Annual Events


Summer Events       Autumn Events      Winter Events      Spring Events     

Summer Events


Ylläs Area Summer Challenge 2021
Wilderness adventure from Lemmenjoki to Äkäslompolo. Trail running, mountain biking & downhill biking. Packrafting, gravel biking & rogaining. Spend July in Ylläs testing your limits with a variety of outdoor activity events.

Ylläs Outdoor Week from 8-17th July is a week for outdoorsy people in Äkäslompolo, Kolari. Try different outdoor sports, test equipment, compete & learn more in seminars.

The wildest race may be the NUTS Distance 300, where participants start from Lemmenjoki National Park, go through Pöyrisjärvi Wilderness Area to Palla-Ylläs National Park and end up in Äkäslompolo. NUTS Distance starts Monday July 12th and you must get to the finish line latest by Saturday the 17th. The total distance covered is 326km.

July 9th the NUTS Ylläs-Pallas trail run takes place, which has 37km, 58km, 105km & 160km distances.

NUTS MTB 240 mountain biking race requires a GPS, spanning 240km of Pöyrisjärvi Wilderness Area and Pallas-Ylläs National Park. The race is from 13-17th July.

Kairacross Ylläs packraft event starts July 14th. In it participants travel with a packed inflatable raft in their backpack on outdoor trails and along fell rivers to wilderness lakes. There are three routes: one day, half-day, and a few hours' length minimum.

On the same day July 14th, gravel will fly at Nordic Gravel Ylläs. Distances for the races are 40, 80 & 120km, on gravel roads in the national park and its surroundings.

We will find out Finland's rogaining champion on July 15th & 16th. In this sport you have to reach as many checkpoints as possible in 24 hours.

On July 16th there will also be a roller skiing event.

The last competition will be the Ylläs Funduro-cup on July 28th & 29th, racing on downhill bikes.

Levi Bike Fest
20.-25.07. Levi is hosting a variety of bike races and fun activities throughout the week. Find their timetable here: Bike Fest Timetables

Offroad Finnmark
Offroad Finnmark hosts a few different mountain biking races around Alta, Norway from July 23rd - 31st.


Autumn Events


The Full Moon Art Night
This takes place once a year – normally in mid-October. It includes presentations of music, poetry, literature and handicrafts. It was last hosted in 2019, see link to event page for updates: "Täyen kuun taithessa".

Väärtipäivät
The event includes presentations on local life skills, business products and services, villages, organizations and other entities in the market place and evening events. Evernyone is invited to participate; local residents, leisure-time residents, neighbors and visitors. See event page for updates: Enontekiön Väärtipäivät. There was also Yle coverage of the event in 2017: Yle Uutiset Saame.


Winter Events


Christmas Market
Hetta's Christmas Market happens at the beginning of December, each year and takes place across two days. Local craftsmen present their wares in the village school. See event updates here: Traditional Christmas Market.

Frostkade 500
The Frostskade 500 route takes you through Norway, Sweden and Finland during some of the coldest months in the Arctic. Participants can use a GPX to navigate and can travel by ski or snowshoe, using either backpacks or pulks for transporting gear.


Spring Events


Hetta Music Festival
This celebrated event takes place, each year, in the middle of March and concerts and choral evenings are held in the church and other venues throughout Hetta. More information can be found from Hetan Musiikkipäivät

Marianpäivät (St Mary's Day Celebration)
This is a big celebration of Lappish Culture by both Sami and Lapps that has taken place, annually, since the 1500s. It happens right at the end of the international tourism season, towards the end of March. Traditionally it was a time when people would gather together for baptisms, births, burials and trade. Reindeer racing has been part of the event since the 1940s and continues, today, alongside lasso-throwing competitions, musical evenings, a Lappish handicraft and products market, Sami theatre and films etc. More information can be found from Hetan Marianpäivät

Hetta Snow Adventure Week
There are 10 weeks of the year when the area's companies offer their products as part of a fixed weekly programme. More information can be found from the Tourist Information Office (the Skierri).

Enontekio's Ice Fishing Week
This takes place annually in the last week of April and contests are held in waters around the municipality.

Sami Ski Race
This annual race from Hetta to Kautokeino is increasingly popular on the long distance race calendar. The main event is a 90km track across the tundra but it is also possible to take part in shorter 30km or 60km stages between Hetta and Näkkälä or Näkkälä and Kautokeino. See event detail updates: Saami Ski Race.

Lapponia Ski Marathon and Ski Week
There are a couple hundred kilometres of ski tracks in a beautiful landscape in Olos, Muonio, Finland. The ski week is about having a good time in great company and skiing collectively for three days in the week. Everybody receives a highly admired medal and diploma. Race office is located at Olos. One 60km race goes between Olos, Keimiöjärvi and Olos (although you can opt for a 30km race goes between Olos, Jerisjärvi and Olos that day). The 50km route is between Vuontisjärvi, Pallas and Olos with an option to shorten it to 25km between Pallas and Ollos. The grand finale is an 80km race between Hetta and Ollos with the option to reduce it to 40km if starting in Kerässieppi instead. See event details here: Lapponia Hiihto.