American Indian Spring Celebration | PS/IS 119Q [New Time Slot]

The Queens County Farm Museum and the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers will present American Indian Spring Celebration, a special admission program that celebrates American Indian Culture through music, dance, storytelling, authentic Native-made jewelry, ceramics, textiles and food. Five Indian Nations will be represented including Hopi, Winnebago, Lenape, Cherokee, and Taino. The program includes many different dances that will be presented outdoors in front of a socially distanced audience.

The dancers will perform in full regalia and each dance will be explained to connect the public to the origins of each dance and these beautiful native traditions to experience how the original inhabitants of this great land celebrate their legacy. The American Indian Spring Celebration will also host an outdoor food and craft market featuring Native American vendors. A large selection of authentic Native American art, crafts, jewelry and food will be available for sale.

Guests are invited to enjoy the farm grounds and marketplace throughout the day from 11:00 am–5:00 pm. Performance seating time is 12:00 pm–1:30 pm. Registration to this special program includes discounts on hayride tickets.

This special program was made possible through the generous support of New York City Council Member Robert Holden and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

A sample of the performances includes:

o Smoke dance (Iroquois): During the winter months the people had to build fires in the longhouse to keep warm. On certain days there wasn't enough wind that came in the doorways to help keep the fires burning. The people would get together and dance near the fires to create enough wind to stoke the fires, and they called this dance the smoke dance.

o Grass dance (Sioux): Before a group would move into a new camping area to follow the buffalo herds they would first send out a group of dancers to go to the new camping area. The dancers would dance to crushdown the tall grass that grows out on the great plains.so when the other members of the tribe arrived they would have a smooth area to erect their teepees. They called this dance the grass dance.

o Buffalo dance (Hopi): This is a winter dance the people perform to ask the creator to help them have a successful hunt. The movements of the dance copy the movements of the buffalo, looking for water, searching for grass, etc.

o Hoop dance (Toas): This dance was created to test the skills of the dancers. How well they handle the hoops, how well they keep in time with the music and how many hoops the dancer uses. They may useanywhere from 3 to 30 hoops!

The Thunderbird American Indian Dancers are the oldest resident Native American dance company in New York. The troupe was founded in 1963 by a group of ten Native American men and women, all New Yorkers, who were descended from Mohawk, Hopi, Winnebago and San Blas tribes. The founders were “first generation,” meaning that their parents had been born on reservations. They founded the troupe to keep alive the traditions, songs and dances they had learned from their parents, and added to their repertoire from other Native Americans living in New York.

The Thunderbirds pledged to help preserve and perpetuate the culture and traditions of the American Indian people through their songs and dances, and ceremonies and to bring before the general public a more realistic picture and greater understanding of the American Indian people. Members share a commitment to raising scholarships for young American Indian students.

About the Queens County Farm Museum

The Queens County Farm Museum is one of the longest continually farmed sites in New York State dating back to 1697. The current site consists of a 47-acre tract of farmland that showcases the 300-year history of agriculture as a way of life in New York City. The Queens County Farm Museum is a New York City Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places. Queens Farm hosts a wide variety of acclaimed education programs and special events. It welcomes over 400,000 visitors a year and serves as a vital and rare resource connecting the public to agriculture, the environment and New York City history.

FAST FAQs:

• NY Forward Covid-19 Safety Guidelines will be enforced at this event with staggered entry times, reduced capacity and socially distanced programming. Face coverings are required when social distancing is not possible. Visit queensfarm.org for complete Covid-19 Visitor Guidelines.

• Eventbrite email confirmation will automatically be sent to you upon completion of registration.

• Admission ticket is 1-time use only. Valid on date and time window specified on ticket.

• Advance online tickets required; no door tickets available.

• No exchanges on event tickets. Tickets cannot be replaced or transferred. If event is canceled due to weather, Queens Farm post weather updates at queensfarm.org.

PLANNING YOUR VISIT:

• Performance times are pre-designated for your school. You must arrive for the time stated on your ticket to view performances.

• Free event parking available.

• Bicycle rack available on-site.

• Farm grounds and restrooms are accessible.

• Strollers, backpacks and bottled water are permitted on our grounds.

• Pets are not allowed, for the safety of our farm animals and visitors. Service animals are permitted as described by the ADA.

• No designated storage for strollers, bags, or coats.

• This event may be affected by rain. Check for event updates at queensfarm.org if inclement weather is forecasted.

QUESTIONS? Email info@queensfarm.org between Mon–Fri and someone will get back to you.