The 10th annual Noccalula Falls Powwow is coming to Gadsden on October 21st and 22nd. The event will feature traditional Native American demonstrations, performances, vendors and a special appearance from a group of Aztec dancers.
Organizers say the festival is an opportunity to experience Native American culture firsthand. This is done through various performances such as the drumming from the Walking Thunder Drum Team.
Lowery Hesse, a member of the Cherokee tribe in Guntersville and the organizer of the event, shared his excitement about some special appearances at the festival. This includes a group of Aztec dancers traveling from Tennessee.
“They will perform for almost an hour. If you've never seen a set of Aztec dancers, they put on the most beautiful dance that you have ever seen. Their headdresses are absolutely beautiful. Most of them are in pheasant feathers, which are 18 to 20 inches long,” said Hesse.
There will also be Native American vendors selling handmade crafts and goods.
The festival offers activates that children can participate in, such as the candy dance. Hesse said that this is where kids dance around to the beat of a drum and to grab candy that is distributed around on the ground when the beat stops. He said they ensure every kid goes home with some candy.
“After a few minutes. If there's still some candy left in there, we tell them to just pick up all the candy there is, and we make sure that everybody gets something. Even the littlest one gets some candy,” said Hesse.
The Noccalula Falls Powwow is promising fun and education for the whole family. Hesse said he values teaching the kids about the significant culture of Native Americans.
”We want to teach the children because they are us. And they will be here after we're long gone someplace else. We want to teach them, and we think that we do that through our demonstrations, our vendors, Native American foods, and the Native American dances and the Native American drumming,” said Hesse.
The 10th annual Noccalula Falls Powwow will take place at the Noccalula Falls Park and Campground. For more information, click here.
