UPCOMING EVENTS
Lenten Fish Fry
Join us for fish dinner on most Fridays during the Lenten season, 4:30-7 p.m.
Menu:
Baked or Fried Fish
Glazed ham
Sweet potato casserole
Carrots
Oven brown potatoes
Coleslaw
Bread/Rolls
Cash Bar. Cost is $15.
Book discussion with Swedish Author Maria Bouroncle
Swedish Author Maria Bouroncle will discuss her historical trilogy on murder, Finnish war children, and the journey to America. Book signing to follow. 1-3 p.m. in the Main Hall. Free admission; donations encouraged. In March-April 2026 Ms. Bouroncle is a writer in residence at the University of Michigan Scandinavian Program. She will teach a course on Swedish literature and creative writing.
St. Urho’s Day / Lenten Fish Fry
Join us for fish dinner and St. Urho’s Day fun, 4:30-7 p.m.
Menu:
Baked or Fried Fish
Glazed ham
Sweet potato casserole
Carrots
Oven brown potatoes
Coleslaw
Bread/Rolls
Cash Bar. Cost is $15.
Movie matinee: The Love That Remains
This movie will be shown at 2 p.m. on March 22 at the Detroit Film Theatre at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), 5200 Woodward Avenue; Detroit, MI 48202.
As part of our Nordic Film Series, our film curator was able to secure complimentary tickets for FCA. If you are interested in screening this film for free, please send email to contactus@finnishcenter.org to request tickets. We need to provide a count to the DIA before March 22. Also, let us know if you are interested but in need of transportation.
Nordic Folk Dancing
The Nordic Folk Dance group welcomes both children and adults and both first-time dancers and previous dancers to its practices. No experience needed! Dance instructor: Glendene Thornbloom. 2-5 p.m. in the Main Hall.
Fundraiser at Karl's Cabin
Eat at Karl's Cabin (6005 Godfredson Road, Plymouth) at this day & time. Show this flyer or mention to waiter/cashier that you are supporting the Finnish Center Association. 15 percent of your meal tab will be donated back to the Finnish center. Dine-in only; no carry outs.
Lenten Fish Fry
Join us for fish dinner on most Fridays during the Lenten season, 4:30-7 p.m.
Menu:
Baked or Fried Fish
Glazed ham
Sweet potato casserole
Carrots
Oven brown potatoes
Coleslaw
Bread/Rolls
Cash Bar. Cost is $15.
2026 FCA Scholarship application deadline
The Finnish Center Association (FCA) offers scholarships to deserving college students of Finnish heritage or with ties to the FCA community. Deadline to apply: April 15, 2026, at 3 p.m. ET. Complete and submit the online application form.
Adopt-a-Road trash pickup on Eight Mile
FCA is proud to play a part in cleaning up our local community as part of the Wayne County Adopt-a-Road Program. Each spring FCA volunteers pick up trash on the stretch of Eight Mile Road between I-275 and Farmington Road. This year’s pickup is April 17-18, starting at 10 a.m. each day. Bags and trash pickers/grabbers will be provided in the FCA entrance area. Please bring your own gloves, snacks and water. Bags are left on the side of road as they are filled and Wayne County picks them up. Everyone is welcome to help. Bring a friend! Together, we can make a big difference.
Vappu
One of Finland’s biggest festivals, celebrated annually on or around May 1 to mark the end of winter and spring graduations. The 2026 celebration will take place May 2, 5 p.m.-midnight, in the FCA Main Hall.
Juhannus
The celebration of the summer solstice, or midsummer, between the 20th and 26th of June. The 2026 event will be held June 19, 4:30-10 p.m. at FCA. A bonfire (kokko) will be built, weather permitting.
Scandinavian Market
A day of Scandinavian food, art, music, and the sale of an array of curated handcrafted and imported goods. The 2026 event will be held Nov. 14, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Finnish Center.
Finnish independence Day
This event is held on December 6 each year to celebrate Finland’s declaration of independence from the Russian empire. The 2026 event will be held Dec. 5, 5-10 p.m., in the FCA Main Hall.
Lenten Fish Fry
Join us for fish dinner on most Fridays during the Lenten season, 4:30-7 p.m.
Menu:
Baked Fish
Fried Fish
Sausage with peppers and onions
California blend vegetables
Rice pilaf
French fries
Bread
Dessert available for additional cost
Cash Bar. Cost is $15.
