First Wooden House Fair in Kaskinen-Kaskö celebrating Cultural Heritage and Community exceeds Expectations
BSR Cultural Pearl 2025 Kaskinen-Kaskö is Finland’s smallest town in Finland and famous for its old and beautiful wooden houses, which it honoured with the first edition of its own Wooden House Fair on August 17th in the framing of its Culture and Resilience Action Plan (CuReAP).
The idea for the event was born out of the broader ‘Fix Kaskinen’ initiative, which aims to revitalize the town by restoring its unique wooden house heritage and making it better known nationally. The fair thereby is part of a long-term strategy to support restoration, promote cultural tourism, and rebuild a sense of local pride and belief in the future.
People in Kaskinen-Kaskö are proud of the town’s distinctive wooden houses, and it was this pride in the uniqueness of their homes and their history that inspired them to participate. In Finland, renovation is a popular and meaningful activity – many homeowners are passionate about restoring older buildings with care and craftsmanship, and this enthusiasm was clearly visible during the fair. Their willingness to share their renovation stories brought the town’s rich architectural and cultural heritage vividly to life.
Before the fair, the town administration organized a public meeting where the concept and practical arrangements were discussed together with the residents. At the same event, participants could sign up to take part, resulting in 15 locations being included in the fair. The role of the town administration was mostly coordinative; the citizens were the implementing power, playing a central role in the success of the fair. The event only came together thanks to the active involvement of the town’s residents, many of whom generously opened their homes to visitors.
Originally, a two-day event was planned, but due to a gale, the first day had to be cancelled. Fortunately, this unexpected turn of events led to extensive local media coverage, giving the fair a surprising amount of free publicity and increasing interest in the event, which led to approximately 500 visitors attending.
Conversations with the fair visitors confirmed the assumption that people are tired of the overpriced luxury and are now more interested in ordinary homes and personal ideas for renovations. Many of the visitors praised how amazing and inspiring it was to even see completely unfinished projects and not only finished renovations.
After the event, the municipality administration held a feedback session with participants and contributors. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing how the fair had strengthened the community spirit and created a renewed sense of pride in our town. Based on this feedback, Kaskinen-Kaskö has decided to make the Wooden House Fair an annual tradition with the event format having the potential to serve as an inspiring model for other towns in the region and beyond.
In the context of Kaskinen-Kaskö’s Culture and Resilience Action Plan (CuReAP), the fair demonstrates how safeguarding cultural heritage can be a powerful tool for revitalization. It highlights local skills, fosters intergenerational connection, and promotes genuine bilingualism in everyday life. Most importantly, it gives hope for the future – especially for the younger generations – by showing that cultural heritage can be a living, shared asset.
Photo credits: Pia Blomström
