Hakaniemi Market Square serving as a venue for upcoming celebrations of the mushroom season and sober culture

Market squares have traditionally been places where people encounter local flavours, but there is no reason why a visit to the market square could not also serve as a way of discovering new food trends. In fact, this is exactly what the new events to be organised this autumn are aiming for.

The upcoming experimental market square events will provide small and local processors, breweries and restaurants with an opportunity to showcase their innovative or classic food products and beverages in a traditional marketplace setting.

Organised by two culture and food sector entrepreneurs, the two new market square events will celebrate the autumn mushroom bounty and emerging drinking culture at Hakaniemi Market Square in September. The aim of both the event celebrating the mushroom season and the non-alcoholic party is to attract new life and new operators to the market square. 

“We want to find out how market squares could better serve city residents, promote the availability of local seasonal food and stimulate market square activities in the future,” says Roosa Halonen, project manager of the Urban&Local project, which is coordinating the event production.

The project is coordinated by the City of Helsinki’s innovation company Forum Virium Helsinki. The event arrangements are being handled in collaboration with Helsingin Kaupunkitilat Oy, which manages and develops Helsinki’s commercial market squares. The experimental events provide an opportunity to explore the potential uses and development needs of market squares in terms of renovations, for example.

Sober party at the market square

At the event to be held on 7 September, Helsinki residents will get to see the market square transform into Finland’s first outdoor bar serving non-alcoholic and low-alcohol drinks. Sobar will bring together the most interesting Finnish independent beverage producers to showcase and sell their products, which include nuanced non-alcoholic wines, exciting beers, kombucha, mocktails and spritzes.

“While this will be the first pop-up bar serving non-alcoholic and low-alcohol drinks to be set up in Finland, these types of concepts are not exceptional in large metropolises like London. Young adults no longer drink alcohol like previous generations, as a result of which new, high-quality non-alcoholic beverages are quickly gaining popularity in Finland as well,” says the producer of the event, media artist Timo Wright. 

The Sobar and Friends market square party welcomes everyone interested in beverage, food and urban culture.

Sobar and Friends event on Saturday 7 September 2024 from 10:00 to 16:00 at Hakaniemi Market Square. No advance registration required. Free entry!

The Wild Food Revolution mushroom festival turns the market square into an oasis of flavours 

Those interested in mushrooms will be pleased to learn that on 28 September, Hakaniemi Market Square will be hosting an event where you get to taste, smell, touch and experience mushrooms. In addition to nutty, lemon, anise, shrimp, curry, dill and pineapple flavours, mushrooms also offer a variety of other surprising sensory experiences. 

“We want to raise awareness about mushrooms and get them on tables and plates – the possibilities are almost limitless,” says the person behind the idea, wild food and culture chef Jyrki Tsutsunen. 

During the event, you will be able to purchase mushroom dishes prepared by local restaurants at the market square, which are best enjoyed immediately on the spot. There will also be plenty of mushroom products available to take home, along with knowledge of and enthusiasm for mushrooms. 

“The Wild Food Revolution is not just a short-lived march. It can also be a spark of inspiration or infatuation that takes you on a lifelong journey to explore nature and its possibilities.”

Tsutsunen bids food citizens of all ages warmly welcome to the event. 

Wild Food Revolution market square event at Hakaniemi Market Square on Saturday 28 September 2024. Mushroom festival at 9:00–14:00 and grand mushroom dinner at 18:00–21:00. Sign-up for the dinner and its exact location will be announced separately.

The new and innovative market square events celebrating food seasons and local food and beverages are being organised as part of the Urban&Local – Future Food Ecosystem project.

The Urban&Local project aims to develop innovative solutions, practices, products and services in the local food and restaurant business, as well as create a framework for sustainable business models and cooperation between stakeholders. The project is coordinated by Forum Virium Helsinki, and the project partners are Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Perho Culinary, Tourism & Business College and the City of Vantaa. The project is partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund. The pilot is being carried out in cooperation with Helsingin kaupunkitilat Oy.