Appreciating Native American culture isn’t just about learning its history, but also about embracing its present. You can do some of both by going to Pow Wows in California—celebrations with traditional dancing, singing, drumming, and feasting—and also by participating in annual festivals that celebrate art, crafts, and contemporary films made by Native American artists. Some events honor elders or the acorn harvest, while others have been known to showcase rising comedians.
Many annual events happen in November, during Native American Heritage Month, as well as in September, to coincide with California Native American Day (always on the fourth Friday of that month). Check out these events for your own enrichment, and keep in mind that exact dates may vary from year to year.
April: Redding Rancheria Earth Day, Redding
Observe Earth Day on the grounds of the Win-River Casino, located on the Redding Rancheria that is the reservation home of descendants of the Pit-River, Wintu, and Yana tribes. Learn about eco-friendly practices while shopping vendors offering Native American clothes, jewelry, and cuisine.
June: Honored Elders Day, Sacramento
Elders are revered within Native cultures as the keepers of history and traditions, and this annual event honors tribal elders from all over California. While they enjoy a lunch and ceremony inside Sacramento’s State Indian Museum, the general public is invited to the museum grounds for performances, artisan vendors, and Indian tacos.
June: American Indian Arts Marketplace, Los Angeles
Shop for Native artwork, jewelry, and fashion at this annual event at the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles, taking breaks to watch live performances by Native Voices, the museum’s resident theater company. This museum in Griffith Park is home to one of the nation’s largest collections of Native American art and artifacts, so check the museum’s exhibitions or events pages for more Native art exhibits or performances throughout the year.
June: Native American Arts Festival Week, Idyllwild
This week at Idyllwild Arts—an acclaimed arts center in the San Bernardino County town of Idyllwild—celebrates Native American–made art that spans the generations, from bird singing to stand-up comedy. During the summer, check the calendar for more Native craft workshops on basketmaking, jewelry-making, and cooking.
June: California Native Ways Festival, Berkeley
Learn about the intricate details and artistic flair involved in creating native baskets, tule canoes, and other crafts at this festival in Berkeley’s Ohlone Park. The day typically features artists from tribes including the Pomo, Mewok (also spelled “Miwok” and “Me-Wuk”), and Karuk, as well as a panel discussion about the significance of California Indian place names.
September: Me-Wuk Acorn Festival, Tuolumne
Join the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians to celebrate the annual harvest of local black oak acorns in Tuolumne County. The festivities include dancers, craft vendors, and hand games.
September: California Native American Day, San Bernardino
Observe California Native American Day on the campus of Cal State University, San Bernardino, where the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians will throw a party of music and dancing. The free event often features Miwok and Yurok singing and dancing, as well as Cahuilla birdsongs.
September: Round Valley Indian Tribes California Indian Days, Covelo
Come for the parade, cultural dances, a chili cookoff, and more at this reservation in Mendocino County. Stay for the Western Play Day at the local rodeo grounds, and make the most of gaming at the reservation’s Hidden Oaks Casino.
September: Moompetam Festival, Long Beach
Visit the Aquarium of the Pacific for a celebration of several local Native cultures. Check out craft demonstrations, storytelling sessions, and music and dance performances from a variety of coastal indigenous tribes, including Tongva, Chumash, Luiseño, and Kumeyaay. Festival admission is included with your ticket to the Long Beach aquarium.
October: Morongo Music & Cultural Fest
Camp on the grounds of the Morongo Casino & Resort during this weekend in Greater Palm Springs that blends Native culture with global good feelings. In between musical acts, spend the night in an on-site teepee, take a sacred poetry lesson, or bliss out in drum, meditation, or yoga sessions.
October: Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Berkeley
Celebrate October’s three-day weekend in Berkeley, which was the first town to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 1992, 500 years after Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas. A few years after that first observance, Santa Cruzadopted the holiday and other cities have since followed suit. The original party is still in Berkeley at MLK Civic Center Park, and features both a Pow Wow and Indian market.
To celebrate in Southern California, head to Santa Ana in Orange County, where the Plaza of the Sun at the Santa Ana Civic Center hosts a free community event over the weekend with music and dancing.
October: Native Arts Expo, Mendocino
Browse Native-made art and jewelry at the Mendocino Art Center. The weekend typically includes musical performances, workshops, panel discussions, and a film screening.
November: Ridgecrest Petroglyph Festival
Learn about the Coso Petroglyphs—one of the finest collections of ancient drawings in the world—at this annual festival in the Kern County town of Ridgecrest. Enjoy a street fair, live Native American music, and tours of Petroglyph Park to learn more about these thousands of carvings of animals and abstract designs, which are usually off limits to visitors.
November: California American Indian & Indigenous Film Festival, San Marcos
Located in north San Diego County, the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center hosts this festival of new films from Native American filmmakers, producers, directors, and actors. Along with screenings, the festival at California State University–San Marcos includes panel discussions, dialogues with film industry pros, and post-screening Q&A sessions.
November: American Indian Film Festival, San Francisco
Watch screenings and panels at the world’s longest-running festival dedicated to films by Native Americans and First Nations people of Canada. The San Francisco festival lineup often includes other culturally minded events, too, such as a cooking demo by chef Crystal Wahpepah from Wahpepah’s Kitchen in Oakland.
November: LA Skins Fest, Hollywood
Catch screenings of indigenous artist–made films at Hollywood’s famous TCL Chinese Theater. The festival, which has been running since the early 2000s, gives out awards for documentary, animated, and narrative films, as well as special awards for actors, writers, and directors.
