Festival

FESTIVAL OF THE AMERICAS

A FREE Art Festival at Kayenta Art Village

Friday-Sunday, May 17-19, 2024

10am-5pm Daily

Join us for the return of Festival of the Americas, an immersive three-day festival to celebrate indigenous and Native American art & culture.

Wander through a vibrant marketplace of native arts and crafts featuring regional vendors showcasing exquisite handcrafted and indigenous products and art. Let the beats of mesmerizing performances echo in the air as talented artists bring the spirit of the Americas to life. Indulge your taste buds in a culinary adventure with a diverse array of delectable offerings from authentic food vendors. 

This festival is more than an event; it’s an experience that invites you to connect with the heart and soul of native traditions. Join us for a harmonious blend of art, music, flavors, and traditions at the Festival of the Americas – where the spirit of the continent comes alive in every moment.

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Performance Schedule:

FRIDAY, MAY 17

11:00am	Land Acknowledgement & Welcome – Shivwits Band of Paiutes Royalty Representative	Outdoor Courtyard
12:00pm-2:00pm	Youth Drum Group Performance – led by Everson Nakai	Outdoor Courtyard
3:00pm, 4:00pm, 5:00pm	An Owl’s Whistle – Student Film Screening by Elissa Aguayo Lacy experiences paranormal phenomena as she disregards the cultural taboos of her Paiute heritage.	The Lorraine Boccardo Theater

SATURDAY, MAY 18

1:00pm	Fancy Shawl Dance Performance, Ava Duran	Outdoor Courtyard
2:00pm	Storytelling Presentation: Mason Runs Through – Lead Ranger, Zion National Park  Mason Evan Runs Through III is an enrolled member of the Fort Peck Assiniboine Tribe. He is a father, husband, Native rights activist, educator, folk musician, storyteller, traditional dancer, and punk rocker. He currently works as a Lead Park Ranger at Zion National Park. Mason uses traditional storytelling mixed with his own lived experiences to educate the public about traditional and modern Native culture and to raise awareness of Native civil rights issues, environmental issues, mental health, and far left politics. In 2016, he graduated from Utah Tech University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with an emphasis in digital forensics and a minor in Spanish.	Outdoor Courtyard
4:00pm	Circle Dance Song Presentation – Daniel Bulletts (Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians)  Daniel is the Cultural Resources Director for the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians in Arizona. He is also a carrier of the tribal knowledge of storytelling, singing traditional songs and teaching Southern Paiute life skills to his people living on and off the reservation. He was instrumental in getting the first ever International Dark Sky certification for his Tribal Community which was the first Dark Sky Tribal Community in the world to get certified in 2015.	Outdoor Courtyard
6:00pm	Southern Paiute Constellation Presentation – Autumn Gillard, (maternal descendant of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah)  Cultural Resource Manager for the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah. A Southern Paiute astronomer, she was a former Interpretive Ranger at Pipe Spring National Monument in Arizona, which in 2021 through her research successfully petitioned to have it designated as an International Dark Sky Park. Autumn has a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology minor psychology and a masters degree in cultural resource management. Presentation to be followed by outdoor refreshments & stargazing!  $20 Ticket Required	The Lorraine Boccardo Theater

SUNDAY, MAY 19

12:00pm	Vocal Performance, Yanavah Tanielu	Outdoor Courtyard
12:45pm	Weaving Demonstration, Cary Bitsoie Rose	Outdoor Courtyard
2:00pm	Bird Singers and Dancers, The Boyz	Outdoor Courtyard