The Strawberry Moon has a spiritual and cultural influence which is long-lasting in Haudenosaunee communities. With the longest day of the year upon us, there is no better way to celebrate the the summer solstice and the ripest strawberry harvest in Western New York than to attend the Strawberry Moon Festival at Artpark in Lewiston this Saturday from 3 to 11 p.m.

Canadian bands Sam Roberts Band, Indigenous DJ collective A Tribe Called Red, Thunderhead Joe & The Medicine Show and singer-songwriter Alan Doyle will share Artpark's Amphitheater stage later in the evening in celebration of WNY's rich indigenous cultures. 

The festival, which is free to attendees between the hours of 3 and 6 p.m., aims to bring the people of WNY, regardless of nationality or culture, closer to nature. The festival will kick off with a welcoming ceremony, the "Celebrate Our Nations" gathering at 3 p.m. with a welcome song and dance performed by Jordan Smith and Franklyn McNaughton. Elders Allan Jamieson, Sr. (Cayuga Nation) and Neil Patterson, Sr. (Tuscarora Nation) will give the official welcoming words.

Following will be interactive clan games and dance workshops open to participants, including the festival's first organized smoke dance competition, which is open to men and women 16 and older. The smoke dance is characterized by quick steps that land on the ending of the beats and is a dance for giving thanks. 

Also taking place at the Strawberry Moon Festival will be a bark basket craft workshop where participants will learn about their significance to Iroquois history, and a two row wampum chalk walkway, which will point to the Ampitheater stage and led visitors toward compassion, respect, understanding, and the importance of walking together towards these teachings.

The event's “Artpark Bridges” program will feature performers from Empower, People Inc. and other community members led under famous Brazilian percussionists Cyro Baptista and Griffin Brady. 

The ticket price includes a facility Fee; additional fees apply for online and phone orders. Tickets can be purchased online at artpark.net and tickets.com; by phone at 1-888-223-6000; or in person at the Artpark box office, 450 S. Fourth St., Lewiston (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays).