Traditional American Indian Powwow Returns for 18th Year

The 18th annual Penn State Traditional American Indian Powwow, a family friendly event with free admission, has moved to February this year and will take place Saturday, Feb. 24, and Sunday, Feb. 25, at C3 Sports Complex, located at 200 Ellis Place in State College.

Activities at the Penn State Powwow run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The Grand Entry of Dancers begins at noon and again at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. It will be conducted only at noon on Sunday.

Nearly 5,000 people visited the powwow in 2023 and the event has earned a national reputation as an example of honoring family values and maintaining Native American traditions.

This will be the first winter powwow held in State College, according to coordinator John Sanchez (Apache).

“Everyone, Native or non-Native, is welcome to visit, and admission is free,” said Sanchez.

The powwow is a contemporary social gathering and celebration of community, featuring drum music and songs, dance and foods. It also features vendors from all over Indian Country who sell Native-made arts and goods, such as beadwork, quillwork, turquoise, wampum and silver.

Native foods such as American Indian frybread, Indian corn soup and buffalo from the Northern Tribal Nations will also be available for purchase, with cash sales only.

As part of its tradition, the powwow honors veterans at the start of the event. Patrick Brooks, from the Tuscarora Nation in Niagara Falls, New York, will serve as this year’s head veteran dancer. Brooks, a decorated U.S. Army Ranger, completed three tours of Iraq and Afghanistan. Any veteran, whether Native or not, is eligible to participate in the honoring and be part of the color guard.

Last year’s event attracted more than 250 dancers, and this year’s participants will come from Canada and all over the United States, including Arizona, Florida, Michigan, New Mexico, New York,  Oklahoma, South Dakota, Washington and the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory.

For more information, visit powwow.psu.edu or contact John Sanchez, powwow coordinator, at apache@psu.edu.