Hello! Calendar was updated March 9, 2010. More updates will follow very soon.

This calendar and information about the Latvian community in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are maintained by the Council of American-Latvian Organizations of New York, Inc. (CALONY). This information may be freely printed out, quoted and distributed, provided www.nylatvian.org is cited as the source. To receive occasional e-mail reminders about new events, send an e-mail to the webmaster, Marģers ( pinnis@banet.net ). Please include your full name in the message. E-mail addresses will not be given to anyone else. Feel free to comment, tell us about new events, or point out errors via e-mail or calling: (914) 631-5725.
© Council of American-Latvian Organizations of New York, Inc., 2003-2010.

Participate in our Latvian community!

Information about the Latvian church, the Latvian schools, the Boy Scouts & Girl Guides, the NY Latvian Choir, the NY Daugavas Vanagi chapter, the Latvian folk dance group Jumis, paintings for sale by the DV, the ALA Ethnographic & Cultural collection, supporting Baltic interests, the VOC Memorial, and the ALA Infogram may now be found by clicking (or even just putting your mouse pointer on) the button Participate in our NY Latvian community! in the main menu above.

Announcements and other news

Please help build a new Dining hall (in Latvian "Ēdam zāle")
for the Latvian Church Camp "Nometne" in the Catskills

The current Dining Hall at the Latvian Church Camp "Nometne" in the Catskills, built in 1956, has served many generations of Latvian-Americans but the time has come to build a new dining facility. The owner of the camp, The Latvian Ev. Luth. Church of New York has, after much planning and discussion, decided on a plan to build a new hall on the site of the old one. This picture is an artist's rendering of the new dining hall, or "Ēdam zāle" as it is called in Latvian. Please consider donating generously so the beautiful Latvian Church Camp "Nometne" can continue serving Latvian people, young and old, for many more generations to come. Please visit: www.nydraudze.org  and click on the fundraising logo pictured above and also visit: www.nometne.org . On these sites you will find plans, project status and other information about this project. 

Are you ready for Latvia's parliamentary (10. Saeimas) elections?

We are not asking which election list you are thinking of supporting nor about which candidates you will mark with a plus and which you will strike out.  The Latvian parliamentary (10. Saeimas) elections will be held on Saturday October 2, 2010. This date may now seem to be very far into the future but now is the time to make sure you have a valid and current Republic of Latvia citizen's passport which is required for voting. An expired passport or other documents will not be acceptable. Please visit the Latvian Embassy web site: www.latvia-usa.org for information about obtaining or renewing your Latvian passport. Click on "10. Saeimas vēlēšanas" or this link: www.latvia-usa.org/vepapar10ve.html . When the October 2nd date comes nearer, this page will have information about how these elections will be conducted in the USA. Any questions should be directed to the Latvian Embassy in Washington DC at: embassy.usa@mfa.gov.lv or calling (202) 328-2840. General information about the elections, relevant laws, candidate lists and other information will be accessible at the Latvian government Central Election Commission site: www.cvk.lv. Many citizens of Latvia say they care deeply about Latvia's future but if they don't vote in the parliamentary elections then this is just empty talk.

An invitation to help Mārcis Braunfelds and his family.........................>	READ MORE
Let's urge local PBS TV stations to broadcast The Soviet Story ..................................................................>	READ MORE
Would you like to play Chess with other Latvians?................................>	READ MORE
Latvian handicrafts now available at the United Nations Gift Centre...>	READ MORE
Survey of Latvians, Livs and citizens of Latvia currently living abroad>	READ MORE
See pictures of the Ball in honor of Latvia's 90th Anniversary in NY...>	READ MORE
Order Latvian Books from the "Saulaine Book Barn"..........................>	READ MORE
You can now order The Soviet Story on DVD.Visit  www.sovietstory.com and click on "Buy DVD".

New York and New Jersey Latvian Calendar

Attention: Names of event venues and Contact people are links!

