Reflections from The Great Northern Sauna Village 2026

We pushed through a West Michigan snowstorm on Tuesday to make it to Minneapolis for The Great Northern Sauna Village. The weather matched the mood we'd find when we arrived.

An Unusual Backdrop

Minneapolis felt heavy. We arrived late Tuesday and set up Wednesday morning against a backdrop of immigration protests and citywide tension—just two days after a protester had been fatally shot. The event organizers canceled most outdoor activities—except the Sauna Village. A nationwide blackout was calling for people to avoid businesses, particularly in Minneapolis.

Over the five-day event running Wednesday through Sunday, we had the saunas ready. We saw hundreds of people instead of the thousands that come out in years past—understandably. You could feel the stress hanging over the city, people searching for stability when everything felt uncertain. Those who did come out needed it. They needed the heat, the steam, the exhale.

Industry Night, Every Night

We would finish each night with industry night—staying late with other builders and operators, going round after round with fellow sauna enthusiasts, sharing stories, techniques, and steam. Over five days, I spent 12+ hours in saunas, and most of that was after-hours with people who love this as much as we do.

The Nightjar Crew

We're lucky at Nightjar to have some awesome dudes who aren't just good builders—they're legitimately fun to be around. Getting the team out to an event like this matters. Sauna builders need to know how people actually use what we build. You can't design a better product from the shop floor alone—you need to sit in the heat, watch how people move through the space, feel how the steam rolls, understand what makes someone stay for another round versus bolt for the door.

Plus, team bonding over 12 hours of sauna sessions hits different.

The Airstream & The Art of Aufguss

The Airstream conversion by Justus offered a sauna experience you can't get anywhere else—a unique opportunity that only an Airstream can provide. Watching steam roll off those curved walls created the most prodigious löyly I've experienced. The rounded shape transforms how heat moves—it's theatrical and primal at the same time.

And then there was my first real aufguss experience.

Two sisters—first place in the US, 13th in the world for aufguss championships—turned sauna into art. They engaged every sense, transforming the experience into something choreographed and intentional. This is what sauna can be when you blend tradition with performance.

What Works (And What Americans Are Still Learning)

Experiencing different stoves, layouts, and approaches confirmed what the Finns have known all along: high benches, serious rock mass, proper ventilation. Most American operators are starting to get it.

Though it's still amusing to watch newcomers squeal and run outside when water hits the rocks. You've got to embrace the steam, not escape it.

The Details Matter

I learned you shouldn't put essential oils directly on the rocks—they'll burn and smell terrible instead of therapeutic. I heard about an electrical fire at a Minneapolis sauna where oil actually caught fire. The snowball-making machine they had created beautifully scented steam the right way. Aromatherapy belongs in sauna, but it has to be done properly.

The Sauna Community

Sauna operators don't just talk about it—they live it and love it.

Every night after the event closed to regular users turned into industry night. We'd stay late—just the builders and operators—going rounds and rounds of löyly. Connections, laughter, stories. These are people who've chosen to build their lives around creating spaces for others to sweat, talk, and heal together. That's not casual enthusiasm—that's devotion.

Next Stop: Brooklyn

Minneapolis is truly the sauna capital in the USA - the builders and hosts were top notch and very experienced.

But there's no time to rest. We're headed to New York City next—the Nightjar travel sauna will be in Domino Park in Brooklyn for three weeks as part of a Therme Group event celebrating the culture of bathing.

More to come.