We make a small village a big party, says the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival employees on their shirts. The fact that no fewer than 449 employees and volunteers will be working in the festival area in the municipality of 4,300 inhabitants during the first week of the festival speaks volumes about the strength of the volunteer spirit. Almost 100 people have been involved in construction work in advance.
On Sunday evening, a steady stream of volunteers and performers began to arrive at the festival site. A hundred hikers from the village of Järvelkä set off on a night hike.
Monday gates will open at 15.00. Immediately afterwards, at 15.30, the Tour of Crete running event will start from Pelimannitorio, which you can also participate in by playing and dancing. The spectacular opening procession leaves from the Osuusmeijer yard at 17:00.
At the opening ceremony of the first day at 17.30 at the Central Ostrobothnia Arena, the new champion players will be announced and the renewed festival plaque will be distributed for the first time. The plaque is a badge given to a person who has worked selflessly for Kaustinen and the whole folk music scene, and not necessarily to a peliman.
The international nature of the festival is reflected in the fact that on Monday, in addition to Finland, there will be performers from Kenya, Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Sweden, Germany, the USA and Russia.
The free opening day is provided by the Kaustinen sub-region.
Pyry Rauma (left), Tomi Kinnunen, Pekka Jylhä, Anders Widjeskog and Taneli Hietalahti (in the loader) have been building the festival in advance. Photo by Hannele Viiperi