The Most Finnish Town In America Is A Midwest Gem That's Getting Festive With Unique Competitions

The Finlandia Foundation National has referred to Hancock, Michigan, as the most Finnish town in America. Having personally traveled throughout Finland and to Hancock, I have to agree. This under-the-radar town in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula will make you feel like you're in the heart of Finland, and local residents play a huge part. Finnish immigrants came to Hancock during the copper boom, and you'll still find many of their descendants there today. The Finnish American Heritage Center is also located in Hancock and operates a Finnish American Folk School. There's no doubting the significance of Finnish heritage in Hancock, and that's been solidified even more this year, as the town was declared the 2026 Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture — a first for a North American destination.

Hancock will be getting extra festive to celebrate this special achievement this summer. Just like Finland celebrates Midsummer (Juhannus), so does this Midwest gem. The annual event includes a Midsummer Pole Raising Ceremony, dancing, a bonfire lighting, and a parade. Visitors will likely see locals dressed in traditional Finnish attire. Perhaps the most outrageous part of the festivities is the unique competitions. 

These aren't your run-of-the-mill Midwest fair tournaments. Instead of cheering on their favorite football team, Hancock locals will be rocking out as contestants strum air guitars. Rock music is huge in Finland, although they're particularly adept at playing instruments you can't see. The Air Guitar World Championship takes place in Oulu, Finland, each year, and in 2026, Hancock will host the first Michigan Air Guitar Exhibition. But that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the bizarre competitions that visitors can expect this summer in Hancock, Michigan.

According to the official Wife Carrying in North America website, wife carrying started in Finland in the 19th century. There are multiple tales about how this wacky competition came to be, but the sport was reinvigorated in 1992, and the first modern wife-carrying competition was held in Finland, celebrating a centuries-old tradition. The trend stuck, and there's now a Wife-Carrying World Championship held in Sonkajarvi, Finland, every year.  

This isn't your typical Midwest sport, but as the most Finnish town in America, Hancock, of course, had to get in on the fun. They'll be hosting their own Keweenaw Wife-Carrying Contest. The rules state that you can carry your partner any way that you like, and most contestants have a well-thought-out strategy. Some choose to throw their wife over their shoulder for a move called the "Fireman's Carry." Others prefer "Estonian-style," which consists of a woman hanging upside down, draped over her husband's back, with her legs wrapped around his shoulders and her arms around his waist. Many contestants also keep it simpler with a piggyback ride. 

The goal is to be the fastest team to finish the course, although this isn't just a race. Contestants must face obstacles that include a slip n' slide, silly string, water balloons, and more. They also have to contend with other tricky sections of the course, like a swimming pool and hurdles. Anyone over 18 can participate. Even better, you technically don't have to be married. 

The silly and unique competitions at the Juhannus Summer Solstice Celebration continue with the International Sauna Games. It may seem odd for some destinations, but for Hancock, it's fitting. A series of contests is centered around the four elements of a sauna experience: air, water, earth, and fire. Quirky competitions involve testing teams' speed at chopping and bundling firewood and running while carrying buckets of water. Perhaps the most peculiar round of the International Sauna Games is the Competitive Vasta. According to Visit Keweenaw, the goal of this contest is "to use a vasta or vihta or sauna switch to fully cover your partner in body paint." A vasta is a bundle of birch branches, often used in sauna wellness treatments. The first team to be covered in body paint wins.

Hancock is a Midwest gem that embraces its Finnish culture, including their happiness. Finland is a chart-topping country that has been named as the Happiest Country in the World, and that joy appears to shine brightly in the residents of Hancock, too. After all, how can you avoid smiling while watching someone play air guitar, jump over hurdles with their wife thrown over their back, or paint their teammate with sauna branches? The majority of these summer festivities take place between June 17-21, 2026, with most starting on the 18th. Located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Hancock isn't easy to reach. If you want to see these unique competitions for yourself, consider flying into Houghton County Memorial Airport, located in Calumet, a once-thriving copper town in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, which is only about a 10-minute drive from Hancock. All flights are non-stop to and from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.