Five Maine sites will host the American debut of a Finnish folk music group called The Laukkoski Youth Society.

Dressed in colorful folk costume, 13 young people, ages 11-16, will perform both traditional and contemporary Finnish dances, sing Finnish folk tunes, and play the traditional Finnish folk harp, known as the kantele.

Performances will take place in the following locations:

• South Portland: 7 p.m., July 25, Southern Maine Technical College.

• South Paris: 2 p.m. July 26, Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School.

• South Paris: 9 a.m., July 27, Trinity Lutheran Church.

• Thomaston: 3 p.m., July 27, Watts Hall.

• Berlin, N.H.: 3 p.m., July 29, Northern Forest Heritage Park.

• Portland: 7:30 p.m., July 31, Center for Cultural Exchange.

• Fitchburg, Mass.: 7 p.m., Aug. 1, Saima Park.

All performances are free except for the Portland event. Sponsorship for the Laukkoski Youth Society’s Maine tour is by KanteleLaulu Inc., a Maine nonprofit organization.

For more information phone 657-6494 or go to the Web site: www.kantelelaulu.com.