The best party of the summer is throwing

The Kaustinen Folk Music Festival brings together visitors of all ages, from first-time festival goers to regular attendees. What makes them come back? Three Kaustinen visitors share their experiences – as a camper, as a family, and as a first-time visitor.

As a camper in Kaustinen – ”The best festival of the summer is throwing”

Riikka Horppu He has attended the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival several summers now, although the first time happened quite by chance when he was on a summer vacation with his then-boyfriend.

– We went there on the free day and thought we would go and have a look. We had a really good time there, Riikka says.

By chance, Riikka, who ended up in Kaustinen, was surprised by the festival atmosphere – the cheerful and immediate atmosphere immediately took her with it.

The festival experience made an immediate impression, especially with its atmosphere. Riikka describes it as joyful and immediate – something that is easy to get involved in.

– There’s just a really good vibe there. People are smiling, the music is playing everywhere, and the atmosphere is really relaxed.

Kaustinen is particularly suitable for caravans, as the camping area is located right next to the festival area. According to Riikka, having a camper brings freedom and peace to the festival days.

It’s wonderful when your own home is involved. Sometimes I might go for a meal, put my feet up and relax, then head back to the festival area.

Riikka’s trip is also accompanied by her dogs, the Spanish water dog Bella and the Bichon Frisé Pimu. Although dogs are welcome in the festival area, Bella and Pimu feel most comfortable in the camping area. Especially Bella is sensitive to loud noises, such as the audience’s clapping.

Riikka loves Kaustinen especially for the way the music is heard everywhere there, not just on the stages. It follows you from morning until evening and makes the event unique in its own way.

– In the morning you might wake up to the sound of someone whistling, and in the evening while brushing your teeth you might hear someone whistling in the campsite.

Kaustinen is one of the highlights of the summer for Riikka – a place where they return year after year.

Arriving at the festivals by campervan or trailer requires some planning, especially if you want to use the electric hook-up from the camping area. However, there are options available; many offer their own yard for campervans through the festival's family accommodation.

Kaustinen has become one of Riihimäki’s highlights of the summer, and he will head there again next summer – as usual, in his camper van.

The reason is clear:

– The best party of the summer is throwing.

”There was something magical about that” – Ida returned to Kaustinen with her own family

For a Kokkola resident To Ida Lakas The Kaustinen Folk Music Festival has been part of the summer holiday program since I was little. In my childhood, the festivals meant a summer trip with my grandma and grandma-in-law – a day that was already awaited in advance.

– There I got ice cream, saw relatives and got to do all kinds of fun things. It was always a little special day, Ida recalls.

Memories also include small, precise moments: the warmth of the campfire, the drinks from the canteen, and the programs on Lastentelta that made time fly by.

Last summer Ida returned to Kaustinen with her husband and their little child.

– I got to listen to music while my husband was on my lap and at the same time I could hear the carriages rattling. There was really something magical about it, he says.

Ida knows that Kaustinen works well with even a small child.

From the perspective of a family with children, the festivals turned out to be smooth and easy. Moving around with the strollers was successful, and if needed, calmer places were found to rest. Changing diapers also went smoothly in the childcare room.

The day unfolded without any rush or precise plan. Sometimes we listened to music, sometimes we went to the store for snacks, and sometimes we just stopped to be together.

Ida's family had their own car available to facilitate the movement of a family with children, but it is also easy to get there without their own vehicle: a festival bus runs from Kokkola to Kaustinen every couple of hours until late at night.

Kaustinen presented itself to Ida primarily as a communal and warm place.

– Even the child got to dance there in a safe environment and she clearly enjoyed being free to dance and move around. It feels like everyone should be happy there. People smile and the atmosphere is really relaxed, she describes.

Now Kaustinen has gained a new meaning – it has become part of Ida’s own family story. On top of that, another child has been born to the family, so next summer the four-member family will head to the festivals to enjoy the music and be together.

”You have to experience it yourself” – Marjo left for Kaustinen and got hooked on the hobby

Marjo Esala I had been thinking for a long time that experiencing Kaustinen Folk Music Festival even once would be nice, but the trip still remained unfulfilled year after year.

Finally, the first time the festival took place last summer, when a couple of friends Merja and Ossi Hovinmäki attracted Marjon and her husband Jukka-Pekka to his liking.

”Fortunately, you asked me and Jukka-Pekka to come along!” Marjo (left) said to Merja, who had last attended Kaustinen festivals with her husband Ossi a few years ago.

– They got that spark to ignite properly, and then we just decided that now we’re going.

Marjo had previously thought that Kaustinen’s music scene was rather one-sided, but during the first few performances it became clear that the perception was completely wrong.

– I thought there would be more traditional folk music there, but the selection was really diverse. Whatever I listened to was really good and I felt like, wow, he describes.

The friends went to the festivals mostly based on their mood and wandered around the stages without any particular plan. Marjo recalls how the relaxed and positive atmosphere that prevailed in the venue all the time made a great impression on her.  

What particularly stood out in his mind was how the audience also had the opportunity to become part of the performance. No one had to remain just spectators; they could join in with a low threshold, even all the way to the dance floor.

Jukka-Pekka (left) and Ossi are having a good time in the festival atmosphere.

– There was no such pointless nonsense as just sitting around and watching. On Saturday night, for example, a fun choreographed dance was organized, to which the audience was invited and I, of course, was there to cheer along, Marjo laughs.

For a first-time traveler, he has clear advice: you don't need to plan everything in advance. Even small practical things make the experience easier.

– It’s worth going with an open mind, because the best things often turn up by chance. And if possible, it’s worth bringing a bike along. That way you can see a bit more of the Kaustinen area as well.

In the end, the feeling that came to the fore from the festival experience was something that is impossible to put into words completely.

– It’s hard to explain that feeling; you have to experience it for yourself.

And it goes without saying that Kaustinen will be on the calendar again next summer.

Marjo and Merja enjoy the festival atmosphere under the warm evening sun.