UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The 19th annual Penn State Traditional American Indian Powwow, a family friendly event that offers free admission, will be conducted March 29-30 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. March 29 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 30. 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.
In 2024, more than 5,000 people visited the powwow, which has earned a national reputation as an excellent example of honoring family values and maintaining Native American traditions. The University recognizes the powwow as a signature cultural event and the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau has recognized it as a premier family friendly event for the region.
"Everyone, Native or non-Native, is welcome to visit, and admission is free," said coordinator John Sanchez (Apache/Yaqui).
As part of its tradition, the powwow honors veterans at the start of the event. This year’s head veteran dancer is Wi’hinapadutawin Shenandoah Ellis-Ulmer (Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate), who served as a master sergeant in the Air Force. Ellis-Ulmer, from Breckenridge, Minnesota, served in Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
Any veteran, whether Native or not, is eligible to participate in the honoring and be part of the color guard during the Grand Entry.
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 York, Oklahoma, Washington and other states, and the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory.
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.
For more information, please visit powwow.psu.edu or contact John Sanchez, powwow coordinator, at apache@psu.edu.