Kuopio Region’s bid book

European Region of Gastronomy Kuopio 2020 and 2021

The Kuopio region has been awarded the European Region of Gastronomy title starting in 2020. However, we celebrate two harvesting seasons and the programme starts in June 2020 and continues until the end of September 2021. The opening ceremony has been postponed to September 2020.

The programme will be build around existing festivals and events as well as activities available for individual travellers and groups such as guided tours, ERG menus in restaurants, pop up restaurants in unusual locations and food clubs for friends of good food and urban culture.

Here are some basic facts and ideas 

The programme will start in June 2020 and continue until September 2021. However, parts of the programme will become permanently available for tourists. The programme is a combination of existing festivals that are food-related or have gastronomy theme because of the European region of gastronomy jubileum in Kuopio.

The foraging themed week programs take place once a month in summers 2020 and 2021. The programmes vary from wild herb, berry and mushroom picking depending on the season combined with cooking either together or by a chef to picnics combined with trekking, canoeing etc. and Finnish cooking and baking classes for travellers. The availability of the programme may change due to covid-19.

Additionally Kuopio Guides will offer guided food walks Tasting Kuopio for individual travellers from Mid-June to Mid -August and Tasting Kuopio sightseeing tours from May to August. Groups can book guided walks and sightseeing anytime of the year.

All programme information will be available in April 2020. The programme may change due to covid-19.
Please, download the food travel services for groups here - last update 9th of March 2020

The programme hightlights

The opening ceremony for the European Region of Gastronomy Kuopio 2020 has been postponed to September 11th 2020.

Satoa goes wild food festival 12.-13.6. will focus on wild food. The festival takes place in several locations in the city of Kuopio. For more information on Satoa goes Wild, please visit the website: https://www.satoa.fi/en/satoa-goes-wild-2/
Next Satoa goes wild will take place in 2011.

To the biggest Finnish summer festivities to Midnight summer we’ll have three events:
17th of June 2020 Midsummer party in Muuruvesi --> postponed to 2021
19th to 20th of June Lohimaa Midnight summer festival, www.lohimaa.fi (cancelled in 2020)
19th of June Midsummer festival for families at the Kuopio Harbour (cancelled in 2020)

The Strawberry festival in Suonenjoki from 17th to 19th of July celebrates the strawberry season at its best offering the locals
one of brightest stars in Finnish pop and rock music.
The Beer Festival Oluset from 10th to 11th of July in Iisalmi offers the local brewery Olvi's tasting beer selection and the best pop stars of the 90's. The festival will take place from 9th to 10th of July in 2021.

1.8.2020 Cheese and Wine Festival is a unique, lively event encompassing old friends, appetising cheeses and good music. The centrepiece of the festival is the magnificent twenty-metre cheese table, full of delicacies that can be enjoyed right up to midnight. --> postponed to 7.8.2021

28.-29.8.2020 SATOA Kuopio Food Festival celebrates the traditional harvest season and local tastes in street food style.  In addition to delicacies, performances by street musicians and artists can be enjoyed at the festival area at the Kuopio market place absolutely free of cost. At the same time the harvesting festival with local product sales will take place at the market place of Kuopio. On the Kuopio Celebration Day on the 28th of June the Kuopio museums are open until the evening and arts programme conquers the city.

The international ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival is being held for the 19th time from 8–13 September 2020 (new dates to ba announced) as part of the Kuopio Region of Gastronomy year, and the theme of the festival is food. The festival programme is composed of works and projects by a wide range of artists dealing with food from different perspectives.

10.-13.9.2020 Kuopio Fish Market in the Kuopio Harbour invites the whole family to enjoy the traditional fish market with programme and delicious fish products.

The European region of Gastronomy award by IGCAT

IGCAT provides the European region of gastronomy Award, with the support of International and European institutions. The regions also join a Platform of awarded and candidate European Regions of Gastronomy in order to foster long-term benefits, increase international visibility and support sharing of knowledge.

The ERG award can be compared with European capital of Culture nomination with the difference that European Region of Gastronomy includes developing gastronomy related events, agriculture, education and entrepreneurship. The award brings international visibility, accknowledgement and above all new business opportunities, tourists and events.

On more information on the application process, please read the European Region of Gastronomy bid book - Kuopio Region Candidate 2020.

The European region of Gastronomy jubileum’s program will be only one result of several EU funded projects.
The projects are run by Savonia University of Applied Sciences and ProAgria Eastern Finland.

Gastro plan, gastronomic strategy for the Pohjois Savo region, 2018 – 2019, Savonia
EUREGA, Interreg project with six partners in Europe, strategic level involvement in regional development to enhance sustainable tourism, 2018 – 2022 ProAgria
Gastro Business – business development in food tourism, 2019 – 2021, Savonia
ERG jubileum – the jubileum’s programme and marketing, 2019 – 2021, ProAgria
Savolaisuus on makuasia – It is a matter of taste- Local involvement, events in schools and for local customers 2019 – 2021, Savonia
Gastronomic bridge abroad, 2019 – 2021, Creating a joined brand for four local food companies to target international markets ao. Japan and to strengthen cooperation with Finnish travel operators Finnair business class and Viking Line; The cooperating companies are Lignell & Piispanen, RPS Brewing, Kala-Lappi and Liepuska / The nordic bakery. ProAgria

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