Hancock’s Juhannus festival returns this weekend with a new competition joining the city’s beloved wife carrying contest — and organizers say it’s going to get messy.
The inaugural sauna games, held on Quincy Green, challenge participants to chop wood, carry water and prepare a sauna in relay-style fashion. The idea came from Wolf’s Head Film, according to organizer Jesse Wiederhold.
“We’re going to be chopping wood, making kindling with hatchets, and we’ll be carrying buckets of water — all the traditional things to get that sauna going, including a steam toss for accuracy and length,” Wiederhold said. “We’re going to have colorful paint and swatches for the sauna, so you’re going to swatch your partners, covering them with paint. This is going to be very hands-on for a $400 prize.”
The sauna games follow the wife carrying contest Saturday at 3 p.m.
Juhannus celebrations begin Wednesday with the Folk School’s fourth annual Midsommer Exhibit. An open forum at Hancock High School on Thursday features three panels, along with registration for Friday lectures and activities.
A full schedule of events, lectures and programs is available online.
