A Tradition That Keeps Going: Estonian Sports Weekend

For more than 70 years, Estonians have gathered at the Lakewood Estonian House on the first weekend of August for Eesti Mängud, or Estonian Sports Weekend.
I haven't been going for quite that long, but I have been coming here since I was a child.
For three days, generations of Estonians come together to compete, reconnect and carry on a tradition that has evolved along with us. Over the years, the games have included tennis, track and field, swimming, volleyball, chess and golf, with newer additions like pickleball and 5K races joining the weekend.
The competition can get serious, whether it's across a volleyball net or over a chessboard, but that's only part of it. It's also old friends seeing each other again, families watching from the sidelines and different generations sharing the same traditions.
And when the games are finished, there are medals, music, dancing and celebration.
The sports have evolved over the years and so have the people playing them. But every August, we come back to Lakewood for a weekend that has always been about much more than who wins.