euskalkultura.eus

Boise, USA. The month of May kicks off the Basque festival season in the US, which spans from May until October, and ends with festivals in Las Vegas, Nevada and Rocklin, California.  Like every year, the first get together will be held in Fresno, California, with its Basque Festival and Picnic.  On the weekend of May 27, Los Banos, California will celebrate its 48th annual Basque picnic, which will begin with mass at 10 am, followed by lunch at noon and entertainment and dancing in the evening.

Basques from several states will make Bakersfield, California their destination of choice on Memorial Day Weekend (May 28-29). Bakersfield is located about 100 miles (150 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles.  There is a very large Basque population in Kern County, and Bakersfield always hosts its picnic on the last weekend in May at their clubhouse.  This year, the 2011 NABO Pilota Championship is being hosted by the Kern County Basque Club, in conjunction with their annual picnic. The semifinals between San Francisco and Boise will be held on Friday, and the finals will be held on Saturday.  The following categories offered include Esku Pilota (Singles / Class A Doubles / Class B Doubles), Men's Paleta Goma (Class A / Class B), Veteran’s Paleta Goma, Women's Paleta Goma, and Women's Baleen.

These festivals, however, only mark the beginning of the season.  Other well-known gatherings will take place over the summer and fall months. In June, events will be held in Winnemucca, Nevada, Thousand Oaks – Ventura County, California, Salt Lake City, Utah, and Homedale, Idaho. In July, the public will have the opportunity to enjoy events in Elko, Nevada, at the Southern California Basque Club in Chino, and Gooding, Idaho. This year, the NABO Convention will be celebrated in Buffalo, Wyoming, on the weekend of July 22-24.

On the last day of July Boise Basques will take part in the San Inazio Festival, an annual event to honor St. Ignatius of Loyola, the patron saint of the Basques. This event does not take place during Jaialdi, an event celebrated every five years. Last Jaialdi took place last summer.

Boise’s celebration of San Inazio will be followed by Gardnerville, Nevada’s picnic in conjunction with Kantari Eguna (Singing Day), and festivals in Seattle, Washington, Mountain Home, Idaho, Buffalo and Rock Springs, Wyoming, and Battle Mountain, Nevada.  San Francisco Basque will celebrate their Euskal Etxeko Jaialdia on August 28.

Labor Day weekend, (first weekend of September) coincides with Chino, California’s Basque picnic, and later in the month Marin and Sonoma counties will also join in the celebrations.  In October, the Las Vegas, Nevada and Rocklin, California festivals will round out the calendar and end the Basque festival season for 2011. 

An event that deserves special mention is the NABO Udaleku, from June 18 to July 2, in two phases.

NABO oldest endeavor and one of their most profound and productive: a two-week summer camp that allows Basque kids from all over the US to learn more about being Basque. "Udaleku" means summer camp in Basque.

-More information is available on NABO’s website