Ben Garbacz/Daily Mining Gazette The Kivajat Finnish American Folk Dance group danced around the Midsummer Pole on the second day of the 2025 Juhannus.

HANCOCK — The Finns are coming! And so are the Estonians, the Hungarians, and countless other folks from across the country and around the globe. They’re coming to celebrate Hancock this Midsummer as the Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture for 2026, and they’ll be looking for examples of what makes this region wonderful. Applications are now open for prospective tori vendors to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime international celebration June 18-21.

Vendors seeking a table (or tables) at the tori – which will take place at Hancock Central High School on June 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and June 20 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – can apply online using the form found on the schedule page at hancockfinnougric.com. For only $25 per table, vendors will have an opportunity to market their wares to crowds of hundreds who’ll be eager to immerse themselves in all things Finno-Ugric, as well as those unique items that exemplify what makes the Keweenaw Peninsula and its surrounding region such a special place. Vendor inquiries can also be made to tori co-manager Mary Pekkala at marypek@charter.net or by calling 906-482-1413.

The tori is part of a larger multi-day celebration dubbed Juhannus Suurjuhlat (Midsummer Celebration) that will include presentations, panel discussions, music, dance and plenty of family-friendly fun over the three-day Midsummer weekend. During this special weekend, Hancock and its surrounding area – where one of every three residents has some Finno-Ugric heritage – will reveal what makes it culturally unique and worthy of this international honor. Equal parts educational and celebratory, festival organizers have developed a slate of events that’ll appeal to folks of all ages and cultural persuasions, with programs taking place at several sites across the city.

For more information, visit hancockfinnougric.com.