Kotkan Kauppatiellä on harjoittelussa kv-opiskelija Erandi Xamkilta. Kesän aikana hän on tutustunut Kotkaan, kotkalaisiin yrityksiin, tapahtumiin sekä nähtävyyksiin. Tässä artikkelissa Erandi kertoo vierailustaan Kotkan Meripäivillä. 

My First Meripäivät: Experiencing Kotka’s Biggest Summer Celebration Through Foreign Eyes

Part 02 – Meripäivät Day 02: Discovering the People Behind the Stalls

After experiencing my first day at Meripäivät, I thought I already had a good idea of what the festival was like. I was wrong. When I returned for Day 02, the festival felt even more alive. The streets around the event were filled with people, families, children, friends, colourful stalls, food, and plenty of things to discover.

But this time, I wasn’t only looking at the festival as a visitor. I wanted to look closer. Who are the people behind these stalls? What brings them to Meripäivät? What is it like to participate in such a large event? So, on my second day, I continued my journey by meeting two more vendors: Uniko and Välke. And once again, I discovered that the people are one of the most interesting parts of Meripäivät.

Day 02: A Festival Full of Life

Walking into the Meripäivät area on Day 02, one of the first things I noticed was how busy everything had become. There were people everywhere. Families were walking with children, friends were exploring the stalls together, and visitors were stopping to look at different products. Some people already seemed to know exactly where they wanted to go. Others, like me, were simply walking around and seeing what caught their attention.

The festival area felt almost like a temporary city of its own. There were rows of tents and stalls stretching along the streets, with different businesses and vendors offering completely different products and experiences. Every few steps, there was something new to see.

Discovering the Market Side of Meripäivät

One of the things I enjoyed most on Day 02 was exploring the market area. There was a wonderful mix of products and people. Some stalls were colourful and playful, while others had handmade or carefully selected products. Children were especially drawn to some of the colourful items on display, while adults took their time browsing and talking with vendors.

As I walked through the market, I started thinking about how familiar this actually felt to me. Growing up in Sri Lanka, I am used to markets being busy, social places where people gather, browse products, talk with sellers, and spend time with their families. The atmosphere is very different in Finland, but the basic idea is surprisingly similar. A market is not just somewhere you buy something. It is somewhere you experience the community.

Meeting Uniko

On Day 02, I had the opportunity to interview Uniko. One of the things I enjoy about doing these interviews is that they allow me to look beyond the products on display. When we walk through a festival, we might see a beautiful product and simply think, ”That’s interesting.” But there is always a person behind it. Someone has chosen to bring their business to the festival, prepared their products, travelled to the event, set up their stall, and spent the day meeting visitors.

For me, talking with Uniko was another reminder that Meripäivät creates a space where smaller businesses and creators can meet people they might not otherwise reach. And for visitors, these conversations create opportunities to discover something new.

Meeting Välke

I also had the opportunity to interview Välke. I asked about their experience of Meripäivät, because I wanted to hear what the event feels like from the vendor’s perspective. This was particularly interesting to me because Välke, like Uniko, was participating in Meripäivät for the first time.

As someone experiencing Meripäivät for the first time, I felt there was a nice connection. We were both discovering something new. I was discovering the festival. They were experiencing what it was like to participate as a vendor. And both experiences reminded me that there is always another perspective to an event.

What You Don’t See as a Visitor

One thing I have learned from creating content at Meripäivät is that visitors mostly see the finished event. We see the tents. We see the products. We see the food. We see the entertainment. We see the crowds. But we don’t always think about what happens before and behind all of it. Every stall has to be prepared. Products have to be transported. People have to arrive early. Businesses have to organise their displays. And vendors spend hours talking with visitors.

The more I looked around on Day 02, the more I appreciated all of this work. The festival may look effortless from the outside, but many people work behind the scenes to make it happen.

The Family Side of Meripäivät

Another thing that stood out to me during Day 02 was how many families were enjoying the festival. I saw parents walking with children, children looking excitedly at the colourful stalls, and families exploring the festival together. This gave Meripäivät a very warm feeling. It wasn’t only an event for young people or music lovers. It felt like a place where different generations could find something to enjoy. For me, this was another familiar feeling.

In Sri Lanka, festivals are also strongly connected with families. Going to an event is often something you do together; not simply something you attend alone. The surroundings and traditions may be different, but that family connection felt very familiar.

Finland Through Foreign Eyes

Being a foreigner has made me notice small things that I might otherwise take for granted. At Meripäivät, I noticed the way people enjoy a large outdoor event in Finland. There is excitement, but there is also a relaxed atmosphere. People walk around at their own pace. They stop for food. They talk to vendors. They meet friends. They spend time with their families. Nobody seems to be in a hurry to experience everything at once. Coming from Sri Lanka, where public events can often be very energetic and crowded, I found this Finnish style of enjoying a festival interesting.

Different atmosphere, different culture, but the same enjoyment of being together.

More Than Just a Festival

By my second day at Meripäivät, I was beginning to understand that the event is much bigger than what happens on a stage. It is the vendors; It is the families; It is the children discovering something new; It is the local businesses; It is the visitors walking from one stall to another; It is the conversations; It is the food; It is the music. And it is the people working behind the scenes. That is what makes the festival feel alive.

Two First-Time Experiences

There was something quite special about interviewing Uniko and Välke because they were experiencing Meripäivät as first-time participants.

I was experiencing it as a first-time visitor and a foreigner. In a way, all of us were discovering something. For the vendors, it was a new opportunity to introduce themselves to Meripäivät visitors.

For me, it was another opportunity to understand Kotka and Finnish culture through the people who live and work here. And that is exactly why I enjoy doing these interviews. A festival becomes much more interesting when you hear the stories behind it.

What I Took Away from Day 02

After two days of Meripäivät, I started to see the festival differently. At first, I saw the crowds. Then I started seeing the people. At first, I saw the stalls. Then I started seeing the businesses behind them. At first, I saw a big event happening in Kotka. Then I started seeing a community coming together. And perhaps that is the biggest lesson I have taken from my first Meripäivät experience. A festival isn’t really about the tents, stages, or decorations. It’s about the people who fill the space and give it life.

My First Meripäivät Story Continues

Day 02 gave me another collection of memories. I explored more of the festival. I met new people. I discovered new businesses. I spoke with Uniko and Välke. I watched families enjoying the event. And I continued to experience Kotka from a perspective that is both familiar and foreign. I may have grown up thousands of kilometres away in Sri Lanka but spending time at Meripäivät has reminded me that some things don’t need translation. The excitement of discovering something new. The happiness of spending time with family. The joy of good food. The curiosity of meeting new people. And the simple pleasure of being part of something together. These feelings are universal.

Author: Erandi H Caldera

Read Erandi’s other articles:

Finland Through Foreign Eyes: 10 Cultural Insights
Finland Through Foreign Eyes: Dark River Festival 2026
Finland Through Foreign Eyes: How Kotka differs from Helsinki
Finland Through Foreign Eyes: My First Meripäivät, part 1