This weekend is the Winter’s End Powwow at the Forest County Potawatomi Community Center in Crandon.
The Winter’s End Powwow celebrates the arrival of a new spring with new life and a whole new palette of colors.
That’s how Powwow Committee Chairwoman Courtney White describes it.
It’s being held in the Forest County Potawatomi Community Center in Crandon.
They have numerous drums, singers, craft vendors, food vendors, and it’s open to the public.
“For the dancers, this is a lifetime preparation thing like usually when you want to decide to dance at a really young age. And you'll see that actually, out in the arena, you could tell the ones that have been doing this for a long time, they put their heart into it the way that they dance, and it's just so awesome to watch,” said White.
Grand entries are at 1 and 7pm on Saturday and 12pm on Sunday.
Organizers have been working hard behind the scenes.
“Preparing for an event like this- it takes months. A lot of background work, trying to gather the dancers, let- fliers out- letting them know, hey, come celebrate with us! Come join us,” said White.
White encourages anyone interested in attending to come, even if it’s their first time at a powwow.
“It's very eye opening, you would say to somebody who's never been to one before, like the designs, the way that they dance, the meaning of the dance, the colors, even the way that we walk into the arena has a meaning and it just sit back and take it all in,” said White.
“If you don't have any plans for the weekend, come for the food, come for the music, come for the colors. Just, just to experience something new! come buy something from the gift stand, memorabilia from the weekend saying that you did this. It'd definitely be something that they are going to remember,” she said.
This weekend, there will be a number of different specials, including the Sweetheart Special which is a male-female partner dance, a Juniors Jingle Special for ages 6 to 12, and a few Outgoing Royalty Specials.
