Latest Basque Happenings

February and March have been pretty fun months as far as Basque events goes, and we are not done yet!

A couple of weekends ago I packed the kids in the car and took them to Mountain Home for their Sheepherders’ Ball celebration. There was a bit fewer people in attendance than I’d expected, but the kids and I had a great time watching the Oinkari group dance, and chatting with our friends. There was wine and coke to drink, and chorizo in a loaf of sandwich bread (??) to eat. It was a low-key event, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Last weekend it was Homedale’s turn. Other than the small incident going back home after the dance, Maitane and I had a blast. Homedale is a small town about an hour east (or it might be west) of Boise. I think I’d been there once before years ago, but I had never attended a Basque celebration. I must say, they got a pretty sweet set up in Homedale. Their Basque Center is new, spacious, and very nice. I was talking to my friend Miren today and she told me how the Basque people in Homedale did it all by themselves, on their own land, laying the cement foundation, and building it from there. Now I’m even more impressed.

We arrived a little bit late (fashionably, what can I say?), and the parking lot was packed with mostly pick-up trucks. I’d have loved to ride the Oinkari bus with the rest of the gang, but then I’d have been stuck at the center until one or two in the morning, and I don’t think my daughter would have appreciated it. She did enjoy eating hot dogs and drinking soda while watching the dancers, especially the little kids, and would get really excited every time they’d perform a dance she’d practiced with her Boiseko Gazteak “Txikitxuak” group. Then it was time for Amuma Says No to get everybody moving. We ended up leaving early because Maitane was tired, so I missed pretty much the whole concert. Sometimes I wonder what happened to my kids; they seem to be lacking those very important partying genes their mom has to spare. (I guess they are only 7 and 5 though, ahhh… let’s cut them some slack).

Ricardo "Rich" Eiguren

I couldn’t help but smile while I looked around at the people in Homedale’s Basque Center. Cowboy hats sprinkled in the crowd; Basque tradition mixed with small-town cowboy flavor. Take Ricardo “Rich” Eiguren, for example. He about sums it up. I talked to him in Basque for a bit after he let me take his picture. I love looking at the photo knowing that his parents came straight from Lekeitio!

So, even though I couldn’t stay until the end, and I got a bit lost on the way back, I’m very happy I decided to go. I discovered yet another Basque corner in Idaho, I hung out with friends I see all the time in Boise, and caught up with one of my favorite giputxis.

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I mentioned before the are lots of Basque events going around. Here you have a quick and dirty run down of some of them:

• Saturday, March 19th,  Mus March Dinner at the Basque Center in Boise.
• Sunday, March 20th, Boiseko Gazteak Spring Show at Borah High School.
• Saturday, March 26th, the Oinkari Sagardotegi (Cider House) Night, at the Basque Center in Boise.
• Thursday, April 7th, Boiseko Ikastola Open House, from 4-6 pm. Call 208-343-4234 for more details.
• Saturday, April 9th, Annual Anniversary Dinner, benefiting the Basque Museum and Boiseko Ikastola.
• Sunday, April 14th, Korrika Fun Run at 2 pm in Mountain Home. Call Goisalde at 208-599-2662 to learn more.
• Saturday, April 30th, Korrika Celebration at 10 am in Boise. Call me at 208-353-8490 or email Izaskun Kortazar at izaskunkortazar@gmail.com if you’d like more information.

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