ASTERO
Euskal Lagunak Annual Picnic
Please join our friends at the Euskal Lagunak Basque Club in Mountain Home, Idaho this Saturday, August 9th for their 64th Annual Basque Picnic. The event will take place at the Basque Park and begins at 4pm. Esku pilota games will begin at 5pm followed by games for all ages, and at 7:30pm the Oinkari Basque Dancers will perform. This will be followed by a live lamb auction, and a street dance at 9pm. The afternoon will include lots of good food and drink including lamb, rice, beans, chorizo, water, pop, beer, and wine. For more information visit them on Facebook.
Picnic and Euskal Kantari Eguna in Gardnerville
The Mendiko Euskaldun Cluba will host its annual Basque Picnic this Saturday, August 9th at the C.V.I C. Hall in Minden. The day’s festivities will begin at 10:30am with mass celebrated by Aita Antton with the participation of a Klika, and the local club dancers. After mass, NABO President, Jean Flesher, will present Aita Antton with NABO’s Al Erquiaga Bizi Emankorra Award for his service to our Basque communities across the west. On behalf of everyone at NABO, Zorionak Aita, merezi duzu eta!
Next, there will be a youth flash mus tournament and NABO’s Gateau Basque contest. Please bring your gateaus to the stage after mass for judging. Lunch will be served at 1:00pm including Borda lamb, and after lunch the NABO Txerriki contest will be held. All Txerriki submissions must be homemade but may be tripota, chorizo, or lukainka. NABO’s Kantari Eguna will begin at 3:00pm and will include a performance by the 11 Buru Txistu Taldea, as well as a performance by the Mendiko Euskaldun Cluba dancers. The public dance will begin at 8:00pm to the music of the Etchechury/Flesher band, with Baratxuri Salda, (garlic soup), served at 11:00pm. For the complete schedule click here.
2025 NABO Convention
As previously reported, this year’s NABO Convention Meeting coincided with Jaialdi in Boise, Idaho. The meeting took place on Friday, August 1st with every NABO club member being represented either in person or on Zoom. Many dignitaries also attended including Lehendakari Pradales, President of the Basque Country, and Vice-Lehendakari Ibone Bengoetxea, Ander Caballero, the Basque Government’s Secretary General of Foreign Action, and Global Euskadi, Ziortza Olano Astigarraga, the Director of the Basque Community Abroad and Global Euskadi, Benan Oregi, Diaspora Expert from the same department, and Maria Concepcion Aranguren Laflin, Delegate of Euskadi in the United States and Canada. Representing the Etxepare Basque Institute were Director, Irene Larraza, Monika Madinabeitia, Director of the Department of Language and Universities, and Kinku Zinkunegi, Director of Euskara Munduan. The Provincial Government of Bizkaia was represented by Deputy General, Elixabete Etxanobe Landajuela, along with Leixuri Arrizabalaga, Deputy of the Department of Basque Language Culture and Sport. Boise’s Mayor, Lauren McLean, was present, and welcomed everyone to Boise for the festivities, and the Presidents of FEVA (Federation of Basque Entities in Argentina), and FIVU, (Federation of Basque Institutions of Urugay) Asier Iriberri, and Juan Pedro Arin respectively, were also in attendance. Each dignitary addressed the group, and many gifts were given and received. NABO President, Jean Flesher, also presented Gloria Totoricagüena with NABO’s Al Erquiaga Bizi Emankorra Award, who in turn thanked many at the meeting who were NABO founders including Pierre Etcharren, Miren Artiach, and Dave Eiguren.
A new agreement was also signed between NABO and the Etxepare Basque Institute that aims to promote and consolidate the teaching of Euskara in Basque clubs in the US, which is part of the Euskara Munduan program. Other business conducted included reports on NABO programs by various chairs, and a discussion about quorum and proxies that was tabled until the fall meeting in Reno that will take place on November 15th. Elections were also held with incumbents, Jean Flesher and Marie Petracek retaining their positions, NABO President and Treasurer respectively. Zorionak!
The meeting adjourned just in time for everyone to move to the Lehendakari’s reception where Dr. William A. Douglass and Dr. Carmelo Urza were honored. The reception also allowed NABO delegates to get to know the new representatives from the various Basque institutions as well. Please enjoy this photo gallery created by Lisa Corcostegui, NABO Webmaster.
8/7/2025
