The founding of the city of Joensuu is celebrated annually on the 29th of November.

Meritable Joensuu residents will be rewarded in many different categories and residents are invited to join cultural events in various parts of the city.

In connection to the festivities, we will also celebrate the opening of the renovated Kuhasalo recreational area at 2–6 PM (Kukkosensaari 5).

The traditional Joensuu Day morning coffee at the city hall has unfortunately been cancelled due to the coronavirus. Cake and coffee will still be served in other parts of Joensuu: at the city’s service points in Eno and Kiihtelysvaara, at the Ullakko at Tuupovaara, and in the Lastaustie meeting room at Pyhäselkä.

– Meeting people is at the heart of Joensuu Day. We want to be careful with this corona situation, however. Almost a thousand people have gathered for the morning coffee at the city hall in the past, so we would not be able to prevent a crowd from forming there. Fortunately, we will not need to celebrate Joensuu Day with dry mouths in all of the city, says Mayor Kari Karjalainen.

City hall awards ceremony to be live-streamed

The awards to be distributed on Joensuu Day this year are

• entrepreneur
• culture
• youth
• successful athletes
• Everyday Heros
• Luotsi’s employment awards.

This time Joensuu’s Entrepreneur Day award will also be given to two companies. These awards are being given now for the first time, and in the future, these awards will be a way of acknowledging entrepreneurs annually during Entrepreneur Day on the 5th of September.

Volunteering activities in different parts of Joensuu will be rewarded with the Everyday Heroes award. Each rural area’s hero will be rewarded during the area’s coffee time, and the city center’s Everyday hero will be rewarded in the city hall.

The awards ceremony in the city hall will be live-streamed on Joensuu’s Youtube channel on November 29 starting at 8:30 AM. The website is www.youtube.com/joensuunkaupunki. The ceremony will be translated into sign language.

Open doors, literature, and excerpts from local history in the city center

Joensuu Day traditionally involves cultural events and lectures.

North Karelian Museum Hilma (Koskikatu 5) and Joensuu Art Museum (Kirkkokatu 23) have free entry and they are open from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Book candidates for the Finlandia award will be presented at the main library (Koskikatu 25) starting at 6 PM.

The community college (Papinkatu 3) is offering free lectures on Joensuu’s history (in Finnish).

• The topics on Tuesday, November 30 at 6 PM are mayor Tauno Juntunen and Joensuu’s municipality consolidation projects.
• The topic on Wednesday, December 1 at 6 PM is the basic school’s arrival in Joensuu and changes in the city as told by photographs.

More details and registration at www.opistopalvelut.fi/joensuu

Joensuu Day program in rural areas

Eno, service point (Kunnantie 2)
9 AM–2 PM coffee and a program for everyone
10 AM duo Eerika Salli and Miika Piirainen
10.30 AM awarding Eno’s Everyday hero

Kiihtelysvaara, service point (Aprakkatie 2)

9 AM–3 PM coffee and a program for everyone
11 AM awarding Kiihtelysvaara’s Everyday hero
11:15 AM–12:15 PM Ville Karjalainen’s and Raimo Maaranen’s Golden youth – a narrative music  session
1:15 PM cantor Katri-Mari Huotari’s violin music performance

Pyhäselkä, Lastaustie meeting room (Lastaustie 2, Hammaslahti)
10 AM–3 PM coffee and a program for everyone including awarding Pyhäselkä’s Everyday hero
1 PM duo Eerika Salli and Miika Piirainen

Tuupovaara, Ullakko (Onnelankuja 5)
9 AM–3 PM coffee and a program for everyone
9 AM awarding Tuupovaara’s Everyday hero
9:15 AM Ville Karjalainen’s and Raimo Maaranen’s Golden youth – a narrative music session
10 AM Tuupovaara-seura ry’s book Yhteistyöllä, yhessä ja erikseen (With teamwork, together and separately) publishing ceremony

You can see a more detailed program for Joensuu Day here: www.joensuu.fi/joensuu-paiva (in Finnish).