This is the oldest continuously running powwow in Chicago, first held in 1953 when federal relocation policy was bringing thousands of Native people to the city, and the American Indian Center has kept it going for seven decades. It is an intertribal day built around participation: Grand Entries at 11 AM and 3 PM, intertribal dancing and spot dances between them, and dance specials that run from tiny tots through an adult men's and women's special. It happens on one Saturday and nowhere else on
What to expect
An outdoor forest-preserve grove set up around a dance arena, with the host drum Skud Nation and invited drums singing through the day. Session one at 11 AM carries the tiny tots, junior and teen specials and a two-step couples special; session two at 3 PM carries the adult men's and women's specials, a women's jingle special and the Michael “Spirit” Pamonicutt Memorial for grass and woodland dancers. Native artists and makers vend around the are
Good to know
- Advance tickets are $15 for adults and save $5 over the gate price; a family pass covers two adults and up to four youth.
- Elders 55+ pay $5, veterans and children 5 and under enter free, and proof of age or veteran status may be requested.
- Driving: enter from Irving Park Road west of Cumberland and follow powwow signs to Grove 13; parking is free.
- By CTA: the #80 Irving Park bus west to Irving Park/Cumberland, then about a 10-minute walk west; the #80 connects with the Blue and Brown lines at Irving Park.
- Bring a lawn chair or blanket and plan to stay for the day; outside food and coolers are not permitted.
- Most vendors and the AIC food booth take cash or major credit cards.
Going? Keep it.
More festivals that weekend
Common questions
What time should I arrive?
Gates open at 10 AM and the first Grand Entry is at 11 AM; a second Grand Entry opens the afternoon session at 3 PM.
How much is admission?
$20 for adults at the gate or $15 in advance, $5 for youth 6–17 and elders 55+, and free for veterans and children 5 and under.