Festival combines education, fun

The 30th annual Moundville Native American Festival wraps up this weekend.

The four-day festival, which began Wednesday and ends Saturday, features artists, craftsmen and educators from around the nation who share their knowledge of Native American culture.

Festival hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the University of Alabama’s Moundville Archaeological Park. Admission is $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

“The Native American Festival is a fantastic event for all ages that is not only educational but also very friendly and fun,” said Kayla Scott, education outreach coordinator and festival director.

The festival features several prominent Native American performers. Lyndon Alec will perform hoop dancing, and the group Chikasha Hithla will demonstrate Chickasaw stomp dancing. Grammy Award-winner GrayHawk Perkins will once again be the Native American stage emcee and provide entertainment throughout the festival.

Living history presenters will re-enact how different Native American tribes lived and thrived over the years. Presenters will demonstrate cooking, dressmaking, tools and weapons. Demonstration arbors will feature Native American beadwork, pottery firing, textile making and other traditional Native American crafts. A Knapper’s Corner will be located by the riverbank where stone tool-making demonstrations will take place.

The children’s area will include numerous crafts activities, stickball demonstrations and other educational activities. Visitors are also encouraged to visit the Jones Archaeological Museum, gift shop and café, which will be open throughout the festival.

Vendors of quality Native American crafts will also be on hand, as well as food vendors who will provide Native American foods and traditional festival foods such as hotdogs and shaved ice.

UA’s Moundville Archaeological Park is located 13 miles south of Tuscaloosa off Alabama Highway 69.

Visit www.moundville.ua.edu for more information.