The next West Coast Estonian Days are due to take place in Suquamish, WA, near Seattle, from 16-18 July 2021; the festival of singing, dancing and reconnecting has been held since 1953.
The 2021 West Coast Estonian Days will be held at the Suquamish Clearwater Resort and Casino, located on the shores of the Agate Passage, a short ferry ride from Seattle across the Puget Sound.
The events at the festival will include a folk party, starting with an arranged Song and Dance Festival that continues with the audience joining in to sing old folk songs and dances. The organisers also promise a sporting events and an evening ball, and “perhaps even a travelling sauna”.
A logo contest
The organisers are also holding a logo contest for the festival, calling on creative people to participate and get the chance of making their mark in the festival’s history. The Estonian company, Click and Grow, has donated a smart garden as a prize for the winner of the contest. The deadline for submissions is 28 June 2020.
The event is organised by the West Coast Estonian League, formed in 1954 with the main purpose of preparing and carrying out the West Coast Estonian Days. The organisation has grown from its 13 founding member organisations to 22.
The presidency and board of the league rotates on a two-year basis among the five West Coast population centres (California’s Los Angeles and San Francisco; Portland, OR; Seattle, WA; and Vancouver, BC, Canada).
Cover: Participants at the West Coast Estonian Days in Los Angeles, 2017. Photo by Enn Auksmann.