Kalevala Epic Read
Join the FCA and the Wayne State University Humanities Center for a full reading of the Finnish national epic Kalevala on Feb. 28, 8 a.m.-midnight (or later). Volunteer to read one of the epic’s 50 poems or listen in! You may come and go from the event at your convenience, and you can attend at the venue, over Zoom, or both. Copies of the epic will be made available online and in person, or you may use your own. This event is free and open to the public but, due to the subject matter of some of the poems, this event is not recommended for children. It will be performed at the Finnish Center Association, 35200 W. 8 Mile Road, Farmington Hills, Michigan. Register at https://forms.wayne.edu/6978db31ceaff or use the QR code on the flyer.
2026 Fundraising Auction ends
The Finnish Center Association’s 2026 online auction has arrived! Bidding opens on Feb. 14 and concludes at 5 p.m. on Feb. 28. Please support FCA and bid on these lovely items, all donated by members and friends. Proceeds from the auction go toward the FCA’s capital campaign to fund upgrades to our beautiful cultural center. View the auction!
Lenten Fish Fry
Join us for fish dinner on most Fridays during the Lenten season, 4:30-7 p.m.
Menu:
Baked Fish
Fried Fish
Mostaccioli w/ meat
Green beans
Garlic mashed potatoes
Coleslaw
Breadsticks
Cash Bar. Cost is $15.
Nordic Folk Dancing
The Nordic Folk Dance group welcomes both children and adults and both first-time dancers and previous dancers to its practices. No experience needed! Dance instructor: Glendene Thornbloom. 2-5 p.m. in the Main Hall.
Lenten Fish Fry
Join us for fish dinner on most Fridays during the Lenten season, 4:30-7 p.m.
Menu:
Baked or Fried Fish
Glazed ham
Sweet potato casserole
Carrots
Oven brown potatoes
Coleslaw
Bread/Rolls
Cash Bar. Cost is $15.
FCA Annual Meeting
Our 2026 Annual Meeting will be held Sunday, Feb. 15, 3 p.m. at the Finnish Center Association. Remote access is available via Zoom. Visit the Annual Meeting page for links to Zoom, agenda, and related files. If you are an FCA member, please join us to hear an overview of 2025, and to have your vote count for elections of board members and committee chairs. If attending in person, refreshments and social time will follow.
NOTE: If you cannot attend the Annual Meeting in person or via Zoom, we encourage you to complete a proxy so another member can vote on your behalf. All proxies must be returned to the FCA office prior to the start of the Annual Meeting.
Finnish Language Classes Begin
The Finnish Center Association will be offering Finnish language classes beginning on February 8, 2026. Both in-person and Zoom classes are available.
How to register and pay:
1) Complete and submit the online form. A copy of what you submit will be sent to your email address.
2) Print and mail the form with a check made out to the FCA. Mail to Finnish Center Association, 35200 West Eight Mile Road; Farmington Hills, MI 48335.
3) Submit payment by calling or visiting the FCA office (35200 West Eight Mile Road, Farmington Hills). Office hours are M-W-F, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Check or cash payment preferred. Credit card payments also accepted with a 3% surcharge to cover fees.
Cost for FCA members: $100
Cost for non-member: $160
Periodic 2-hour advanced workshops, price is per session: $20 members, $25 non-members
To become a member of FCA to enjoy the discounted rates, you can join online.
SUNDAY IN-PERSON CLASSES, 4-5 p.m., at the Finnish Center
Session #1: Feb. 8
Feb. 15 is the FCA Annual Meeting at 3 p.m. (no class). Students recommended to attend the meeting.
Session #2: Feb. 22
March 1: no class
Session #3: March 8
Session #4: March 15
Session #5: March 22
Session #6: March 29
April 5 is Easter (no class)
Sesson #7: April 12
Session #8: April 19
Session #9: April 26
Session #10: May 3
TUESDAY ZOOM CLASSES, 7-8 p.m., beginning Feb. 10
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Victoria Stewart, assistant director of the Humanities Center at Wayne State University, has taught Finnish language on the community and university levels at Finlandia University, the Finnish American Heritage Center, and at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she received her Ph.D. in Scandinavian Studies and Folklore in 2014.
Finnish Independence Day
This event is held on December 6 each year to celebrate Finland’s declaration of independence from the Russian empire.
Scandinavian Market
A day of Scandinavian food, art, music, and the sale of an array of curated handcrafted and imported goods.