To save space and avoid repetition the names of the most popular venues are links. These appear in maroon and bold type. As you roll your mouse pointer over each link it will become underlined. When clicked on, a new page will open with the venue's full address, travel directions, and photos. For example the following are links: Yonkers Church and DV House. If you have recently visited the page referenced by a link its color will be dark olive green instead. E-mail addresses of contact people are also provided in this way. If you click on the contact person's name, your computer's e-mail program should open a new message window, with the correct recipient's e-mail address field already filled in. If you want only to view the e-mail address without invoking your e-mail program right click on the name and choose "properties".

FEBRUARY 2010:

Monday Feb. 1, at about 18:50 - The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric (in New York, NY on WCBS-TV channel 2) will feature Riga, Latvia. Each Monday the CBS Evening News presents a segment about a different place in the world. On Monday Feb. 1 it will be about Latvia. The Evening News program starts at 18:00 (6 pm) and this segment will air towards the end of the program at about 18:50.
IF YOU MISSED WATCHING THIS SEGMENT, ABOUT THE LATVIAN BODYBUILDER IN LIEPĀJA YOU CAN WATCH IT HERE: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/01/eveningnews/main6162980.shtml

MARCH 2010:

Daylight Savings Time begins 1 am Mar. 14 - set your clocks one hour ahead!

Sunday, Mar. 14, at 10:00 - Church services followed by the annual Pancake Breakfast at the Yonkers Church. There will also be a program featuring a play "Dzimšanas diena" ("Birthday") performed by the Long Island Latvian Theater Group. Inta Krafta, Dagnija Spuntele-Lapiņa, Māra Vilciņa, Jānis Riekstiņš, Kārlis Budkēvics, and Uldis Stepe will be acting in the play. Proceeds will benefit the renovation of the Yonkers church kitchen. All are invited.

Five concerts by violinist Margarita Kreine

Sunday Mar. 14, at 19:30 at Weil Recital hall at Carnegie Hall, West 57th Street & Seventh Avenue, New York, NY. Margarita will perform as a 1st Prize winner of American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition in New York 2010. Admission $40. For tickets and other information visit: www.CarnegieHall.org .
Thursday Mar. 18, at Yamaha Piano Salon, 689 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, NY. Entrance located on the north side of 54th Street, between Madison & Fifth Avenues. Admission free. Margarita will be performing 2nd Sonata by Brahms with Dror Semmel.
Saturday Mar. 20, at 14:00, at the DV House. (See below)
Sunday Mar. 21, at 19:30 at Weil Recital hall at Carnegie Hall, West 57th Street & Seventh Avenue, New York, NY. Margarita will perform as a winner of Concert Festival Auditions in New York. Admission $40. For tickets and other information visit: www.CarnegieHall.org .
Monday Mar. 22, at 20:00 at the Mission of Latvia to the United Nations, 333 East 50th Street, New York, NY. Margarita will perform Brahms violin sonatas.

Saturday Mar. 20, at 14:00 - Latvian Legion Commemoration, at the DV House. Program will feature violinist Margarita Kreine and pianist Dror Semmel playing "Sonatas for Violin and Piano" by Johannes Brahms. All are invited. Proceeds benefit the care of sick and disabled former legionnaires in Latvia.

Sunday, Mar. 21, at 10:30 - Church services followed by the annual Spring event at the Long Island Church.  The program will feature a film "Trejādes saules" ("Of Three Suns") about the life of former State President of Latvia, Dr. Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga. This will be followed by a lunch, coffee, and a raffle drawing.

Sunday, Mar. 21, at 13:00 - Māris Putniņš puppet theater performance "Kas zaķīti pasargās" (in Latvian "Who will save the little rabbit") at Priedaine NJ. The performers are: Laila Kirmuška, Edgars Lipors, and Jānis Kirmuška. Admission for children $10, for adults $25. A performance for the whole family. A full write-up (in Latvian) may be viewed at: http://priedaine.com/paskumi/tuvkie-paskumi/78-lellu-teatris . For more information, please visit Priedaine's web site www.priedaine.org .

Thursday, Mar. 25 -National Day of Mourning in remembrance of tens of thousands of Latvians deported on this day from their homeland to prison camps in Siberia by occupying Soviet forces in 1949. (See also June 14 and July 4.)

IN WASHINGTON, DC: From Friday, Mar. 26 to Saturday Mar. 27 - "Master classes" for Latvian-American community organization youth activists. For more information (in Latvian only) visit:: http://www.alausa.org/new.php?lang=lv&news=2&id=1041 .

