Vaasa celebrates its birthday on 2 October

Small everyday encounters and kind words have a significant impact on the happiness experienced by residents.

• At the birthday party organised by the City’s Integration Services, guests can meet old friends and also people they don’t know and start chatting with the help of conversation cards. Birthday cake will be served free of charge at the café on the first floor at Korsholmanpuistikko 44 on Wednesday, 2 October from 10–12.
• At Vähäkyrö House (Vähänkyröntie 11), coffee and cake will be served on Wednesday, 2 October from 15–17. Reserve your slice of birthday cake by talking to someone you don’t know and recording the chat on a coupon. You can pick up a coupon at Vähäkyrö House and return it by 20 September. The coupon acts as ‘payment’ for a slice of cake. Guided improvisation exercises titled ‘By the way, you have a bit of cake on your face’ are organized in Kirkkosaari from 15.30–16.15. Register in advance (yhteispalveluvahakyro@vaasa.fi or tel. 06 325 8400). In case of rain, the event will be held at Vähäkyrö House.

Culture for everyone

The city’s many cultural organisations are organising free birthday events or offering promotions throughout the week.

Get to know Vaasa through images and films at Culture House Fanny

Hop on the visual time carousel and journey through five decades in Vaasa. Photographer Esa Siltaloppi, recipient of the Vaasa Cultural Achievement of the Year Award last year, will exhibit his treasured images of Vaasa at 18–19 at Culture House Fanny (Kirkkopuistikko 34) on Wednesday 2 October. A long-standing photographer, Siltaloppi will show vivid cityscapes, landscapes and people in photographs and on cine-films and videos. Free admission.

Free admission to museums on Wednesday, 2 October

The Ostrobothnian Museum (Museokatu 3), the Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art (Inner Harbour) and the Tikanoja Art Museum (Hovioikeudenpuistikko 4) offer free admission on Wednesday, 2 October. The museums are open from 10–17, and their current exhibitions include:

• Eastern Spirituality at the Tikanoja Art Museum
• Bodies and Moments – Three perspectives to the Kuntsi Foundation Collection at the Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art
• The Terranova natural science exhibition, the Vaasa400 cultural history exhibition and the recently renewed Hedman Floor at the Ostrobothnian Museum.

Birthday week at the theatre

Wasa Teater celebrates Vaasa’s birthday with a performance titled Tårtljus on Saturday 28 September at 19. When you buy a ticket for yourself and a friend who hasn’t been to Wasa Theatre before, both of you will receive birthday cake after the performance. Use the code VASA418 to reserve your tickets at the box office. Limited number of seats available. Reservations by 24 September (tel. 06 3209 330).

The Vaasa City Theatre will celebrate the birthday on three separate days with a special programme.

• Thursday, 3 October, features an evening at the theatre for both children and adults. The programme includes a free behind-the-scenes tour from 17–17.45, for which pre-registration is required. At 18, the children’s play Huvioikeus! will feature clowning around with 400 plush animals. The performance is aimed at children aged 3 to 7. The theatre offers tickets for the children’s play at a discounted price of 10 € each (regular price 18/13 €).

• Friday, 4 October, is an adults’ night at Vaasa City Theatre. The musical Cabaret – Leave Your Troubles Outside! begins at 19 The theatre offers tickets for the musical for 42 € (regular price 49 €).

• Saturday, 5 October, is a Day at the Theatre, featuring a free public workshop for children and adults from 12–12.45. Pre-registration is required for the workshop. The theatre will present the children’s play Huvioikeus! at 13 for 10 € (regular prices 18/13 €) and the musical Cabaret – Leave Your Troubles Outside! at 13 and 18 for 42 € (regular price 49 €).

Pre-register and reserve your tickets at the City Theatre box office tel. 06 325 3961. Limited number of seats available.

Come and watch the orchestra’s open rehearsals

On 2 October, the Vaasa City Orchestra will hold open rehearsals at the City Hall’s Assembly Room. Under the direction of conductor Tomas Djupsjöbacka, the Orchestra will rehearse for the opening concert of the autumn season. The theme of the concert is Don Juan, the notorious seducer who has long captivated the imagination of artists. Also participating in the rehearsals is soprano Helena Juntunen, who has performed at opera houses around the world.

The rehearsals are on the hour at 10, 11, 12 and 13. There is room for 120 people at a time. The actual concert will take place the next day, 3 October, in Vaasa Church at 18. Tickets 30 € (pensioners and unemployed 25 €, students and children 2 €).

Activities for children

• The opening ceremony of the Puddle Children’s Cultural Week will be held at the Main Library on Tuesday 1. October from 17–20. The programme includes Cirkus Simon, puddle dancing in the Drama Room, a Bugsy workshop in Studio Puddle and dancing in the Venny Room. Guided play at the artificial puddle outside the library (Kirjastonkatu 13). Free admission
• The children’s traffic park and pump track will be open on Wednesday, 2 October. The traffic park in Onkilahti (Järvikatu 9) is like Vaasa in miniature. The park features scale models of the Town Hall, the water tower and the railway station, as well as 36 pedal cars, a few bicycles and even a Lifti bus. Free admission to the traffic park.
• TaiKon is organising a free ‘Design your own road sign’ workshop for children in the traffic park on Vaasa’s birthday on Wednesday 2 October from 16–18 (weather permitting).
• The children’s section of the Main Library will host an exhibition titled ‘Made in Vaasa’, featuring books for children and young people by Vaasa-based authors and illustrators. Huudi Meeting Point is hosting an exhibition of birthday-themed books, titled ‘Happy B-day Vaasa’ throughout October.
• Don’t forget to review the Vaasa City Theatre’s programme for the rest of the week.

Programme for young people

At Youth Centre Kultsa:

• Café Kultsa will be open on Wednesday, 2 October, from 11–17. In celebration of Vaasa’s birthday, there will be snacks and a Vaasa-themed quiz with a Vaasa-themed prize, running continuously from 12–16.
• The Rainbow group will meet to celebrate Vaasa’s birthday at Café Kultsa from 17–20.30. There will be treats and programme.
• Youth information and counselling service Reimari will be open from 14–18, offering birthday snacks.
• Youth Centre Kultsa is organising a playful picture hunt in the surrounding area during its opening hours from 17–20.30. Participants can hunt for the pictures individually or in teams. The fastest team wins a prize.

Mobile youth work around town:

• On Vaasa’s birthday, the camper van Nuoli will be in Gerby from 13–15, in Kotiranta from 15–17 and around town according to the preferences of the youth from 17–19.30. Nuoli’s youth workers will provide snacks and organise outdoor games (weather permitting).

Online:

• Youth information and counselling service Reimari’s Discord channel ‘Kaffe Keskiviikko’ will be dedicated to Vaasa’s birthday and the Vaasa identity from 16–18. Young people can join online to chat and to share their experiences of living in Vaasa (link to the channel: https://discord.gg/dEZPvWRh) More Vaasa-related postings will also be added to the Youth Services’ social media channels.