33rd Annual Native American Festival
33rd Annual Nause-Waiwash Native American Festival
Honoring Tradition • Celebrating Culture • Sharing Stories
Join the Nause-Waiwash Band of Indians for a powerful, family-friendly celebration of Indigenous culture, heritage, and community. Now in its 33rd year, this annual festival offers the public a rare opportunity to learn directly from the descendants of the Choptank and Nanticoke peoples—Dorchester County’s original inhabitants. Through storytelling, music, dance, art, and food, tribes from across the region come together to preserve and share traditions passed down for generations.
Festival Highlights:
🎶 Traditional drum and flute performances
🪶 Native dances, including specialty dances like Hula, Grass Dance, and Sneak-Up
🎨 Cultural demonstrators: flint knapping, pine needle basket weaving, beading, carving, wampum and pipe making
🍞 Indigenous foods for sale: fry bread, Indian tacos, and succotash
👧 Children’s Table: Explore the history and lore of the Turtle in Indigenous storytelling
💎 Vendors offering authentic jewelry, leather goods, and handmade crafts
🎟 Silent auction, bake table, and 50/50 raffle
Special Exhibits & Appearances:
🐾 Sled dogs and a live bald eagle
🪨 Local artifact displays and historical education booths
🌍 Participating Tribes: Nanticoke, Choptank, Pocomoke, Accohannock, Assateague, Lenape, Aztec, Navajo, Lakota, Lumbee, Piscataway, and more
Visitors are encouraged to ask questions, engage respectfully, and take photos—with permission. The 2024 event welcomed over 1,500 guests and surpassed all expectations. We can’t wait to welcome you in 2025!
Fees
Admission is $10.00 per person with children four & under free. Groups rates are available for groups of ten or more. Cash please. Other forms of payment are pending.
Location
214 Middle Street, Vienna, Maryland 21869; The Ball Field under the Water Tower.
Latitude and Longitude 38.482309, -75.828881
Schedule
Date:
Time:
Duration:
Gate opens at 10:00 a.m. Grand Entry at Noon. Concluding at 6:00 p.m.
Contact Information
Chief Donna Abbott
410-330-1384
Contact Us
Event Type
- Cultural/Craft Demonstration
- Festival
- Partner Program