Oinkari at the 2013 Western Idaho Fair

Madelen Bieter Lete serves up shredded lamb for a sandwich at the Oinkari Basque Dancers booth. JOHN SOWELL — jsowell@idahostatesman.com

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2013/08/18/2712381/the-most-popular-part-of-the-fair.html#storylink=cpy

Read John Sowell's full article at: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2013/08/18/2712381/the-most-popular-part-of-the-fair.html

Down food row, Madalen Bieter Lete grilled an order of Basque solomo, pork loin marinated in spices, sliced thin and served with roasted red peppers.

At the same time, she used a pair of tongs to scoop up shredded lamb from a pot and placed it on a bun with grilled onions.

The most popular item at the booth sponsored by the Oinkari Basque Dancers is a chorizo on a bun. During the fair's 10-day run, members of the dance troupe and other volunteers will serve up thousands of chorizos - mostly to a non-Basque audience.

"It's by far the most popular item," said Amy Hormaechea Wray, who has worked at the booth for a half-dozen years.

The chorizos are supplied by Gem Meat Packing Co. of Garden City.

The Oinkari Basque Dancers have operated a food booth at the fair - which helps raise money for the group's travel expenses and equipment costs - for more than five decades. The group started out with a booth at the old fairgrounds at North Orchard and West Irving streets and moved with the fair to its current location in Garden City.

Original article:
http://www.idahostatesman.com/2013/08/18/2712381/the-most-popular-part-of-the-fair.html

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2013/08/18/2712381/the-most-popular-part-of-the-fair.html#storylink=cpy

Trailing of the Sheep Teaser

Is anyone else getting pumped for the Trailing of the Sheep?  Oinkari attends every year, and it is one of our favorite events to participate in.  The Wood River Valley is beautiful in the autumn, and we love to perform our Basque dances with a scenic mountain backdrop.

To get you excited for this year's festival, here's a video compilation from the folks at the For 91 Days travel blog.  Visit their website for the full post!

Oinkari New Kids 2013

For anyone interested in joining Oinkari Basque Dancers in fall of 2013, we welcome all interested Basques 14 years of age and older to join during 3 Sundays in September: the 15th, 22nd, or 29th.  If you can attend all 3, that would be ideal.  Practice begins promptly at noon in the main hall of the Basque Center (601 Grove, Boise), and lasts until about 4pm.  Please wear comfortable workout clothes and closed-toe, flexible shoes.  We will have leather Basque dance shoes for purchase, which are a required part of the costume.  No previous Basque dance experience is necessary.

After practice (at 4pm) on September 29th, we have a required New Kid Orientation for new dancers and parents,  where we will introduce the Oinkari Board of Directors, distribute the New Kid Packet, give an overview of Oinkari as an organization, answer questions about responsibilities, costuming, traveling, etc.

Qualifications:
---  Must be at least 14 years old or in the 9th grade by  9/1/13
---  Must be enthusiastic and interested in learning Basque traditional folk dances.
---  Must belong to (or join by 1/1/14) Euzkaldunak, Boise's Basque club.  If the dancer is under 18, at least one parent must belong to Euzkaldunak, which is $40/year for a new member.  Members must be of Basque heritage or married to a person of Basque heritage (Euzkaldunak policy.)  For membership information, email secretary@basquecenter.com

Costs:
Dancing with Oinkari Basque Dancers is free.  However, dancers are responsible for the cost of their own traditional dance costume (we have a seamstress that makes all the costumes).  Men's costumes cost about $100 and women's costumes cost about $350.

For more information, email info@oinkari.org, or check out our calendar.  See you in September!