Celebration (Alaska festival) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Celebration
Celebration's Walk to Centennial Hall, 2006
Date(s)	First week of June
Frequency	Once every 2 years
Location(s)	Juneau, Alaska
Country	United States of America
Established	1982
Organized by	Sealaska Heritage Institute

Celebration is a special cultural event that happens every two years in Juneau, Alaska, USA. It celebrates the rich traditions of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples. This big event takes place during the first week of June.

It started in 1982 to help teach Native Alaskan children about their culture. The first Celebration had about 200 people and focused mostly on dancing. Since then, it has grown a lot and is now the largest cultural event in Alaska! The Sealaska Heritage Institute, a non-profit group, organizes and sponsors Celebration. In 2012, the event brought about $2 million into Juneau's economy.

What Happens at Celebration?
Celebration in Popular Culture
Images for kids
See also

What Happens at Celebration?

A Haida master carver dances with her child at Celebration around 2016.

Celebration is a five-day event packed with fun activities. It kicks off with the Grand Entrance, which is a big parade. All the dance groups march through Juneau and into Centennial Hall.

Some of the regular activities you can enjoy include:

Workshops where you can learn the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian languages.
Classes about Northwest Coast art and the history of Southeast Alaska Indian cultures.
Exciting canoe races.
Amazing dance performances.
Film screenings and poetry readings.
A special Native fashion show.

Celebration also has contests for traditional foods like soapberry and black seaweed. These contests help people learn about Native foods and how healthy they are.

Native Artist Market

The Native Artist Market is a place where talented Native artists can sell their creations. Only artists who are members of certain recognized tribes can sell their work here. This includes Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian artists, even if they are Canadian citizens. You can find beautiful handmade items like jewelry, masks, drums, dolls, and other arts and crafts.

Art Competition

The Juried Art Show and Competition began in 2002. It was created to show off and encourage the making of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian art. At first, there was some debate about whether new, modern art based on traditional forms should be included. To solve this, contemporary art got its own special category starting with the second show.

Baby Regalia Review

The Baby Regalia Review started in 2006. It's a wonderful way to share culture and heritage with the youngest members of the community. During this review, each child is introduced by their European and Native names. Their tribal and clan membership is also shared, along with the names of their parents and grandparents.

There was no Celebration in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The theme for the 2022 Celebration was "Celebrating 10,000 years of cultural survival." This was announced by Rosita Worl, who is the president of the Sealaska Heritage Institute. During that year's event, Juneau revealed Alaska's first 360-degree totem pole. This impressive 22-foot-tall structure is called the Sealaska Cultural Values Totem Pole. It was carved from a 600-year-old cedar tree and represents all three tribes of Southeast Alaska: Lingít, Haida, and Tsimshian.

Celebration in Popular Culture

In 2020, Celebration was featured in an episode of the PBS animated TV series Molly of Denali. The episode was called "Canoe Journey." In this story, the main character, Molly, and her family travel by canoe to Juneau to attend Celebration. They use traditional elder advice instead of maps to find their way. An elder describes the route he took when he was a child, including secret shortcuts. This helps Molly and her family on their journey. The episode teaches children about traditional Alaskan ways of finding directions.