenge to plan for any sort of water-based event in the middle of winter.”

Copper Country Finns and Friends is always looking for volunteers, Maki said. The best way for people to sign up is through the website, heikinpaiva.org.

“They are key to making this happen, and there’s always a need,” he said. “Don’t let any reason enter your mind to shy away. If you want to keep this festival going, you can be a part of making it happen.”