Sealaska Heritage Institute has set the dates for its next Celebration festival, which will bring Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian dancers to downtown Juneau from 7 to 10 June 2028, the Juneau Empire reports.
The biennial festival, first held in 1982, is described as the world's largest gathering of the three peoples and draws more than 5,000 people, including up to 2,000 dancers. The institute's trustees have chosen Ḵéex̱' Ḵwáan, a 150-member group from Kake whose roots go back to a children's dance group in the 1970s, to lead the Grand Entrance and Grand Exit processions, which can involve hours of continuous drumming and singing.
The event also includes a juried art show, a Native artists' market and a parade. A study has put its economic benefit to Juneau at about $2 million, and visitors are urged to book rooms early.
Source: Juneau Empire
Photo: Calle Front, Juneau, Alaska, Estados Unidos, 2017-08-17, DD 24 by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Illustrative image of Juneau.
