subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Tue, Oct 07 2008 

Published: June 30, 2008 08:35 pm    print this story   email this story   comment on this story  

TUSCARORA NATION: Field Days tradition continuing

Organizers tout family-friendly event with lots of entertainment

By Dan Miner
E-mail Dan

Niagara Gazette

It’s hard to beat the Tuscaroras when it comes to local traditions.

Witness, for example, the upcoming Picnic and Field Days. It will be the 163rd consecutive year the event is held on the Lewiston reservation.

“We get people from all walks of life, from all over the country,” said Neil Patterson Sr. “And they’re not all Native Americans.”

The event takes place July 11 and 12, getting started with a flag presentation that Friday at 5 p.m. and again on Saturday at 7:30 a.m. with the Donation Breakfast.

“It goes on until everybody gets tired,” Patterson said of the breakfast. “Or they run out of eggs.”

In the meantime, there will be a continuous stream of performances, shows and concerts to complement vendors selling everything from picnic food to Native American arts and crafts.

Old favorites such as the 10K and 2.5-mile races (9 a.m. July 12), Smoke Dances (during the day July 12), the donation breakfast and the parade (11 a.m. July 12) will be back. The event takes place near the Tuscarora Indian School on the corner of Walmore and Mount Hope roads.

As is typical with events on the Tuscarora reservation, volunteers Patterson Sr. and Kenneth Patterson emphasized the sense of community at the Field Days.

“We all have friends that come to the picnic,” said Kenneth. “We sit around and gab and tell stories.”

Nor is it aimed solely at Native Americans — although former residents of the reservation flock to their old home from areas near and far.

“I befriended a man from Poland and he was a good friend of ours for a long time,” Patterson Sr. said. “It’s a fun time. There’s no pressure except for the volunteers.”

The event has attracted anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 people in recent years —partly because of the eclectic entertainment list which includes the gospel, rock and blues music, the princess contest and beginning flag ceremony, which includes traditional Native American dance.

Patterson Sr. called the event “more of a happening than the picnic” with people setting up lawn chairs to relax and have fun.

“It’s a family event, a real family event,” he said. “We’re just there to have fun and enjoy each other’s company.”



IF YOU GO

• WHAT: 163rd annual Tuscarora Picnic and Field Days

• WHEN: Beginning with 5 p.m. flag presentation July 11 and 7:30 a.m. breakfast July 12

• WHERE: Near the Tuscarora Indian School on the corner of Walmore and Mount Hope roads

print this story   email this story   comment on this story  

Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.



monster
wheels
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Featured Jobs

RECEPTIONIST
Receptionist for chiropractic office, Part Time, needs to multi task, office experience a +. Fax resume: 716-731-4343...>MORE

CLERICAL RECEPTIONIST
Office/Clerical FT Receptionist, data entry, light bookkeeping, computer literacy and cheerful personality a must. Conta...>MORE

HOME HEALTH AIDES/PERSONAL CARE AIDES
Healthcare EOE/MFVH

ARE YOU LOOKING
FOR INTERESTING
OPPORTUNITIES?

HHAs/PCAs
neede
...>MORE

CAKE DECORATOR
HIGH PRODUCTON bakery needs a skilled cake decorator. Apply in person at Sam's Club, 5535 Porter Rd. Niagara Falls, NY...>MORE

COOK
Cook at UB! 3+ yrs recent experience with large volume cooking, excellent knife skills, and well rounded experience. Op...>MORE

MEDICAL RECEPTIONIST
MEDICAL Receptionist. Immediate full/part time opening. Fax resume to 716-285-2497. ...>MORE

SMALL WORLD
SMALL World Child Care is looking for qualified infant and toddler room associates. Come in to apply.
We have two
...>MORE

CATERING PREP
Catering prep Part-time at U.B. Must have good knife skills and flexible schedule. Mostly days, $8.20/hr.+benefits pac...>MORE

ANIMAL CARETAKER ASSISTANT
ANIMAL Care Taker Looking for a hard worker, 15-35 hrs/wk. Apply in person: Debbie's Dog House, 667 Walmore Rd, Niagara...>MORE

RESTAURANT POSITIONS
Granny Restaurant, 433 Center St, Lewiston, NY. Looking for mature people who desire long term steady employment. All po...>MORE

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2008. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index