Jaialdi, six days of Basque Culture in Boise

Boise is known for being one of the cities with greater Basque diaspora in the world, and every five years they celebrate it organizing Jaialdi, the biggest festival of Basque culture abroad. The seventh edition - the first was organized in 1987- has just begun and will conclude on August 2. Kepa Junkera will offer at concert  from the roof of the Iberdrola Tower in Bilbao, which will be broadcast live via streaming and will serve to inaugurate the Jaialdi. The 6 days of Jaialdi are full of different activities: sports, dance, music, exhibitions... but they all have something in common: the relationship with Basque culture. That is precisely the aim of the festival, to celebrate Basque culture and identity.

The highlight of Jaialdi will arrive at the weekend. On Friday, the show Festa´ra will be performed in the theater Morrin Center of the University BSU - where the Etxepare Basque Institute has a readership of Basque Language and Culture-. In this show groups and individuals who have been at the festival will take part: dancers, singers, improvisers, musicians ...

A day earlier, on Thursday evening, the famous Sports Night will be celebrated in Boise. Basque sportsmen and sportswomen arrived from the Basque Country will perform different shows such as "Trontza", "txingas", lifting sports straw ... which we are used to here, but create great excitement in Boise.

Otherwise, the program consists of activities organized by Jaialdi or external ones, but all of them related to Basque culture, and will gather a large number of spectators and participants; among them is the Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu.

Aipea Goenaga and Mari Jose Olaziregi, from the Etxepare Basque Institute, are also in Boise these days, participating in the conference Mugaz Gaindi - where they will offer different talks today - and to sign the new agreement between the Etxepare Institute and Boise State University.

The web euskalkultura has made a compilation of what we can find in Jaialdi. You can also follow all the news on the blog of GazteAukera.

• Jaialdi official website
• Topaketa: general program of Boise (Ingeles, Basque and Castilian)
• Events on the map of Boise
• Jaialdi booklet summary
• Maps, timetables and artists to Idaho Expo
• Symposium program ´Joan-Etorri´
• Culinary program Cenarrusa Fundazioa
• Preservation Idaho: Walking Tours by Boise, explaining the Basque history of the city
• Gure Esku Dago, Lehendakari Agirre Center: Ibarretxe talk in Boise
• Exhibition of the Basque artist Judas Arrieta
• On the trail of Basque whalers: presentation of the expedition
• Ball championship finals of NABO
• Basque Short Films at 39 Rooms 39 Rooms Film Festival
• Special visits to Euskal Museoa Boise

Image: euskalkultura.com