By Teri Cadeau of the Lake County News Chronicle - September 11, 2019

Volunteers in Finland are preparing to bring on the booya at the seventh annual Booya Harvest Fest on Sept. 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Clair Nelson Center, 6866 Cramer Road.

As usual, this year's event will feature a harvest booya, a thick soup or stew slow-cooked with local ingredients. This year, the festival will be returning to the old ways and cook the soup outside under a tent with as many locally grown ingredients as possible. It's recommended to arrive early as the festival ran out of booya by 2 p.m. in 2018.

The booya festival started nearly 30 years ago as a fundraiser for the Zion Lutheran Church. By the time enough money was raised to re-roof the building, the festival had become a community favorite and an annual tradition.

The festival will also include other food such as a baked potato bar, fry bread, brats, hot dogs, corn and a bake sale with fresh lefse, with a lefse-making demonstration available.

Also returning to the community festival will be music by Casey Aro from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., a craft and vendor marketplace, a farmers market and apple cider demonstration and the fifth annual Booya Classic Car show.