Explore and enjoy Indigenous culture presented by Indigenous people at the Estes Park First Peoples Festival on Saturday, Jan. 18, without the hassles of driving and parking. The round-trip excursion from Fort Collins, Hassle-Free Travel to Estes Park Festival, has been organized by the Global Adventures club at the Global Village Museum of Arts and Cultures.
The indoor festival at the Estes Park Events Complex celebrates the deep traditions and contemporary expressions of Native peoples across the country. The unforgettable cultural experience includes an Indigenous vendor market, competition powwow, and film symposium. Indigenous artists showcase their talents with live music performances, vibrant traditional dances, soul-stirring drumming, and powerful singing.
The origins of the festival are rooted in the area’s history as a summer gathering spot for the Cheyenne and Arapaho peoples. The Ute and Arapaho tribes would summer in the Estes Park area and winter in the Middle Park region. The festival was brought to Estes Park with the help of Nico Strange Owl, a member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana, who has worked with Indigenous artists and art for over 40 years.
Participants will depart from the Global Village Museum at 9:30 am and return at approximately 5:30 pm. Tickets are $35 per person, and food will be available for purchase at the festival. Trip reservations and signed waiver are required by 5 pm Wednesday, Jan. 15, at globalvillagemuseum.org.
The programs and trips of the Museum’s Global Adventures focus on learning and sharing information about the world and the many opportunities to discover, explore, and protect it. Hosts for the adventures are Alice and Daniel Owen.
The Global Village Museum is located at 200 West Mountain Avenue, and Museum hours are 11 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Saturday. For more information and closure dates during the change of exhibits, visit globalvillagemuseum.org or call 970-221-4600.