Carson City's Basque Festival

This note comes to us thanks to Nevada Appeal:

Annual festival at St. Teresa's highlights Basque heritage

Rhonda Costa-Landers
Appeal Staff Writer
September 14, 2006, 4:01 AM

Like many cultures, the Basque people have traditions fondly kept in the forefront of their lives today.

The annual St. Teresa Basque Festival is an opportunity for the community to see, hear and taste several of those traditions.

The festival is Sunday at Fuji Park in Carson City.

Festival activities include dance performances by the University of Nevada, Reno's Basque dancers, verse singing by a Bertsolari, dog-herding demonstration by Sandy Moore and wood chopping demonstrations by Juan and Stephanie Brauna.

Gates to the festival open at 11 a.m. Mass led by the Rev. Jerry Hanley of St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Community is held at noon and the traditional Basque food is served at 1 p.m.

"The best thing about the festival is it's a community-wide event," said Jim Cavillia, co-chairman of the event.

"Kids running around having fun. The Basque culture thing and the dancers. It's something you don't see every day. People have a good time here, and it's relaxing."

Activities for the youth will be in abundance, including sack races, volleyball and face painting, among others.

The festival is a fundraiser for St. Teresa of Avila School and church youth programs. Cavillia said the festival last year netted around $35,000.

"It's more of a 'funraiser' than fundraiser," Cavillia said. "The festival's a good thing to bring the community together. After 9/11, we made a decision not to cancel the event, which was probably a good thing for the community.

"People were walking around with American Flag stickers on their chest. It's a fun distraction."

Traditional Basque food to be served includes roasted turkey and lamb chops cooked on mahogany coals, lamb stew by local chef Charlie Abowd, Basque chicken with peppers and garlic, Basque beans prepared by three Basque restaurants in Douglas County - the Overland Hotel, JT and The Country Club.

"There will also be picon punch, a more regional Basque drink, that packs a punch," Cavillia said. "All kinds of good stuff from Charlie."

Cavillia, who has been a member of St. Teresa's for 15 years and a volunteer for the festival, said several Basque cooks from Ely come in to help prepare the food.

"If I put in the hours at work I do at the festival, and donated it, I'd make more money," he said. "But this is more fun.

"It's a small group of people who work really hard for the year to make this happen. Charlie Abowd is a lifesaver. He puts a lot of work into this to make it happen. He's a good guy for this town."

If you go

WHAT: Ninth annual Basque Festival

WHEN: 11 a.m. Sunday gates open; Field Mass at noon; picon and chorizo bars opens at 1 p.m., dinner from 1-3 p.m.; events and entertainment at 1 p.m. See full schedule at Basque Festival.

WHERE: Fuji Park

COST: $30 at the door; $25 in advance; 15-younger free

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