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Among the many guests at Finn Creek next weekend will be the Jager Battalion Living History Group who live, breath and reenact Finnish history during wars dating back well over 100 years. A tent will be set up to give guests at Finn Creek an idea of living conditions in the early 1900s.

By Greta Foss

Summer Intern

You can experience history with the Jäger Battalion Living History Group at the 2026 Summer Folk Festival in Finn Creek August 22 and 23. The Jäger Battalion Group is dedicated to keeping the story of the Finnish military during World War II alive through historical displays, memrobilia and gear, and explanations of the wartime climate. The group is a subdivision of the WWII Historical Reenactment Society. The group has members found in Minnesota, as well as Ilinois and Texas. 

“I’m a veteran myself, and the last thing, if you’re gonna give a veteran one respect, it’s to not forget what they did. So this is helping us keep their story alive. And that just feels good to know that these guys will not be forgot. You know, even all the way over here in Little Minnesota, we’re keeping what they did alive, ‘cause it meant something,” said founder of the gorup, Channing Peyton.

The history of Finland around the time of the second World War is a lot more complex than many people tend to realize. Between the years of 1939 and 1945, Finland faught in three separate wars, all of which were purely between Finland, the Soviet Union, and Nazi Germany. These three wars were the Winter War, the Continuation War, and the Lapland War. The goal of the historical group is to teach what happened during this time period that led to these three wars, as well as how the country of Finland was able to fight two global superpowers and still remain an intact country. 

The group hopes to keep the Finnish value of sisu alive. It was during the Winter War that this word came to popularity, and now – according to many Finns – it is the word to describe Finland. Sisu does not have a singular English word with which it can be translated, but it is often described as stoicism, bravery, tenacity of purpose, and resilience. 

With their hands-on approach to keeping these stories alive, the Jäger Battalion Group hopes to inspire curiosity in others. 

“You know, it’s one thing to watch a documentary or to see it on TV. It’s another thing to come out and experience it,” said Peyton.