OPENING CELEBRATION
We begin the celebration with a grand procession of the 34 LEP emblems. All five West Coast cities unite to present their own banners! Then, enjoy the program as we showcase our Portland performing groups of singers, folk dancers, musicians and children.
FOLK DAY AT ALDERBROOK PARK
Rahvapidu will be held at a beautiful private park nestled in the forest with its own private lake, pool, creek, and other amenities – the perfect place to make new friends and enjoy old friends. There is a large playground for children, and seminars and performances will be held throughout the day. Later, we will enjoy a BBQ chicken lunch. http://alderbrookparkevents.com
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION!
Estonia is celebrating its 100th birthday from 2017 to 2020 and our concert is a gift from all of the performers. Come and enjoy our colorful program with folk dance troupes from Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, Tallinn, solo song and a combined children’s dance troupe, all tied together with a narrator!
SONG FESTIVAL
We, Estonians, are a singing people. The tradition of the song festival was born along with the Estonian national awakening. 2019 marks the 150th anniversary since the first national song festival was held in Tartu in the summer of 1869. Participating on Saturday, August 3rd are singers from Estonian communities on the west coast of the United States and Canada, and from Estonia. Our local, renown Unistus Chamber Choir will also join us. We are excited to present some of our favorite works in celebrating this anniversary with you.
GALA BALL
Join us at the Gala Ball where the 18-piece Jumptown Big Band awaits us. So dust off your best outfit and get ready for an amazing night of dinner, dancing and entertainment!
TEATER VARIUS – “VARIUS LAULAB” and “LÕBUSAD ESTOONLASED”
Theater Varius is coming to Portland from Tallinn. The troupe was founded in 1987. Through the years, many soloists from the Estonian National Opera have joined the theatre.
Theater Varius will delight us with two performances, a musical play “Lõbusad Estoonlased”, which is about the first years of the ESTONIA theater. They will also perform a musical concert “Varius Laulab” in which we will hear duets from operas, operettas and popular songs of years past.
GUEST CONCERT – “SAVIJALAKESED”
Savijalakesed is the folk dance ensemble of Tallinna Tehnikakõrgkool – TTK University of Applied Sciences. They enjoy dancing and making others happy with their dance. The troupe was founded in 1967. Piret Lett has been the director since 1982 and her assitants are Kaja Naarits, Kristiina Vilipõld and Mait Pinsel. The ensemble has earned awards at different competitions. The latest and probably one of the most valuable awards so far came in 2018 when the Estonian Folk Dance and Folk Music Association (ERRS) nominated them as the most outstanding players in the field. Savijalakesed won the award of the year in the executive, as well as creative category and was named „Collective of the year 2018”. The ensemble has danced in Estonian villages and towns, as well as in international festivals and events in Finland, the Russian Federation, Sweden, Denmark, Turkey, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, United Kingdom, USA, Makedonia, France, Spain and Italy. Savijalakesed visited Portland for the first time in 1997 when participating in the Portland Rose Festival. This year, 20 members of the dance ensemble will participate in the 34th West Coast Estonian Days.
Choir Concert
UNISTUS / KIRDE RANNIK
Portland’s own favorite choir “Unistus” together with the “Kirde rannik” choir from Tallinn will delight us with a choral concert of Estonian music.
ACADEMIC LUNCHEON
The Academic Luncheon has become a popular activity during the West Coast Estonian Days and an excellent opportunity for reunion. This venue offers the opportunity to converse, participate in traditions and enjoy a well-prepared buffet lunch. The members of academic fraternities and sororities have been asked to wear their colorful fraternity hats and ribbons. While we are together, why not join in singing some well-known songs familiar to our fraternities? There is an opportunity for fraternities to offer their own greetings, speeches or sing a specific song. This luncheon is not only for fraternity members but for those with an interest in seeing which fraternities/sororities attend and become better familiar with their distinct colors, traditions and membership. We especially welcome students and recent graduates. Dress code is typical business attire.
SEMINARS
All are welcome to join us at our seminars! Topics will range from religious and historical information to handicrafts with live demonstrations. More details about specific sessions to come.
“KULD LÕVI” ESTO CLUB
“Kuld Lõvi” is the place to be after the scheduled events are over for the day! Enjoy evenings of dancing to our live band, singing your heart out, and socializing with your friends, both old and new.
CHILDREN’S PROGRAM
The children’s program offers our children the opportunity to meet each other, play together and make new friends, learn and play Estonian singing games, sing Estonian songs and do handicraft projects. More details about specific sessions to come.
WORSHIP SERVICE
The West Coast Estonian Days will come to a close with this Sunday morning concert-worship service with Pastor Mart Salumäe from Toronto and Pastor Hendrik Laur from Olympia. The combined choirs will honor the works of Roman Toi.
ESTONIA THROUGH 100 PAIRS OF EYES
The exhibit “Estonia Through 100 Pairs of Eyes” is a story of Estonia in portraits, created for the centenary of the Republic of Estonia, as told by one hundred Estonian and Estonian-spirited people. The oldest person portrayed, 100-year-old Linda Erika, was born in 1918, the same year as the Republic of Estonia. The youngest, Jako, came into the world as the first baby born in Estonia on February 24, 2017, the eve of Estonia’s centenary. The exhibit includes well-known persons that need no introduction, as well as several that we meet for the first time. “Estonia Through 100 Pairs of Eyes” is touring Estonia and abroad. The public has already had an opportunity to see the exhibition in Tartu, Haapsalu, Stockholm, Kärdla, Tallinn, Berlin, Rotterdam, Luxembourg, Kuressaare, Pärnu, Brüssels, and Toronto. The exhibition will be touring along the West Coast US cities of San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and Los Angeles. This exhibition on the west coast is made possible with the support of the Estonian American National Council, Rotalia Foundation and Estonian Relief Committee USA.
LODGING
LEP 2019’s home base will be the Red Lion on the River at Jantzen Beach, 909 N Hayden Island Dr. Portland, OR 97217 (503-283-4466). A block of rooms has been reserved for July 30 – August 4, 2019. You are able to reserve rooms on our website www.lep2019.com.
Transportation options from Portland International Airport can be found on the website.
ORDERING TICKETS
You are able to purchase tickets online on the website, www.lep2019.com, or print out the ticket order form and mail it with your check in US dollars.
