Date/Time
Date(s) - 07/25/2015 - 07/26/2015
10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Location
1488 State Rte 444
Victor, New York 14564
Categories
For 24 years, Ganondagan’s signature Native American Dance & Music Festival has brought together Native performers, artisans, cultural interpreters and the public to share the vibrant living culture and traditions of the original Seneca and Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) people who first inhabited this area nearly four centuries ago.
This year’s event, Saturday and Sunday, July 25-26, from 10 am-6 pm features an eclectic musical mix on both festival days. In the performance tent, Keith Secola (backed by a local trio) rocks out, joined by flashy hoop dancers, and the California ultimate Native Blues Duo Twice as Good makes its Ganondagan debut. Iroquois Social Dancers in traditional regalia are always an audience favorite and help bring thousands of local through international visitors.
Native folk & blues rocker Keith Secola is an award-winning musician, guitarist and native flute player, as well as a singer, songwriter, and producer. An icon and ambassador of Native music, critics have dubbed him “the Native versions of both Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen.” Keith’s famous song NDN KARS is considered the contemporary Native American anthem and is the most requested song on Native radio in the U.S. and Canada. Residing in Arizona, Keith is Anishinabe (Ojibwa) originally from the Mesabi Iron Range country of northern Minnesota. A seven-time Native American Music Awards (NAMMY) winner, he also has received numerous nominations in varied categories.
Twice as Good, or 2XG, is the Native American son and father Paul and Rich Steward, Pomo of the Elem Indian Colony in Clearlake Oaks, California. Backed by the 2XG band, they infuse their own brand of Blues/R&B/Rock with soulful vocals, screaming guitar, dance grooves, and a hint of Native American beat. 2XG has performed throughout the country, released seven albums, received a West Coast Blues Award, a NAMMY, and an Indian Summer Music Award. In March, the duo was nominated for an Independent Music Award (IMA), Blues Album category, for its CD That’s All I Need. 2XG has shared the stage with many legends and famous artists such as Robert Randolph, Wes Studi, Charlie Musselwhite, and Big Bill Morganfield.
Additional activities include:
- Traditional Native demonstrators (pottery- and tumpline-making and stone carving)
- Traditional storytelling
- Large Native American Arts Market
- New kids programming, including iconic “Ganonda-man” activities, and educational displays in the Family Discovery Tent
- Bark longhouse tours
- Guided walks on the three themed trails
- Special raffle opportunities
Visitors also will be able to view the completed exterior of the new Seneca Art & Culture Center at Ganondagan scheduled for its Grand Opening on Saturday, October 3, 2015. The center will be a permanent, year-round interpretive facility at Ganondagan to share Seneca and Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) contributions to art, culture and society over two millennia.
Festival tickets are available at the event: $12/adults; $10/seniors (62+); $7/students with ID (18+); $5/children (3-18); and free for Friends of Ganondagan members and children 2 and under. New member sign-ups at the festival enjoy free admission. An added bonus for all members is free, year-round admittance to the Seneca Art & Culture Center. For more information, visit www.ganondagan.org or call 585-742-1690.
Free festival parking is available at Fireman’s Field off Maple Avenue in Victor. Free shuttle bus service runs from 9:45 am to 6:00 pm on both days between the parking area and festival grounds. Handicapped parking is available at the Historic Site, and on-site Shuttle Service is available if needed. All performances in the Main Tent have sign language interpreters.
In keeping with the Iroquois “Seventh Generation” principle in which decisions are guided by consideration of the welfare and wellbeing of the seventh generation to come, festival waste will continue to be separated into compostables, recyclables, and returnable bottles and cans.
