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NEW WESTERN NEW YORK SUMMER FAMILY FESTIVAL
Niagara Falls, NY, May 2004 - Thunder Falls Pow Wow, a three-day alcohol and drug-free family weekend festival, is set for Friday through Sunday, July 9 - 11, 2004 at Sal Maglie Stadium in Hyde Park, on Hyde Park Boulevard near Pine Avenue, in Niagara Falls, NY. The event is hosted by the Seneca Nation of Indians and Seneca Niagara Casino.
Slated to become an annual event, the Pow Wow showcases the rich heritage of Indian people and is open to the public. It is a social gathering that brings people together to celebrate life, strengthen ties among Native people and invites visitors to share the rich Native heritage by joining together to dance, sing and listen to traditional songs and dances that bridge the gap from ancestors to youth.
The festivities kick off with "Rock the Falls," an all-day benefit concert of rock and roll blues on Friday, July 9, from noon to midnight at Sal Maglie Stadium featuring the founder of the legendary Fabulous Thunderbirds, Jimmie Vaughan. The weekend will be filled with cultural activities and entertainment for the entire family from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. On Saturday at noon opening ceremonies includes a Grand Entry. This parade of participants will include brief remarks by Seneca Nation of Indians President Rickey L. Armstrong, Sr., and others.
"Rock the Falls" features a different rock and blues band each hour, culminating with Jimmie Vaughan from 10 p.m. to midnight on Friday. Local groups include Pappy Johns Band, The Blues Hounds, and Party Squad and other popular bands. Proceeds from the $25 concert cover charge for adults, $5 for children 7-12, and free admission for children 6 and under, will go toward Thunder Falls Pow Wow 2005.
The Pow Wow also is intended to serve as an educational experience for the community. The Senecas are presenting a drum contest in which the participants have been invited to compete, an open competitive smoke dance and Native American dance competitions, including smoke dance, open to all. Twenty food vendors, including traditional Native American foods, will satisfy even the most discriminating appetites of youngsters to elders. Native arts, crafts and jewelry vendors from across the country will both display their wares and sell items. Daily admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors (55 and older) and children between the ages of 7-12, with children under 6 free.
"This will be the first year for our annual Pow Wow in Western New York," said Rickey L. Armstrong Sr., President of the Seneca Nation of Indians. "It is a way we can give back to our Niagara Falls neighbors, while at the same time letting our visitors know more about the beauty and richness of our culture. We expect the Pow Wow to be a family summer destination, along with other area events such as Canal Fest, County Fairs, the Allentown Art Festival, Taste of Buffalo and North American Iroquois Veterans Association Pow Wow in Salamanca."
Pow Wows are conducted in many Native American communities around the country. Dance and drum competitions are an essential part of the program. More than 200 dancers wearing traditional outfits of eagle feathers, beads, buckskin, bone and shell, tin jingles and fringed yard will perform at Thunder Falls. They perform competitively to the charging beat of the traditional drum and chorus of voices singing tribal songs.
The prize money at the Thunder Falls event, totaling up to $72,000, is the largest in the Northeast and is expected to attract competitors from across the country. Competition results will be announced on Sunday at 5 p.m. at Sal Maglie Stadium.
Free parking will be available at Niagara Falls High School at 4455 Porter Road and the Seneca Niagara Employee Parking lot at the corner of Buffalo Avenue and Acheson Way, Niagara Falls, NY with shuttles transporting guests both to the festival and Seneca Niagara Casino.
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