Things to do during a Venetian Week 25.-31.8.2025

The last week of August still offers plenty to do, even as autumn is already knocking at the door.

Over the weekend, the Venetian festivities can be celebrated with an evening cruise to Isokari, or you can stay ashore to enjoy the evening program at Pakkahuone and the waterfront restaurants. The summer’s farewell evening will be crowned by a spectacular fireworks display along the shore of Kaupunginlahti.
 

A concert will take place in the Rauha Hall at Wintteri on Thursday, August 28, starting at 7 p.m., featuring Jooseppi Pyykkö, a student of the Vakka-Suomi Music Institute. His main instrument is the piano, and the program will include his own compositions and arrangements, as well as works by many well-known composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach.
Admission to the concert is free. Entry to Wintteri is through the main entrance D4.
Photo by Matti Pyykkö.

The popular themed markets have drawn plenty of visitors this summer, and on Saturday, August 30, it’s time for the season’s closing, Venetian Market from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be children’s entertainment with performances by the Snow Queen, the Desert Princess, and SuperSam. The local motorcycle club will be giving rides to kids, and delicious artisan pizzas will be on sale from Tony’s Pizza’s authentic Italian wood-fired pizza truck. Also available for purchase are natural cosmetics and handmade crafts by Jessica Williams.

In Pyhämaa, a pop-up café will be open on Saturday, August 30, from 12 noon to 5 p.m. at Kirkontaustantie. Payments can be made via MobilePay or in cash. Products can also be bought to take away; inquiries and reservations can be made by text message to +358 40 740 4123. The café is located at Kirkontaustantie 6.

On the last Saturday of August, the traditional end-of-summer celebration – the Venetian Festival – will take place. The festivities begin already during the day at the Venetian Market, and the evening continues around Kaupunginlahti, both at Pakkahuone and in the waterfront restaurants.

The program at Pakkahuone starts at 6 p.m. with plenty of activities for children, including play stations and a bouncy castle. From 8 p.m. onwards, the stage will be taken over by Farah, and the outdoor bar will be serving hot and cold drinks as well as snacks.

The evening will be crowned around 10 p.m. with a spectacular fireworks display over Kaupunginlahti’s darkening waters, using environmentally friendly fireworks. The fireworks are organized in collaboration with Bistro Bay, Captain’s Makasiini, Karilla Oy/Pakkahuone, Restaurant Luode, Vakka-Suomen Puhelin, and Visit Uusikaupunki.

At Captain’s Makasiini, the Venetian Saturday on August 30 kicks off with 76 Notes at 7 p.m., followed by Dinturist taking the stage at 10 p.m. 76 Notes offers a wide selection of cover songs, while Dinturist plays music ranging from party vibes to more serious tunes.

Bistro Bay transforms into kluBBen on Saturday nights – the perfect place to enjoy the atmosphere and let loose. On Saturday, August 30, starting at 10 p.m., the UKIBIZA DJs will be in charge, keeping the party going until the early hours of the morning.

Restaurant Luode takes care of the rock program for the last weekend of August. On Saturday, August 30, around 10:15 p.m., the rock band Mazeton – with roots in Uusikaupunki, Lemu, Turku, and Loimaa – will take the stage. The band serves up a mix of their own rock songs along with well-known rock classics.

  
The Regional Museum Day of Southwest Finland is traditionally celebrated on the last Sunday of August. Museums participating in the theme day will open their doors free of charge. In the Uusikaupunki area, the museums taking part are the Kalanti Local Museum, the Kalanti Veterans’ Museum, and the Wahlberg Museum House. The museums are open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

At the Wahlberg Museum House (Ylinenkatu 11), visitors can explore the exhibition Among the First, which highlights pioneering women from Uusikaupunki. The museum’s permanent exhibition offers a glimpse into the atmosphere of a bourgeois home in the 1870s, as well as the city’s maritime history in the upper floor. There are also plenty of activities for children to enjoy at the museum.

The Kalanti Local Museum (Kuriirikuja 1), located in Männäisten, stands on a historic market site and introduces visitors to the peasant culture of the Vakka-Suomi region. The Kalanti Veterans’ Museum (Pruukintie 7), housed in the former Kalanti dairy, provides insights into national defense, wartime history, and the home front. On Sunday, the opening of the Kalanti museums will be overseen by the Kalanti Society.
 

The Bonk Museum and the Children’s Invention Laboratory, Siltakatu 2, will be open for the last weekend of this summer. On both days the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Bonk Museum offers a chance to dive into the history of this vast industrial empire, with carefully restored Bonk devices and products on display, focusing on the company’s early years from the mid-1800s to the 1950s. In the Children’s Invention Laboratory, everyone can first sketch their own design and then set about building their very own Bonk machines.

Working in the children’s workshop is the most amusing pastime in the world, based on Dr. Lithium’s pedagogical theories. Young “child workers” can also take part in constructing a time machine – no wages are paid, but on the other hand, no invoices will be sent for any nuts and bolts they may accidentally swallow.

