euskalkultura.eus

Los Banos, CA. The Californian Basque club in Los Banos will celebrate its first half century of activities and gatherings with a very special edition of its traditional Basque Picnic.  The event will take place this weekend, with various activities at the O’Bannion Hall on Saturday and outdoors on Sunday at the local fair grounds.  The festival is usually one of the first of the US Basque festival season.

The festivities begin on Saturday with lamb sandwiches and chorizo, typical food from this Basque-American community, that is strongly lined with the world of herders and a Mus tournament opened to all, with cash prizes.  The official celebration will begin at 6pm with a dinner and dance.  The Californian group, Noka, will be in charge of entertaining during the evening and will then be followed by Luhartz, from the Basque Country.  Audience participation will not be lacking during the Kantu-Afaria, with lyrics being provided.  Joseba Etxarri, director of EuskalKultura.com, will also give a talk about Basques in California.

Sunday will begin with mass celebrated in Basque and English by the Bishop of the Diocese of Fresno, the Most Reverend Armando Ochoa, and Fr. Michael Lastiri, at 10am at O’Bannion Hall with music, dancers and bertsolaris.  After mass the event will move outside at the fairgrounds for a traditional lamb BBQ.  The afternoon will include dance performances and rural sports competitions: txingak and aizkolaris concluding with another dance to the music of Luhartz.

-More information is available by emailing the club, here.