Finn Folk Festival group decides to sell

After six years of owning and operating the Naselle Community Center, the Finnish American Folk Festival decided to sell the building. The decision to sell was voted on and unanimously approved at their November meeting.

“This was not a decision we took lightly,” FAFF Chair Jennifer Boggs stated. “The difficult decision to sell is in the best interest of our organization to remain true to our mission and focus on our biennial festival. We were grateful for this opportunity given to us by the UCC church members, and we are grateful for the community support we received during our time as stewards of this building. With the history of this building being the first Finnish church in Naselle, it seemed a natural transition for FAFF to take it on. We look forward to seeing what the new owners will have in store for the next chapter of this property.”

The Naselle Congregational Finnish Mission Church met in homes from 1908 until 1928. Mikko Talus was the architect and a moving force of the original building, which was dedicated on November 25, 1928, in a bi-lingual ceremony in Finnish and English. Over the years, additions were made to the building, including the social room and kitchen. In 1935, the church became the Naselle Community Congregational Church.

Since 1982, the Naselle Finnish American Folk Festival has celebrated Finnish culture, local history, and community collaboration. The festival is a chance to showcase local craftspeople and experienced performers from Finland and the United States, indulge in traditional cuisine, and learn about the Finnish-American heritage of the greater Naselle area. All ages can participate in dances, musical ensembles, competitive games and athletic events, and specialized learning activities.

Their mission is to preserve, promote, and present the historical customs and cultures of the Finnish American and broader Lower Columbia communities, connect generations, and cultivate community values through events, activities, and a biennial festival.

In late 2018, with just a few devoted members left, the Naselle Community Congregational Church decided to close its doors and donated the building to the Finnish American Folk Festival. Along with the donation of the building, the church gifted FAFF $30,000.00 to help with maintenance and operation costs for the first 3 years. The intent was for the building to help FAFF fund their biennial festival. The building and property were officially handed over to FAFF in a service on January 13, 2019.

During discussions over the donation and the subsequent agreement to receive the donation, it was agreed that if and when it became clear the use of the building for fundraising was not generating the funds needed to cover the costs of operations and maintenance and its goal of providing funds to support the biennial festival, the FAFF membership was free to agree to sell the building and property. There was no requirement for a waiting period.

Over the past 6 years, the FAFF board and its core group of members have given countless hours and resources to try to make it successful and to utilize the building in as many ways as possible. Numerous events and activities have included concerts and performances featuring local and outside artists and musicians, holiday and community bazaars, the annual soup supper and Christmas tree lighting, the Halloween Bash, painting parties, exercise classes, Friday Club, Bunco groups, and other community events. The building has also been rented out for parties, weddings, funerals, and other events.

Utilizing grant funds, mainly from the Templin Foundation, several upgrades have been made to the building, such as replacing the HVAC systems, updating the septic system, and upgrading the electrical service. The upgrades have increased the value and helped reduce the cost of utilities.

Despite these efforts, the building did not generate the income to support the festival. Instead, the opposite was true. Financial resources have been depleted due to maintenance and operations. More time and effort were needed by the board and FAFF members to focus on the building and community center-focused events than the festival itself.

Board member Justin Laine expressed his concerns, stating, “Ongoing costs and energy associated with the constant repairs and upgrades to the building, the time and energy expended on fundraising events which could be conducted at other venues in the community which would allow us to focus our energies on Finn Fest activities, and the potential to better utilize existing facilities and venues for most of the events we conduct. Ultimately, we gave it our best effort for the past six years during challenging times but seem to be just raising enough money to offset the costs of keeping the facility open.”

Justin continued, “I believe that we will be able to invest even more time and energy in activities that honor our local history and heritage, celebrate our Finnish culture, and bring our community together following the sale of this very special and historic building. This building has a rich history and heritage, and I look forward to seeing how the future owner can continue its restoration while maximizing its use and value. I am excited to see the future for this building and our Finnish American Folk Festival.”

Due to the uncertainty of the timing of the renovations to the STEM/music wing at the Naselle School, the biennial festival was canceled in both 2024 and 2025. The next festival is planned for July 24-26, 2026.

The building is located at 14 Parpala Road in Naselle. It sits on 1.29 acres and is approx. 2,500 square feet. The lower level has a large social room, kitchen, men’s and women’s bathrooms, a wide hallway, three classrooms, two storage rooms, and several storage closets. The upper level comprises a large meeting room (originally the church sanctuary), two overflow rooms, balcony space, and storage closets. There is an office space between the upper and lower levels.

For more information on the Naselle Community Center building sale and to view pictures, please visit http://www.nasellefinnfest.com or contact buildingsale@nasellefinnfest.com.