World Championships of Berry Picking are here again!

This is an event you can´t miss! 2023 World Championships of Berry Picking will be held on Saturday, September 16th, in the village of Suomussalmi in Eastern Finland.

This playful event has gathered a large amount of contestants and audience to enjoy nature and its richness year by year. In addition to the competition, there will be something to watch and experience at the Suomussalmi market square during the whole day!

All the event activities and performances will take place on the market square of Suomussalmi. Don´t worry, if you can´t understand Finnish, the atmosphere is great and you can fully participate with our help!

The day will start at the Suomussalmi market square at 9.00 am (see the program below). At the end of the day the winners will be announced and rewarded.

In the evening we continue having fun with World Championship Dance at the Youth House of Suomussalmi. Famous Finnish hit singer Marita Taavitsainen and her orchestra taking care of the music.

If you want to join the berry pickers and participate in the World Championships, please fill in the registration form below before September, 11th. The amount of the berries is not all that matters, the main purpose is to enjoy the nature and have fun! You can participate either yourself or gather a 3-person-team. And if you want, you can wear fun costumes and participate also in the costume competition!

Come and enjoy the fun with us, participation is free of charge!

Scroll down for more information about

• Useful information for the contestants
• Competition rules
• Program of the event
• Registration form
  
  

Useful information for the contestants

Sign up for the competition before September, 11th 2023 with the registration form below. You can also sign up sending us email (info@arcticl-flavours.fi) or by calling our office +358 8 6155 5590.

Participation is free of charge! 

All the participants in the berry-picking world championships need to enter for the competition and collect their number patches as well as buckets at the information desk on Saturday, the 16th of September, from 9 am. to 11 am. 

Please note, that you have to sign up for the competition beforehand, and not later than September, 11th by the registration form below. Unfortunately we can´t accept registrations onsite during the competition day,

The information desk will be situated next to the stage on the market square (you will recognize it from the sign and the logo of the Arctic Flavours Association). In addition to registration, you can find there material about natural products, such as recipes and post cards, all free of charge.

The participants are transferred to the competition site by buses at 11.30 a.m.

The duration of the competition is one hour, after which the berries will be weighed. The winner in each class is, of course, the one who has picked the most lingonberries.

Competition rules

There are team competition categories for both adults, youth and children, and an individual categories for women and men (adults). Teams of three persons may only use a common one hand held picking tool without a stem. See the details below.

In the individual class use of rake, a picking tool with a stem, is allowed. There is also a special team category for adults, in which the lingonberries are picked in the traditional way by hand. The berries don’t need to be cleaned, small leaves and such are acceptable.

Participation in the competition is free of charge.

The name of the event: 2023 World Championships of berry picking

The responsible organizer: Arctic Flavours Association, Kauppakatu 20, Suomussalmi, FINLAND, +358 8 61 555 590, info@arctic-flavours.fi, www.arctic-flavours.fi

Registration: by September 11, 2023 by registration form or by email info@arctic-flavours.fi 

Entrance fee: Participation in the competition is free of charge.

Team categories:

• 3 persons adult team using a hand held picking tool
• 3 persons adult team picking by hand
• 3 persons youth team (for 13-17 years old competitors)
• 3 persons children team (for 12 years old or younger)

Individual categories:

• women individual, use of rake
• men individual, use of rake

Teams:

Teams are formed by three persons who may be families, fellow workers, friends, classmates, members of a sports club or other. Remember, you can have fun costumes for your team – the best ones are rewarded!

Berry to be picked: Lingonberry.

Allowed contest equipment:

In the team categories, contestants may only use a common one hand held picking tool without a stem to be brought themselves. In the hand picking category the use of picking tools is not allowed.

Contestants may only use the buckets provided by the organizer and handed out in the market place. Extra buckets can be found in the competition area if needed. The contestants may keep the buckets they have used. In the individual class, you may use your own picking rake and buckets of your choice.

The criteria for evaluation:

Teams / contestants will be evaluated by the amount (kg) of picked lingonberries or bilberries. Your performance is acceptable when the berries are picked within the competition time (1 hour) from the competition area by using the tools allowed in each class.

Prizes:

The three best teams in each class with most berries will be awarded by trophies and diplomas. Because of the new legislation, we unfortunately can´t give any cash prizes any more.

Competition duration and place:

The duration of the competition is one hour. The contestants are transferred to the competition area by buses at 11.30 o´clock from the Suomussalmi market square. The competition area is located somewhere in the Suomussalmi municipality area and it will be separated from the surrounding area by ribbons and adhesive tapes.

The berries do not have to be cleaned, small leaves and such are acceptable. The berries will be weighed unclean. It is forbidden to add small stones, cones, leaves or any similar material among the berries, as this could increase the weight and distort the result.

Remember that you have to arrive to finish before the competition time ends (there will be a sound signal 10 minutes before the competition time ends).

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us!

The program of the event

The Registration Form