Nevada Day Powwow returns Friday after 2-year hiatus
Submitted by Kelsey Penrose on Wed, 10/26/2022 - 12:51pm
Event Date:
Repeats every day until Sun Oct 30 2022 .
October 28, 2022 (All day)
October 29, 2022 (All day)
October 30, 2022 (All day)
The Nevada Day Powwow will return on Oct. 28 at the Multi-Purpose Athletic (MAC) Center in Carson City after a two-year hiatus.
Across the globe, everything came to a standstill due to COVID-19. Concerts and other significant gatherings had to postpone their events to help slow down the pandemic.
"Like everybody else, (we were) just trying to ensure that the general public is safe," Nevada Day Powwow organizer Martin Montgomery said. "And so, we decided to postpone it in 2020. Then last year, it was kind of a 50/50. At that time, I think some people were having events, and a few concerts. We decided on the side of caution, and postponed last year, because our event is indoors.”
Dating back to the 1960s, the first gathering occurred on the Carson Colony grounds. As the years passed, the gathering had its bad and good years.
Until the early 1980s, when Jack Malone, a Washo Tribal member, decided to bring back the powwow, the event evolved into a large gathering.
After having a successful 20 year run of events, the powwow again started to face challenges, including not having enough committee members and funding.
Only given a $1,400 budget, Montgomery was asked to help coordinate the 2012 gathering.
With its success, the event became the most significant end-of-the-year powwow in Northern Nevada and moved to the MAC in 2017.
"It's a nonprofit event," Montgomery said. "In 2019 and 2018, the committee took out a personal loan to help pay for the event, and we repaid that out of our own pockets for the year. We do get sponsorship and things from different tribes and various organizations. After 10 years of coordinating, it does take money and cost, and we're always open to sponsors or people who are interested."
Montgomery is hoping in the future to get larger corporations and businesses within Carson City to help sponsor future events.
Montgomery and his committee are looking for at least 2,000 people daily, 150 dancers, and 40 vendors during the 3-day event.
"It is our custom and tradition to be hospitable hosts," Montgomery said. "It's all for the love of organizing the event for our tribal and non-native community members through singing, dancing, and culture sharing."
The Nevada Day Powwow will run Oct. 28, 29, and 30 with a Friday's events starting at 7 p.m., Grand Entry at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday and 12 p.m. on Sunday at the MAC. Admission is free.
This is a drug and alcohol free event.
