Vaasa celebrates its 420th anniversary and invites everyone to join in  

Vaasa will celebrate its 420th anniversary across the city. Some of the programme is aimed at the whole family, some at seniors, and many of the events are free of charge.  

The celebrations will begin on Thursday 1 October. Ritz will screen a video about Vaasa’s history, exploring the city’s development through the lens of its identity as an energy city. The event will run from 17.00 to 18.45 and open with a speech by Mayor Tomas Häyry, followed by a talk by researcher Säde Stenlund on the power of happiness. Recently returned to Vaasa, Dr Säde Stenlund is a researcher with medical training who works as a researcher at Harvard University and the University of Turku. Admission is free, but advance registration is required.

That same evening, Pepe Willberg will perform his 80th-anniversary concert at Vaasa City Hall at 18.00. The concert, titled Elämältä kaiken sain, traces Willberg’s career from the 1960s to the present day. It is also the Vaasa City Orchestra’s contribution to the city’s anniversary celebrations.  

Open house events  

On Vaasa’s birthday, Friday 2 October, Culture House Fanny and two daycare centres, all recently renovated, will open their doors to the public. Visitors are welcome as follows:  

• Palosaari Daycare (Wolffintie 25) from 12.00 to 15.00  

• Gustavsborg Daycare (Läntinen Kasarmintori 8) from 16.00 to 18.00  

• Culture House Fanny (Kirkkopuistikko 34) from 12.00 to 15.00   

Teemu Ranta, Project Manager at Vaasa Premises Management Office, will be there to talk about the renovation of Culture House Fanny from 12.00 to 13.30. Architect Gunilla Lång-Kivilinna from Arkkitehdit Lång-Kivilinna & Larikka will be available at Palosaari Daycare to talk about the project. 

Free cultural activities  

Admission to the Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art is free on 2 October from 10.00 to 17.00. During the open house day, visitors can explore Marja Pirilä’s Camera Obscura exhibition. Pirilä is one of the leading figures in Finnish photographic art. Museum of Old Vaasa will also be open on 2 October from 10.00 to 17.00, with free admission to the exhibition 250 years or Vaasa Court of Appeal.  

On 2 October, the City of Vaasa Culture Services will host the ‘Vaakkoset (Valphabet) – Vaasa’s Own Alphabet’ workshop at the main library from 14.00 to 16.30. The workshop is open to everyone. The workshop explores what makes Vaasa Vaasa, and invites participants to create the city’s own alphabet together through writing and drawing. Similar workshops will be held in the morning for early childhood education and school groups (from 9.00 to 10.00 or 10.00 to 11.00). Advance booking is required. Primary and lower secondary schools in Vaasa will also be offered a birthday-themed materials pack.   

In addition, the main library will host a book exhibition throughout October showcasing what Vaasa was like 100 years ago. 

Programme for seniors and families  

On Friday 2 October, the Sports Services will offer seniors a free chair exercise session at Ikäkeskus (Vuorikatu 2) from 11.00 to 11.45. The swimming hall will have a Happy Hour from 12.00 to 14.00, when admission is €4.  

The traffic park at Onkilahti Activity Park will be open on 2 October from 12.00 to 18.00, weather permitting. At the traffic park, children can practise their road safety skills on pedal cars in a miniature version of Vaasa, free of charge. The park features scale models of many familiar buildings, including the City Hall, water tower, and railway station.  

To mark Vaasa’s 420th anniversary, the City Gardens will plant an English oak in Old Vaasa. A sign next to the tree will explain that it was planted to commemorate the city’s 420th anniversary.  

Celebrations continue on Saturday 3 October  

Vaasa City Theatre is offering special discounted tickets for the 13.00 and 18.00 performances of the musical Tinakenkätyttö. The tickets cost €42 and can be purchased online or at the box office. Reserve your tickets by calling 06 325 3961. The number of discounted tickets is limited.  

Explore the Port of Vaasa on a guided bus tour on Saturday 3 October. Tours depart from Vaasa City Hall (Senaatinkatu 1) at 11.00 and 12.30. Each tour lasts approximately one hour and can accommodate up to 65 participants. Your guide will be Helvi Riihimäki from the Vaasa-Mustasaari Guides Association, and the tour will be conducted bilingually in Finnish and Swedish. Registration is available via the link: https://link.webropolsurveys.com/S/F93052DBB85E37FE.

Residents share their stories of Vaasa  

Alma Adult Education Centre will celebrate the anniversary with primary and lower secondary school groups and host a discussion event titled ‘Minun Vaasa – Min Vasa’ (My Vaasa), as part of the Year of Finland’s Domestic Languages. The event on Friday 2 October from 17.00 to 19.30 (Alma, Kirkkopuistikko 15, café) will give people an opportunity to share their experiences of Vaasa. For more information and registration (in Finnish and Swedish), please visit https://uusi.opistopalvelut.fi/vasa/sv/course/160426/.

TaiKon students will highlight Vaasa’s history and landmarks through animations. The animations will be placed near well-known buildings and landmarks around the city and can be viewed using QR codes.  

To celebrate Vaasa’s birthday, Visit Vaasa will draw one winner of a €50 Shopping Vaasa gift card. You can enter the prize draw on Shopping Vaasa’s social media channels.  

Vaasa’s 420th anniversary is a shared celebration that everyone can enjoy in their own way.