The Wahlberg Museum House (Ylinenkatu 11) is the main site of the Uusikaupunki Museum, located in the grid-plan area in the former grand bourgeois home of tobacco manufacturer Fredrik Wahlberg. The museum’s upper floor offers an atmospheric presentation of the town’s maritime history.
The exhibition opened this summer is titled “Among the First – Women of Uusikaupunki in a Man’s World.” It introduces 13 pioneering women who entered professions that were officially reserved for men, such as organist and physician. Many of these women also engaged in activities that at the time were not considered appropriate for women, such as hunting or sailing.
The exhibition will remain open until late March 2026. The museum is open from Tuesday to Friday, from noon to 3 p.m.

The Automobile Museum is located on Autotehtaankatu, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The museum showcases a wide selection of classic cars and much more from various aspects of motorsport and motoring. In a place of honor stands the first Finnish car, the Korvensuu, dating back to 1913. Visitors can also see the very first Saab car produced at the Uusikaupunki factory on November 13, 1969. This Saab 96 was presented to President Urho Kekkonen and fittingly registered with the license plate EKA-96. At the President’s initiative, the car was toured around Finland to provincial governors, and thanks to the publicity gained from the tour, new employees were recruited to work at the car factory.
Alongside the museum’s extensive car collection, a new special exhibition has also been opened. This diverse art exhibition, selected from the collection of a Finnish collector, includes works by Juhani Palmu and Pekka Laiho, among others. The exhibition is open until the end of August.

At the Cruselli Cultural Center, the 80th anniversary of the Rauma Artists’ Association is being celebrated with a special exhibition titled Continuum. Founded in 1945, the Rauma Artists’ Association is an organization of professional artists whose purpose is to enrich and support local visual arts and culture. Its goal is to promote the position of artists and serve as a link between different fields of art.
The participating artists have challenged themselves with broad and fascinating interpretations of the theme by reflecting on both the past and the future. The exhibition will feature a wide range of painting, sculpture, and graphic art.
Cruselli is open Mon–Wed and Fri from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

At Gallery–Art Lending Service Horisontti on Alinenkatu, visitors can explore throughout August the works of Aimo Lautala and young artist Jozek Scaletta, featuring female figures and elk skulls. The exhibition is open Wed–Fri from 12 noon to 3 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

At the same address you will also find Tupsula, an exhibition of thousands of tassels – a colorful and joyful display that delights both children and handicraft enthusiasts. Tupsula is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m..

Raimo Aarras is a Finnish artist with a long career, whose works combine closeness to nature, maritime themes, and strong use of color. He is best known for his marine paintings, in which he captures the atmosphere of the sea and the uniqueness of the Finnish archipelago. Aarras’s style is easily recognizable, and his works resonate with both art enthusiasts and collectors alike. His sales exhibition is on display at Gasthaus Pooki’s Juhlapooki until August 31.

At Kalanti Library’s Raimon Kammari (Pankkitie 2), Jenni Nordman’s exhibition “Hidden in the Forest” is on display. Jenni is a self-taught artist from Southwest Finland who loves nature – something clearly reflected in her works.
The library is open on Tuesdays from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., and from Wednesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

You can also enjoy art at the Pakkahuone Café, open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. On display is Heli Jalava’s exhibition “Delightful Whimsy.” The little girl in the paintings is named Hertta, accompanied by her friend, Hupsu the cat. Through the artworks, visitors can follow Hertta and Hupsu on their joyful adventures.
The paintings are created with acrylics on canvas, inspired by everyday life, imagination, and at times simply by sudden impulses.

Runonkulma Gallery and Pikkukylä Shop, located in an old wooden house (Ylinenkatu 38B), are open on Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is Hannele Salmela’s exhibition “I Am That Bird”.

At Café Zaku Ranta (Suukarintie 6B), a Motor Café is held every Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., welcoming hobby cars, motorcyclists, and everyone else to spend the evening together. In addition to good food and drinks, you can enjoy the great atmosphere and good company. The café/bar is located in the yard of Voimala Zaku with beautiful sea views.

At Pakkahuone Terrace’s After Work on Friday, August 29, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Päivi and Iiris will perform relaxed and delicately atmospheric cover music with a piano/guitar/vocal combo, ranging from classics to contemporary hits.

At Restaurant Pikku Wiku on Friday, August 29, it’s Karaoke Throwback – karaoke with songs from all the past years.

At Restaurant Wiku on Saturday, August 30, starting at 10 p.m., the end-of-summer party will feature King Drapes. The band will perform both their own songs and pop/rock hits arranged in a rockabilly style.

At Pyhämaan Pirtti (Pyhämaanraitti 35), the Venetian Festival will be celebrated on Saturday, August 30, from 4 p.m. onwards with karaoke and, of course, the traditional costume party.

On summer Saturdays at Bar m’Uki, you can dance to the DJ’s hits until the early hours of the morning. On Saturday, August 30, DJ Elo will be behind the decks. Admission €5.

