The Yurok Tribe's Klamath Salmon Festival
The Klamath Salmon Festival is Saturday August 20.
The Yurok Tribe’s Klamath Salmon Festival shaping up to the best salmon celebration to date.
“This Salmon Festival is building off of last year’s success, which boasted the best turnout in recent years,” said Matt Mais, the event’s organizer. “The festival is a great place to learn about Yurok culture, the Klamath River and eat really good salmon cooked in a traditional Yurok way.”
Download the Salmon Festival Schedule of Events Here
The legendary Hupa-fronted Merv George Band is headlining the August 20 event. The Yurok Tribe recently added Good Shield Aguilar, a Lakota/Yaqui rocker to the lineup. Good Shield Aguilar blends traditional music with contemporary rock/folk to create what he calls Indigenous Soul.
There will also be a highly competitive Stick Game Tournament, sponsored by Laco Associates. The Stick Game is played by local tribes and is a full-contact sport that resembles lacrosse with a wrestling element. The game is heavy on action.
The Tribe’s Watershed Department will be running a Heavy Equipment Roadeo for all who enjoy running and watching heavy machinery perform technical tasks. The Roadeo entails a set of timed-challenges completed on loaders and skid steers. Participants can sign up now or at the event.
There will also be an Indian Card Games Tournament and a number of cultural demonstrations in a new area designated solely for cultural activities.
The Yurok Housing Authority is putting on a 5k Ney-Puy Run. The run is free to enter and will start at 8a.m..
The Tribe is also bringing back a vintage competition to compliment the full menu of festival activities. The new event, the Salmon and Pie Baking Contest, will determine the best fish smokers and bakers in area.
The family-friendly, free festival will also include an array kids’ activities, including a bounce house, games and balloon bending. There will also be more than a hundred vendors selling high quality goods and passing out educational material, a breakfast free for veterans and a break dancing contest open to all.
For non-runners the Salmon Festival starts with the Veteran’s breakfast, put on by the Klamath Chamber of Commerce at 8 a.m. at the Klamath Community Center on Salmon Blvd. The breakfast will be followed by a parade at 10 am. The famously delicious salmon lunch will start at 11:00 a.m.
The theme of this year’s family friendly event is Cho’ chpaa hey-we-chem’.
Please note this year’s festival will be held on a Saturday. For up-to-date information and to sign up for events visit yuroktribe.org/salmonfestival.
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