Saimaa Harvest Festival 2026
Saimaa Harvest Festival – Local Flavours and Autumn Atmosphere in Oravi
Autumn in the Saimaa region is a time to celebrate the harvest, local food and the people behind it. The Saimaa Harvest Festival takes place on 12–13 September 2026, when farms, local shops, restaurants, villages and pop-up venues across the region open their doors to visitors.
Local flavours and harvest traditions in Oravi
In Oravi, the Harvest Festival is all about local flavours and the produce of the surrounding lakes and forests. At Ruukinranta Restaurant, you can enjoy a special harvest buffet featuring ingredients from Saimaa and the nearby forests, including lake fish, Oravi crayfish, mushrooms and berries. Harvest buffets are served for lunch and dinner on Saturday and for lunch on Sunday.
At the Oravi Village Shop, you can also stock up on local delicacies. The selection includes lake fish from local fishermen, game and seasonal forest products. Outside on the Pipe Terrace, you can watch fish preparation demonstrations and traditional fish smoking – and, of course, taste freshly smoked fish.
Make Oravi your base for the Harvest Festival weekend
There is plenty to discover beyond Oravi as well. Harvest Festival destinations can be found throughout the Saimaa region, including Enonkoski, Kesälahti, Kitee, Punkaharju, Rantasalmi, Savonlinna, Savonranta and Sulkava.
During the weekend, you can visit farms and meet their animals, explore historic country houses and museums, watch local craftspeople at work, visit a small brewery or an old watermill, and sample local food and the best flavours of the autumn harvest.
Oravi makes a great base for the whole weekend: stay by Lake Saimaa, enjoy the Harvest Festival atmosphere in the village and take a day trip to discover some of the other participating destinations.
Hop on a bus and discover several destinations
You don’t even need your own car to explore the festival. On Saturday 12 September, organised bus tours take visitors to several Harvest Festival destinations. One of the routes travels from Savonlinna towards Enonkoski and Oravi, making it easy to experience several different places in one day without having to plan the route or drive yourself. Book your bus ticket here.
A bus tour is a wonderful way to discover the diversity of the Saimaa countryside. Along the way, you can meet local producers and entrepreneurs, experience life on a farm, discover local crafts and a small brewery, and stop in Oravi to enjoy the lively Harvest Festival atmosphere.
Welcome to celebrate autumn at Lake Saimaa – taste local flavours, explore the countryside and meet the people behind the products!
Check out the program in Oravi during the harvest festival.