Dinner and dance at the Finn Hall

MONSON — The Monson Finnish Farmers will be celebrating Juhannus – Midsummer with a dinner of Finnish foods (Finnish meatballs, ham, potatoes, cucumber salad, dessert) from 4:30 -6:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 22. Juhannus is a celebration of the Summer Solstice and is an important holiday in Finland. It is a time for family and friends to gather to celebrate nature and summer.

Following the dinner, a Finn Dance will begin at 7 p.m. featuring The Oystermen. The Oystermen are a midcoast group that have performed at festivals and a variety of events. Members of the group are Cater Newell on the fiddle, Eric Rolfson on bass and mandolin, and Jeff “Smokey” McKeen on accordion. McKeen has previously played at the Finn Hall and learned many of the Finn Hall’s traditional tunes from Monson’s Finnish accordionist, Jorma Ranta. McKeen has also worked as a folklorist for the Maine Folklife Center collecting traditional songs, dances, stories, etc. from many cultural organizations, such as the Monson Finnish Farmers Club. He interviewed many “old time” Monson Finns in order to document what their life was like in the Monson area. These interviews are now held at the Fogler Library at UMaine in Orono. 

Dinner is $15 and the dance is $10. Please join us at the Finn Hall on Route 15 as we celebrate Juhannus. For further information contact Annalee Libby at 207-997-3268 or libby04406@gmail.com.