BOISE, Idaho — The San Inazio festival gives people in Boise a chance to learn more about Basque culture and how they celebrate Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the Patron Saint of the Basques, in this yearly party that has been happening in Boise for 25 years.
“We’re going to dance right on the Basque block, and there's a picnic,” says a camper at this year's Udaleku, a Basque kids camp.
The multi-day camp allows children an opportunity to connect with other young Basques from across the country and wraps up with a special performance Friday evening of the festival.
All weekend people can head downtown and watch old-world dancers, learn about the culture, and eat traditional basque food.
“So San Inazio is a good one because it’s on the block, it’s really public, it’s welcome to everybody,” says Isana Bengoetxea, who served as this year’s publicity chair for the festival.
Organizers at the Basque Center say they’re grateful for all the support they have received from the Boise Community.
Since there are always new people moving to the Treasure Valley, they want to continue to share their lively culture here at the Basque Block during the San Inazio Festival each year.
“You don’t have to pay to get in, you don’t have to know anything to get in. You can just come in and watch. It reminds everybody that we do have this little hub of Basque culture here in Boise,” says Bengoetxea.
Everything kicks off Friday at 4:00 pm, with traditional games like Pala and Handball.
The dancing, music, and free fun continues through Sunday evening.
“Oinkari Basque Dancers are the group that’s from 14 to 30. There are a couple of new dances that they’ll be performing this year. That’s at 1:00pm on the block, so it’s really hot but it’s really cool to watch,” says Bengoetxea.
