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Los Banos, California.  The annual Los Banos Basque festival ran for two days this year, adding Sunday to the festivities that usually take place on Satuday. Organizers were extremely happy with the result, fearing that attendance may be low due the NABO Convention taking place on the following weekend, coinciding with the Memorial Day holiday in Bakersfield, and thinking that many would opt for that event instead.  Saturday events included an anniversary dinner that gathered nearly 400 people, while Sunday’s numbers reached 1, 200 people as related to EuskalKultura.com by local club sources. 

Weekend events began on Saturday morning with a traditional Mus tournament, with participants coming from many localities including many from out of state.  With the bar opening at 5pm, the O’Bannon Hall at the Fairgrounds provided the perfect opportunity for many to visit and catch up before dinner.  During dinner, Joseba Etxarri, director of EuskalKultura.com, presented “California and the Basques,” a presentation featuring over 25 years of his personal research in the area including photos taken by Etxarri himself.  The evening concluded with a dance to the music of Luhartz from Euskadi providing young and old the opportunity to boogie.

[Sunday began with mass in Basque and English, with various decorations and involvement of different Basque-American artists and talents; in O’Bannon Hall that was practically full (photoEuskalKultura.com)]

[Mass was celebrated by the Bishop of the Diocese of Fresno, the Most Reverend Armando Ochoa, along with Basque priest Aita Lastiri.  Fr. Lastiri (left) with Bishop Ochoa (photoEuskalKultura.com)]

[The religious celebration also included the participation of dancers, a Basque choir, and bertsolaris see here: from left to right Gexan Alfaro, Johnny Curutchet, and Jesus Goñi (photoEuskalKultura.com)]

[There was a procession as well as a recession, in the American style, with both Basque and American flags also present (photoEuskalKultura.com)]

[From the O’Bannon Hall, the festivities moved outside at the Fairgrounds where the rest of the day’s activities took place (photoEuskalKultura.com)]

[Among the participants, booths with Basque products, like the “Barbot Etchepare Basque Imports,” that was recently acquired from the Etcheverry family (photoEuskalKultura.com)]

[Another booth was that of Lauburu Art, with crafts with Basque motifs, created by Idaho Basque who now resided in California, Marianne Schaffeld Uberuaga (photoEuskalKultura.com)]

[After the BBQ lunch traditionally served at Basque picnics in the west, by members of the Los Banos Basque Club, the afternoon events began with the American National anthem and Gernikako Arbola, the latter sung by club president, Amador Zabalbeascoa, as seen here (photoEuskalKultura.com)]

[Recognitions included greetings and plaques presented by public representatives and friends of the honored entity.  Some elected officials were also present for the 50^th Anniversary of the Los Banos Basque Club (photoEuskalKultura.com)]

[Among the recognitions and congratulations was an act of the US Congress, supported and signed by California Congressman, from this district, Jim Costa (photoEuskalKultura.com)]

[Basque athletes also participated and aizkolaris, some from the east coast; seen here aizkolaris from Rhode Island, California and Nevada holding “Basque Country” as part of the campaign for the diffusion of Euskadi sponsored by the Basque Government.  From left to right: Ricky Lasa, Juan Brana, Juanmari Aramendi, Jose Tellechea and Cristophe Alfaro (photoEuskalKultura.com)]

[A Basque delegation was also in attendance from the Basque Government in Euskadi including Asier Vallejo, Director of Basque Communities Abroad, accompanied by Benan Oregi, technician.  Asun Garikano was also in attendance, author of some books on the history of the Basques in California.  Delegate of Euskadi in the US, Ander Caballero, was also present (photo).  Club president, Amador Zabalbeascoa, got emotional when introducing Caballero indicating that the anniversary was made more special because it was the first time that anyone from the Basque Government had visited Los Banos (photoEuskalKultura.com)]

[Three of the aizkolaris competing.  From left to right, Juan Brana from Nevada; Ricky Lasa from Rhode Island, and Juanmari Aramendi also from Rhode Island.  Cristophe Alfaro from San Francisco also competed (photoEuskalKultura.com)]

[Among the aizkolari competitions was a match pitting the East Coast against the West Coast.  From left to right, Juanmari Aramendi and Juan Brana (photoEuskalKultura.com)]

[The Los Banos Basque Club, as every year, awarded a certificate and $500 a piece to each of its graduating seniors (7 this year) to help with the university expenses.  This year’s awardees here along with club president (kneeling) and dance group instructors Annie Erreca, (first on the left), Andree Soares and Michelle DiGiovanni (last two on the right) (photoEuskalKultura.com)]

[Club’s youngest dancers during their performance on Sunday (photoEuskalKultura.com)]

[The San Francisco Klika was also present along with the Zazpiak Bat dancers of the San Francisco Basque club (photoEuskalKultura.com)]

[The Gauden Bat dancers from Chino, CA also participated (photoEuskalKultura.com)]

[One of the last competitions of the day was the Txinga Carry that is very popular among Americans.  One of the participants seen here (photoEuskalKultura.com)]

[There were also female competitors in the Txinga competition.  This participant explained that she attended the festival because her grandfather had discovered that there was Basque in their family tree, apparently from Oñate (photoEuskalKultura.com)]

[Sunday concluded with another dance to the music of Luhartz.  This band will also perform at the NABO convention that will take place next weekend in Bakersfield, CA (photo EuskalKultura.com)]