Two Native American festivals in August celebrate the harvest with music, dancing, food

Two annual Native American events celebrating the harvest will take place in August: The Green Corn Festival in Washington and Schemitzun in Mashantucket. The 17th annual Green Corn Festival, presented by the Institute for American Indian Studies, is Aug. 14 from noon to 4 p.m. at Riverwalk Pavilion, 11A School St. in Washington. Among the entertainment for the day are flutist Allan Madahbee of the Ojibwe tribe, the Native Nations Dance Troupe led by Erin Meeches of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, the Quahog Bay Drum Group led by Devin Wixon of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Nation and a professional Native American storyteller. Dancing will be at 1 and 3 p.m. Also offered are children’s activities and vendors selling arts and crafts.

Yapopup, the Indigenous Soul Food Truck owned by Pueblo Chef Ryan Rainbird Taylor of New Mexico’s Ohkay Owingeh tribe, will offer traditional Native American dishes. GV Bites will sell Colombian fusion food and Polar Sweets Ice Cream will sell desserts. Admission to the festival is $15, $12 seniors, $10 children and IAIS members, free for members’ children. Preregister at iaismuseum.org. The event will be held rain or shine.

Schemitzun: Feast of Green Corn and Dance, a celebration of the harvest when participants “give thanks to the Creator for our rich heritage while honoring our ancestors, warriors, veterans and elders,” will be Aug. 27 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Aug. 28 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Mashantucket Pequot Cultural Grounds, 2 Matt’s Path in Mashantucket.

By Susan Dunne

A dancer participates in an intertribal dance at Schemitzun on the Mashantucket Pequot Reservation in Mashantucket in 2021. (Jessica Hill/AP)