Kumpula Village Party: 25 years old
Helsinki's oldest neighbourhood festival, the Kumpula Village Party, turns 25 this year. The festivities will include the grand opening of the Kumpula outdoor pool for its summer season. More than 20,000 people are expected to attend. The party programme is filled with goodies, from an annual running race to musical performances from some of the country's leading artists – more than 300 of them.
Naisten Kymppi sports event spread across two days
Finland's largest sports and wellbeing event for women, Naisten Kymppi, is being held as a two-day event for the first time this year. The thrust of the event is still on the headline event, the Fun Run, which is being held for the 33rd time. The route is 10 km long, starting from the Citizen Square by the Helsinki Music Centre. Some 12,000 women are expected to run, jog or walk the route on Sunday.
World Village Festival in Kaisaniemi
The annual World Village Festival, organised by the civil society organisation Kepa brings a vast smorgasbord of cultures, events, food stalls and nearly 20 free gigs to the Kaisaniemi Park and the Railway Square on Saturday and Sunday. The festival's official panel discussion will focus on the theme of justice and equity. Speakers include former president Tarja Halonen, and hundreds of organisations are in attendance. Last year's festival drew crowds of more than 70,000 people.
Cleaning Day: out with the old, in with the old
Cleaning Day, Siivouspäivä in Finnish, is an unofficial and nationwide flea market day when people are invited to sell their personal second-hand wares on streets, in gardens or even in their own homes. The ethos of the popular movement is to make recycling easy for everyone. The event has no specific organizer, but people selling their goods can mark their location on the map on the Cleaning Day website.