October in Helsinki – Sample Fresh Fish, Forage
Mushrooms and Berries
Autumn in Finland is a time for celebrating food. The waters and forests are full of it, and the Helsinki Baltic Herring Fair is a great manifestation of seafood culture in Finland. Dig even deeper into Finnish cuisine and take part in a foraging excursion to forests just outside the capital.
The annual Helsinki Baltic Herring Fair takes place between 6thand 12thOctober 2013. The Fair, generally believed to be the oldest event still organised in Helsinki, was held for the first time in 1743.
As the name suggests, the event is about fish and seafood. Fishermen (and women!) from the coastal areas and archipelago gather to Helsinki to sell their products directly to people in the Market Square in the South Harbour.
Selling and buying fish isn’t the only thing the Fair is about. Tastings also take place, and a jury consisting of both experts and regular people selects the best prepared fish in several categories.
See more on Helsinki Baltic Herring Fair 2013 on the Port of Helsinki site (http://www.portofhelsinki.fi/HelsinkiBalticHerringFair2013), Visit Helsinki site (http://www.visithelsinki.fi/en/events-in-helsinki/helsinki-baltic-herring-fair-2013) and Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herring_fair).
Go Forage Mushrooms and Berries
In Espoo, the Nuuksio National Park is a piece of wilderness just outside Helsinki. A tour operator “Feel the Nature” takes you foraging mushrooms and berries in the forests of Nuuksio (http://feelthenature.fi/en/berry-picking-and-mushroom-hunting-in-nuuksio-national-park/). Getting there is easy either on the bus or by arranging a representative from “Feel the Nature” to pick you up.
Events aplenty
Several events coincide with the Baltic Herring Fair in Helsinki, including a 15thanniversary exhibition in the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, the Helsinki Antique, Art and Collector Fair, an Irish music festival, and the Sailing Ship Day, to name a few.
Visit Helsinki events list (http://www.visithelsinki.fi/en/whats-on/events-in-helsinki/search-events-in-helsinki)
Accommodation in Helsinki (http://www.visithelsinki.fi/en/stay-and-enjoy/accommodation)
Finland travel and tourism online:
www.visitfinland.com; www.facebook.com/visitfinland; www.twitter.com/ourfinland