Friday, Mar. 26, at 19:00 - Annual meeting of the Council of American-Latvian Organizations of New York, (ŅLOP) at the DV House. ŅLOP member organizations are asked to select delegates for this meeting who are ready, willing and able to serve on the ŅLOP board and actively participate in its work. For further information write Baiba Pinnis or tel. (914) 631-5725.

Saturday, Mar. 27, - Annual meetings of the New York Daugavas Vanagi, at 10:30 - meeting of the Daugavas Vanadzes (Womens' Auxiliary), at 14:00 - meeting of the New York Daugavas Vanagi as a whole, at the DV House. Admission free. All are invited to attend and join the New York Chapter of the Daugavas Vanagi and further its work providing cultural programs and assistance to the needy. To read more about the Daugavas Vanagi in New York, please visit this site's: DV-NY Page.

Saturday, Mar. 27, - NJ annual meetings: at 13:00 New Jersey Latvian Federal Credit Union, followed at 15:00 - New Jersey Latvian Society at Priedaine NJ. For more information, please visit  www.priedaine.org .

Sunday, Mar. 28 - Palm Sunday - Church services with communion: at 10:00 at the Yonkers Church and at 10:30 at the Long Island Church.  (In Latvian Palm Sunday is called "Pūpolu svētdiena" - "Pussy Willow (or Willow Catkins) Sunday".)

APRIL 2010:

Latvia's opera superstars perform at The Met

During the coming winter and spring at least two of Latvia's opera superstars will be performing at the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center in New York. Please note that the following information is subject to change, so please confirm it before making your plans by visiting www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/ then clicking on "SEASON & TICKETS and then on the specific opera under "Current Productions" that you might be interesting in attending. Currently:
Maija Kovaļevska is scheduled to perform the role of Micaela in Georges Bizet's Carmen on Apr. 28, and May 1.

Thursday, Apr. 1 - Holy Thursday - Church services with communion: at 19:00 at the Yonkers Church, and at 13:00 at the Long Island Church and at 13:00 at the East Orange Church. (In Latvian Holy Thursday is called "Zaļā ceturtdiena" - "Green Thursday".)

Friday, Apr. 2 - Good Friday - Church services with communion: at 19:00 at the Yonkers Church, and at 19:00 at the Long Island Church . (In Latvian Good Friday is called "Lielā piektdiena" - "Great Friday".)

Happy Easter! (In Latvian "Priecīgas Lieldienas!")

Sunday, Apr. 4 - Easter Sunday - Church services: at 08:00 at the Yonkers Church and at 08:00 at the Long Island Church, At Yonkers an Easter breakfast and at Long Island an Easter Egg hunt will follow the church services . (In Latvian Easter is called "Lieldienas" - "The Great Days".)

Friday Apr. 9 and Saturday, Apr. 10, from 12:00 to 16:00 - Flea market , at the DV House. If you have items to donate for the flea market such as household goods and clean, gently used clothing (no computers please), these can be dropped off before the 7th. IRS receipt available. For more information write: Marija Maher or call (973) 783-9273.

Sunday, Apr. 11, at 10:00 - Memorial church services in honor of Dean Alberts Ozols at the Yonkers Church. Alberts Ozols served for many decades as pastor at the Yonkers church and later as dean for the USA East coast district of the Latvian. Ev. Luth. Church outside of Latvia. His portrait painted by painter Linda Treija and framed by architect Arnolds Lezdkalns will be unveiled and hung in the church alongside other distinguished Latvian clergy members. A reception will follow. More information will be forthcoming.

Friday Apr. 16, at ??:?? - Latvian National Opera Guild (LNOĢ) event at the Long Island Church.  The program information will be forthcoming.

IN WASHINGTON, DC: From Friday Apr. 16 to Sunday Apr. 18 - Daugavas Vanagi USA annual Delegates Meeting, Vanadzes meeting, DV Youth meeting, . For more information, please visit: www.daugavasvanagi.org .

