Over a thousand people gathered in Boise’s Basque Block for the third day of Jaialdi. The Basque Block became a meeting ground for Basques, American-Basques and people who just wanted to join in on the fun.
Traditional Basque music filled the air, and dancing flooded the street on Thursday, the third day of the six-day festival, as attendees took part in all things Basque. It was the first Jaialdi (hi-AHL-dee) in 10 years, thanks to cancellations in 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many attendees were ecstatic to be back for this celebration, which is unlike any other in the U.S. This festival drew in masses from around the country and around the world. Hundreds of people traveled from the Basque Country, the region that sits on the border between France and Spain. Their language, Euskara, was heard in the streets.
One way people showed their enthusiasm was through spontaneous footwork. As a trio of musicians with accordions and a tambourine performed Basque folk music at Kaixo Corner, a new park near the Basque Block, groups of people jumped up and danced along — a tradition at many festivals in the Basque Country…