At Santtioranta Camping’s Summer Live Music Saturday on August 30, Ville-Markus Vesterinen will entertain the audience from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Day Cruises to Isokari

Isokari is a large island in the Bothnian Sea, home to a lighthouse completed in 1833 that still guides seafarers today. In summer, the lighthouse island offers visitors unforgettable experiences. The lighthouse, fully renovated in 2020, can be visited on guided tours, and to enjoy the views you’ll need to climb nearly 200 steps.

Day cruises to Isokari Lighthouse Island are available from Wednesday to Sunday. The trip departs at 10:30 a.m. with M/S Kerttu from behind the Pakkahuone guest harbor (Pakkahuoneenkuja 2) and returns to the same place at 5:30 p.m.
Note: On August 30, there will be an evening cruise instead.

Tickets: €88 for adults, €35 for children aged 4–12. The price includes round-trip sea travel, a guided island tour (guidance is in finnish), entry to the lighthouse, and lunch at Restaurant Mainio.

Tickets & more information: merikauppa.isokari.fi

On the Night of the Ancient Bonfires, Saturday, August 30, an evening cruise will take place, departing at 4 p.m. from behind the Pakkahuone guest harbor (Pakkahuoneenkuja 2). Arrival at Isokari is at 5:30 p.m., starting with a guided island tour, a lighthouse visit, and dinner. The return trip departs at 10 p.m., giving passengers the chance to admire the stunning ancient bonfires of the archipelago. M/S Kerttu will be back at the harbor at 11:30 p.m.

The ticket price includes the cruises, guided tour (guidance is in finnish), entry to the lighthouse, and dinner on the island. Tickets and more information are available at Isokari’s online shop.
 

The swimming hall is open:
Mon 8 a.m.–9:30 p.m., Tue 6 a.m.–9:30 p.m., Wed 12 noon–9:30 p.m., Thu 6 a.m.–9:30 p.m., Fri 8 a.m.–9:30 p.m., Sat 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m., and Sun 12 noon–5:30 p.m.

Swimming time is limited to 2 hours. Ticket sales close 1 hour before closing time, and the pool area closes 30 minutes before the hall’s closing time.

Saunalaituri Höyry (Pilssitie 23) is located by the sea in the historic Janhuanniemi area. Höyry is a place where the rush of everyday life fades away and a sense of well-being takes over. Höyry offers a peaceful moment close to nature and the water.
The sauna can be booked year-round at: Saunalaituri Höyry - Rental Sauna | Uusikaupunki

At Haimio Public Sauna (Haimiontie 351), you can enjoy summer swimming and sauna every day. The public sauna is open to everyone and is located next to the public beach. The first visitor of the day lights the sauna.

The sauna is maintained and operated by the Jokisivu Youth Association. During the spring, the sauna was completely renovated and renewed. You can support the volunteer-based renovation with an optional sauna fee. Instructions can be found at the sauna.

On Tuesdays, the open summer swimming evenings at Metsälehto Sauna take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (Haimiontie 365). Metsälehto Sauna is located on the shore of the freshwater basin. The beach has a good pier with stairs leading into the water, but you can also swim directly from the shore if you prefer. The water is shallow near the pier, making it well-suited for children as well.
The heating and closing routines of the sauna are handled in turns by volunteers. The sauna fee is €3 per person, and children under 12 can swim and use the sauna free of charge. Payment can be made in cash or via MobilePay.

The Pumptrack Skate Park, located at the head of Kaupunginlahti Bay in a beautiful setting, offers opportunities for the whole family – whether skateboarding, scootering, or cycling. Next to the skate park you’ll also find the popular Lion Playground for children, as well as an activity park designed for seniors.

The golf course on Kasarminlahdentie invites players to enjoy the proximity of the sea. Now is the perfect time to pick up your clubs and head outdoors to experience nature. The Golf Club, located at Golfintie 2, provides services for booking tee times and offers a relaxed atmosphere to meet fellow golf enthusiasts.

Padel is a racket sport that has gained huge popularity in recent years and originates from Mexico. The game combines elements of tennis and squash, creating an extremely fun sport. Padel is often called the most social sport in the world and is also the fastest-growing sport globally. It is officially played as doubles, but can also be played one-on-one.

Padel Uusikaupunki offers excellent facilities for enjoying this super-popular sport right in the city center. Book your court time directly via the Playtomic app or through the website.

The Sorvakko outdoor basketball court (Kullervontie 5) is free for everyone to use. Located next to the padel courts, the street basketball court has three hoops. Experience the joy of exercise in a great setting – is your trademark move a three-pointer, a dunk, or a layup? Gather your friends and start playing!

You can enjoy nature, for example, on the Pamprinniemi nature trail in Pyhämaa.

In the city center area lies Hiunjärvi, also known as a bird lake, with its nature trails and lean-to shelter.

The accessible outdoor trail and bird-watching tower at Kasarminlahti can be reached, for instance, from the sports field parking area. There is also a lean-to shelter nearby.

Another nice excursion destination is the Oinassaari lean-to in Korsaari. The distance from Uusikaupunki city center toward Lepäisten is about 18 kilometers. Pack some food to grill in your backpack and off you go!

More information about these and other events can be found here