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09/20/2016 03:45 PMThe sixth annual Hammonassett Festival is moving from Madison to the Guilford Fairgrounds this year on Saturday, Oct. 1 and Sunday, Oct. 2. The two-day event, which draws thousands of visitors each year, promises exhibits and performances that honor Native American culture and that celebrate the environment.
The event is hosted by the Friends of Hammonasset (FOH), a non-profit group. Normally held at Hammonasset Beach State Park, the event is moving to Guilford this year due to planned construction at the park, but FOH member Don Rankin said the Guilford Fairgrounds is the perfect location for the festival.
“We are actually looking forward to going there because it has a lot of advantages,” he said. “It has plenty of parking, it has a big pavilion, they have a bathroom there, and then the extra expenses of police might be less over there.”
The festival will include a number of performances including performances by Paiute recording artist Arvel Bird and the Native Nations Dance Troup led by Schaghticoke tribe member Erin Meeches.
Bird “plays this fusion music and he is excellent,” said Rankin. “He plays the fiddle and he plays the flute and he has performed before and he is just fantastic.”
Each day the festival begins with an opening blessing and smudging ceremony led by Mohegan tribe member Allan Saunders. Throughout the day there will be a number of exhibits, a discovery tent, Native American crafters, and the New England Atlatl Championship.
“The discovery tent will have the live animal shows so we will have a reptile show in there and we will have a live bird presentation,” Rankin said.
There will be a number of food vendors and Rankin said Native American cuisine will be offered.
“It is a great event because people can slow down and get connected to the earth,” Rankin said.
Rankin said the festival is also reflective of FOH mission.
“It is an appropriate event for FOH because of the Native American ways of seeing our connectedness in nature,” he said. “The respect of the natural world and our connectedness is reflected in Native American culture and spirituality and that is what we are all about. Our primary function is environmental education—I guess basically you could say to teach Native American values.”
Hours for the festival are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Admission is $5 per person and children under 12 are admitted free. For more information call 203-245-9192 or email HammonasettFestival@gmail.com