Festival of the Americas hosts diverse performances and art

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This year the Kayenta Festival of the Americas featured cultural performances and many vendors from New Mexico.

The Festival of the Americas has been held in downtown St. George in the past and returning vendors are happy for the more central location in Kayenta. Booths ranged from traditional native jewelry and Hispanic pottery. It’s a three-day event that brought artists from New Mexico, Page AZ, and some from Utah.

“It came from my grandpa; he was a medicine man and my mom got it from him. It was a lot of the traditional ways, what it represents and what it means,” artist Milton L. John said.

Community members gather in the Kayenta Art Village for the annual Festival of the Americas Saturday, May 29, 2021. The event aims to celebrate Indigenous and Hispanic cultures through art, dance and food.

The art on display told the stories of different native cultures like the Hopi and Navajo tribes at the festival. Many of the artists have been creating for 30 years or more. The artists featured original paintings, sculptures, hand-crafted jewelry and more.

One artist started a painting on Tuesday for Kayenta and finished it before the event to display during the festival.

“I have been painting for over 30 years and my daughter has her art here too. She does the anime style,” artist David John said.

Many of the artists at the festival learned their craft from family and continue the tradition with their own. Telling the stories of their culture and proudly displaying it at the festival, the artists talked and mingled with the St. George locals.

In a small theatre, dancers and vocalists performed on Friday afternoon. The weekend will hold more live performances and most of the artists will be staying through Sunday showing and selling their art.

One of the food vendors selling “Indian Tacos” is actually a St. George local. They made it a family affair and can be found at the end of the food vendor’s section.

Dixie State University’s Multicultural Inclusion Center was also at the festival with a booth. However, they were there for the Institute of Continued Learning for those wanting to continue their education 50 years and above.

To find out more information about live performances visit https://www.kayentaarts.com/festival-of-the-americas.