Suonenjoki is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the Northern Savonia region, 50 kilometres southwest of the Kuopio city.

The town has a population of 6,938 and covers an area of 862.34 square kilometres of which 148.78 km² (57.44 sq mi) is water. Neighbour municipalities are Kuopio, Leppävirta, Pieksämäki, Rautalampi and Tervo. The municipality is unilingually Finnish.

History

Suonenjoki is thought to have served as a milestone in the Treaty of Nöteborg in 1323. In the 16th and 17th centuries, more and more people began to change in the area, and in the 18th century, a preacher room was established in Suonenjoki, then a chapel. In the current agglomeration, bridges over the river of Suonenjoki were built early, Kruunusilta (literally means “Crowns Bridge”) already existed in 1780, and Siioninsilta (means “Zion Bridge”) at the beginning of the river was replaced by a bridge in the 1830s.

When Suonenjoki gained municipal rights in 1865, the population was about 4,000. In the same year, Suonenjoki Church, the current church in Suonenjoki was completed, replacing the cramped first church built in the late 18th century. A railway station was built on Suonenjoki in connection with the completion of The Savonian Railway (also known as Kouvola–Iisalmi railway) in 1889. In the early 20th century, the sawmill industry became the most important industry in the area. Strawberry cultivation became more widespread from the 1940s, and Suonenjoki became known as “the Strawberry Town”. The Suonenjoki co-educational school began operations in 1930, and it moved to the current high school building in 1950.

Attractions 

The Strawberry Carnival is a public event held in Suonenjoki during the summer, which is usually held in the second week of July . The carnival celebrates the peak of the strawberry harvest season and is attended by thousands of people, local Suonenjoki residents, strawberry pickers and tourists from all over the country. The event was first held in 1970 and has been held annually except for two intermediate years. 

Jörisrock was a music event held in Suonenjoki between 1995 and 2006, focusing on metal music and heavier rock music . The event was usually three days long. The organizers of the event announced that the last Jörisrock was held in the summer of 2006. In 2007, Iisvesi hosted the Iisrock event, whose main performers were Mirror of Madness and Technicolor .

The Suonenjoki Lutheran wooden church was completed in 1865 and was designed by architect Ferdinand Öhman . The church has been renovated several times, the last renovation was done in 1995, and the church was repainted in 2003. In the vicinity of the church is also the oldest building in the city center, the old belfry. Tapuli was completed in 1823.

Suonenjoki has nine statues and monuments, the most famous of which are the Strawberry Girls statue in front of Suonenjoki City Hall and a memorial plaque erected along the Suonenjoki River next to Kruununsilla to commemorate the peace of Pähkinäsaari . 

Other attractions:

• Kolikkoinmäki Workers ‘Home Museum, a workers’ home in Kolikkoinmäki restored to its 1950s style.
• Suonenjoki Homeland Museum, a 19th-century granary located next to the church, with old furniture, household utensils and church artefacts on display.
• Dry Canal Museum Canal

Culture 

There are three museums in Suonenjoki ( Kuivataipale Museum Canal , Kolikkoinmäki Workers’ Home Museum and Suonenjoki Homeland Museum ), a library and an art gallery. The library and art gallery, Kellarikalleria , are located in the same building as the Suonenjoki cultural service. The city also has the Sisä-Savo Citizens’ College, which organizes general adult education. 

Paikallislehti Sisä-Savo is published in Suonenjoki and the surrounding municipalities . The magazine was first published in 1965 as the local magazine Rautalammi – Suonenjoki . 

In Russia, located in the Onega beach has been since 1992 Suonenjoen twinning . 

Food culture 

In the 1980s, each of Savo’s then municipalities voted for its own title dishes. The traditional dishes of Suonenjoki were fat fattened, a kind of stew of pork, potatoes and onions, as well as a layered strawberry turkey.

Services 

The Suonenjoki Police Station of the Eastern Finland Police Department is located in Suonenjoki,  which is responsible for maintaining order in Suonenjoki, Karttula, Rautalammi, Vesanto and Tervo. The city also houses the Suonenjoki fire station of the North Savo Rescue Department. Suonenjoki Health Services is the responsibility of the Suonenjoki Health Center of the Sisä-Savo Healthcare Consortium.

Educational Institutions 

There are four primary schools and Suonenjoki High School in Suonenjoki . Two of the Suonenjoki primary schools are located in the urban area and the rest are village schools. Suonenjoki High School is a general high school.

Pre-primary education is provided to immigrants.

• Primary schools 
  • Preschool in kindergartens and Lempyy school
  • Primary schools (grades 1-6)
    • Iisvesi School
    • Lempy’s school (Lempy also has a preschool)
    • Sammalselkä school
  • Single schools (grades 1-9)
    • Suonenjoki Unified School (formerly Kaatro School and Lintharju School , former Suonenjoki Secondary School)
• Secondary schools
  • Suonenjoki High School