Folk festival seeks stories about Mummu

The Finnish-American Folk Festival of Naselle is asking people of all ages to share stories about their grandmothers, more familiarly known as Mummu in Finnish.

The theme of the 2010 festival is “My Mummu and Me.”

To make the entries even more inclusive, grandmothers may submit their own stories; also folks may submit stories of women epitomize the characteristics of a grandmother.

Organizers suggest participants recall that special moment that reveals connections between the generations and the wisdom of everyday life, and they welcome both serious and witty contributions.

Deadline for entries is May 31. The story is limited to 650 words or five minutes of video or audio recording. The printed or typed stories may be sent to Finnish-American Folk Festival (ATTN: Sue), P.O. Box 156, Naselle, WA 98638. The videos can be shared by posting them on YouTube.Com or Vimeo.com or other hosting services. Entries may also be posted on the festival’s fan page on Facebook ( http://tinyurl.com/y5zmst8 ).

Prizes will be awarded at the festival, held this year July 23-25. Prizes will be in three categories: (1) For ages 12 and under, $25; (2) For ages 13-18, $50; and (3) for ages 18 and up, $75.

First held in 1982, the festival continues its tradition of exhibiting photographs, handicraft, logging, art and crafts; holding concerts, performances, lectures and dances; workshops including kantele playing, food preparation, and genealogical research.