Summer Night’s Dinner invites locals and visitors to enjoy good food, relaxed entertainment and shared moments around a long communal table on 14 August. Tables will be laid out along Hallituskatu in Oulu, around Snellman and Otto Karhi Parks. The laid-back event is free and open to everyone.
The event is part of the Oulu2026 Arctic Food Lab programme and is organised in collaboration with Oulu Arts’ Night and Oulun Liikekeskus. OSAO will contribute its expertise in both horticulture and catering. Side programme and activities will be provided by folk music group Rällä, the Oulu Dante Society, Oulun Maa- ja kotitalousnaiset, and Proto ry.
Food offerings include local favourites like Oulun Fungi, J&S Burger, Terwa Food Truck and Vaalan Juustola. Nearby vendors such as Puistokahvila Makia, Siipiweikot, Cocktail Company, Sarkka, and St. Michael will also be there. Students from OSAO’s restaurant Hilikku will again serve their popular rössyramen – a modern twist on Oulu’s culinary traditions that became a crowd favourite last summer.
Guests are welcome to sit at the long tables or lounge picnic-style on blankets in the park. Bring your own treats – homemade, takeaway, shop-bought nibbles, or something from one of the onsite food vendors. However you choose to do it, it’s all about enjoying a summery evening together.
The event is free, open to all, and suitable for every age. Main access routes to the site are wide and accessible. There will be dedicated seating spots for wheelchair users, and a few high chairs available for children. The event area will also include portable toilets and an accessible toilet.
Hallituskatu will be closed to traffic (including taxis) by Otto Karhi Park on 14 August. A temporary taxi stand will be available on Isokatu, between the two parks. On the day, the city bus will follow a detour route, with a temporary stop on Asemakatu opposite Restaurant Sauraha.
This is the third edition of Summer Night’s Dinner. Last year’s event drew around 1,300 to 1,500 attendees. This year the location shifts slightly along Hallituskatu – and next summer, the dinner will go big, stretching nearly a kilometre to celebrate Oulu’s year as European Capital of Culture.
Summer Night’s Dinner is part of the Oulu region’s journey to becoming the European Capital of Culture in 2026. The Arctic Food Lab highlights what northern food culture is all about – and the unique local products and services that can be created from the clean raw ingredients of the Oulu2026 region with top-quality regional expertise.