Saturday Apr. 17 - Conference of East Coast (Latvian Lutheran church congregation) Women's Committees at the Long Island Church, Dean Lauma Zušēvica and dean Oļģerts Sniedze will be among the lecturers. Church services will be held Saturday evening at the close of the conference. More information will follow. For information and registration call Ingrīda Lediņa, tel. (516) 921-2243.

IN WASHINGTON, DC: Saturday Apr. 17 - Embassy Cup Basketball tournament. Text of invitation follows: "The Embassies of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in association with the U.S.- Baltic Foundation Invites members of Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian communities in the U.S. to participate in the annual basketball tournament “Embassy Cup 2010” on April 17, 2010. We encourage all the Baltic communities to form the teams and come to D.C. to celebrate this wonderful occasion and show once again the unbreakable unity of the Baltics. Teams can register by sending an email to Andrius Kaseta andrius.kaseta@ltembassyus.org or by calling 202-234-5860 ext.115. More information and the detailed program of the basketball tournament will be available closer to the date of the event."

IN SEATTLE, WA: From Thursday, Apr. 22 to Saturday, Apr. 24 - The 22nd Conference on Baltic Studies, at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA. This will be the first time the Baltic Studies conference will take place jointly with the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study. For further information, please visit the web page of the AABS.

Saturday, Apr. 24, at 14:00- Ēriks Raisters memorial fund award presentation, Priedainē, NJ. Program information will be forthcoming. All are invited. For more information, please visit  www.priedaine.org .

IN SAN FRANCISCO, CA: From Friday, Apr. 30 to Sunday, May 1 - Annual Congress of the American Latvian Association (ALA), in San Francisco, CA. For further information visit www.alausa.org .

MAY 2010:

Saturday, May 8, at 14:00 - Annual commemoration of the battles in the Kurzeme salient at the close of World War II, at the DV House. Program will be forthcoming. All are invited.

IN WASHINGTON, DC: Saturday, May 8 - 2010 US Baltic Gala, Washington, DC. Guest of honor and keynote speaker: Prime Minister Andrius Kubulius of Lithuania, at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC. Sponsored by The U.S.- Baltic Foundation (USBF), the 2010 Annual U.S.-Baltic Gala will feature a Baltic business program, VIP reception, silent auction and black-tie gala dinner. The USBF will honor public and private sector leaders who have contributed to the development of the Baltic region and the strengthening of US-Baltic relations. All proceeds from the event will benefit USBF programs that foster cultural, educational and business cooperation between the US and the Baltics. For more information about all events and tickets please visit: www.usbaltic.org or call (202) 785-5056.

Sunday, May 30 - Annual Spring Concert by the New York Latvian Concert Choir with the Riga Dom Boys Choir from Latvia and others at the Latvian Church Camp "Nometne" in the Catskills. More information to follow.

JUNE 2010:

Saturday, Jun. 5, at ??:00 - Church services, followed by commencement  program of the Latvian school, at Priedainē, NJ. For more information, please visit Priedaine's web site www.priedaine.org .

From Saturday, June 12 to Sunday, June 13 - Volunteer labor "Diž-Talka" to prepare the Church's Children's Camp for the summer season. Everyone, 10 years of age and older, is invited to help prepare the Children's Camp of the Latvian Ev. Luth. Church of New York in the Catskill Mountains of New York for this summer's season. For all volunteers, three meals on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday, will be provided. Please reserve rooms by calling Janīna Briģis (518) 589-9932. A map and directions to the camp may be viewed at www.nydraudze.org and clicking on "Nometne".

Monday, Jun. 14 - National Day of Mourning in remembrance of tens of thousands of Latvians deported on this day from their homeland to prison camps in Siberia by occupying Soviet forces in 1941. (See also March 25 and July 4.)

Līgo! Līgo! Happy Midsummer night - June 21, Līgo eve - June 23 & (St.) John's Day - June 24!

Saturday, June 19, at 16:00 - St. John's Day/Midsummer night Celebration Priedainē, NJ. Celebrants will be welcomed starting at 4pm. Program details will be forthcoming but we do know that there will be a concert by singer Viktors Lapčenoks from Latvia. After the performances dance music will be provided by our old favorite - Bernie's orchestra till the wee hours. At 22:30 the bonfire will be lit to the accompaniment of traditional St. John's Day songs.. Admission $20.  A full write-up (in Latvian) may be viewed at: http://priedaine.com/paskumi/tuvkie-paskumi/77-jani-priedainee . For more information, please visit www.priedaine.org .

