The Old Town of Turku is celebrating for the third time. Operators in the area have joint forces and planned interesting events for people living in Turku. This year, an event passport is also in use where you can collect stamps and enter the raffle of prizes.
The Old Town Celebration is held every year on the Saturday before Midsummer. The event programme is provided by the numerous operators in the area. The event offers an opportunity for people living in Turku to get to know the operators in the area and increases cooperation between them. The Old Town Celebra-tion is a good example of increased cooperation between operators in the area.
– It’s wonderful that we are revitalising the area together and opening the historic centre of Turku in new ways to people living in Turku and tourists alike. This year, for example, the Turku Cathedral congregation will host events with the Pilgrimage Center and the Chapel of Holy Spirit by the Vähätori square. What is especially heart-warming is that the birthday festivities of the Turku Cathedral have expanded to a celebra-tion throughout the Old Town, says coordinator Ann-Mari Lehti from the Turku Cathedral congregation.
The celebration aims to revitalise the Old Town and bring joy to people living in Turku. Jere Pensikkala, CEO of Art House Turku, hopes this will be a day when everyone in Turku can celebrate their own history, and on the other hand, be surprised by the history being made in Turku right now.
Old vibrant city blocks are exactly the kind of urban culture that should be found in a European city like Turku.
– As the objective of Art House Turku is to be a heart beating to the rhythm of art in the Old Town, these moments when the whole Old Town is full of events and people are a real joy for us. Old vibrant city blocks are exactly the kind of urban culture that should be found in a European city like Turku, Pensikkala says.
Many have already been celebrating this unique Old Town area in previous years.
– I’d like to think that a celebration only gets better when as many people as possible also invite their friends and acquaintances to spend time together, says Jere Pensikkala.
Guided tours to underground Turku
This year’s programme features plenty of music and art as before, and on the other hand, also offers an opportunity for peace and quiet. The Old Town’s museums and galleries will be open, and restaurants and cafés will serve their customers from dawn to dusk.
– This time, visitors can also dig deeper into the history of the area – literally.
Art House Turku will open its cellars for the day, and people can visit them on guided tours led by archae-ologists from Muuritutkimus Oy. Guided tours will also be offered for the new exhibition at Aboa Vetus, and on the Vähätori square on the other side of the river, Benito Casagrande will present the Chapel of Holy Spirit, says Tuija Alihaanperä who is in charge of the event’s practical coordination.
– On behalf of every operator in the Old Town, I would like to wish all people living in Turku welcome to celebrate the Old Town and experience its atmosphere!
The programme of the Old Town Celebration is available in the Turku event calendar. As some events are subject to a fee, we recommend you to check the full-day programme in advance: kalenteri.turku.fi/vanhakaupunki
Collect stamps in your passport from the event locations of the Turku Old Town celebration. Among those who have collected at least five stamps, nice prizes will be raffled off!
You can get the event passport from Wednesday, June 11th, from places such as the Art House Turku, Kunsthalle Turku, the Cathedral, and Turku Info at the Market Square. All collection and return points for the passport are marked on the map that comes with the passport.