IN RIGA, LATVIA: Sunday, June 27, from 11:00 until 14:00 - (Informal) Meeting of the World's Latvians, at the Čarlstona" restaurant, Blaumaņa iela 38/40, Riga, Latvia. More info to follow. For information contact (in the USA) Ģirts Zeidenbergs tel. (302) 529-7442, girtszeidenbergs@comcast.net or gzeidenbergs@tilts.org and visit www.tilts.org .Organized by the Latvian Cultural Association TILTS.

JULY 2010:

Sunday July 4 - In Latvia this is the National Day of Mourning for those who perished in the Nazi Holocaust. Officially the day is called the "Remembrance day for Jewish genocide victims" (in Latvian "Ebreju tautas genocīda upuru piemiņas diena"). On this day in 1941 occupying Nazi-German forces burned down the Great Choral Synagogue in Rīga. (See also March 25 and June 14.) In the U.S.A. this day is celebrated as Independence Day (declared in 1776).

New York Latvian Church Camp "Nometne" in the Catskills summer program for July through August

For more information and registration visit www.nydraudze.org and click on "Nometne".

“ĪKŠĶĪŠU” (" Little thumbs" For children ages 2-6 ) periods:
For children speaking Latvian:
A-week: from Sunday July 4 to Saturday July10 - Program coordinator: ikskisia@gmail.com
B-week: from Sunday July 11 to Saturday July 17 - Program coordinator: ikskisib@gmail.com
C-week: from Sunday July 18 to Saturday July 24 - Program coordinator: ikskisic@gmail.com
D-week: from Sunday July 25 to Saturday July 31
For children who speak little or no Latvian and need to learn it:
Language week: from Sunday August 1 to Saturday August 7 - Program coordinator: ikskisiv@gmail.com

Regular children's camp "NOMETNE" periods:
I period: from Sunday July 4 to Saturday July 17 - Lead counselor: nometne@gmail.com
II period: from Sunday July 18 to Saturday July 31 - Lead counselor: nometne@gmail.com
Language period: from Sunday August 1 to Saturday August 14 - Lead counselor: valodasperiods@yahoo.com
Seniors period: from Sunday August 8 to Saturday August 14.

AUGUST 2010:

IN JONES, MICHIGAN: Saturday, Aug. 14 through Saturday, Aug. 21. - Latvian Girl Guide and Boy Scout 10th big Jamboree Camp Zvaigzņu sega, at Wood Lake Scout Reservation in Jones, MI (located near the Latvian Center Gaŗezers, in Three Rivers, Michigan.) For more information visit: www.10LN.org. 

SEPTEMBER 2010:

Saturday, Sep. 18 at 10:00 - Kursa's Cup Games in Volleyball, at Priedainē NJ. Volleyball games with mixed teams. If you are alone (not with a team) don't worry or hesitate to come because the teams will be formed at 9:00. Party in the evening. More information forthcoming. Next day have fun on the beach at the Jersey Shore. For more information write Jānis Ģiga, tel (908) 931-1228 or Aivars Bārs, tel. (862) 812-1067.

OCTOBER 2010:

From Friday Oct. 1 until Sunday Oct. 3 -American Latvian Artists' Association (ALMA) annual Gathering, in the Catskills N.Y. Latvian Church Camp Rest Home (Atpūtas Nams). Program and registration information will folllow. For more information about ALMA please visit: www.americanlatvianartists.org .

Saturday, Oct. 2, - Latvian Parliamentary (10. Saeimas) Elections. Please see the paragraph at the beginning of this page "Are you ready for the Latvian parliamentary (10. Saeimas) elections?"

Many citizens of Latvia say they care deeply about Latvia's future but if they don't vote in the parliamentary elections then this is just empty talk.

End of the New York Latvian events calendar

New York Latvia, Latvian, Latvians, Baltic, Baltics, Balt, Balts, Estonia, Estonian, Estonians, Lithuania, Lithuanian, Lithuanians, Latvians in America, American Latvian, American Latvians, America Latvia.