Navajo Nation Fair
The Navajo Nation Fair is an annual celebration held in Window Rock, Arizona, recognized as one of the largest Native American fairs in the United States. This vibrant event attracts not only members of the Navajo Nation but also Native Americans from various tribes, showcasing a rich tapestry of cultural expressions through traditional dances, arts and crafts, and exhibits that highlight the history and contributions of Native peoples. The fair originated in 1908 in Shiprock, New Mexico, initiated by William T. Shelton, who sought to promote Navajo craftsmanship and agricultural products. Following its initial success, the fair transitioned to Window Rock in 1937, where it has continued annually since 1951, typically occurring in early September. The event features a variety of attractions, including rodeos, races, and displays of traditional foods and crafts, drawing over 100,000 attendees in recent years. Set against the breathtaking landscapes of the Navajo Nation, the fair not only serves as a cultural gathering but also as a testament to the resilience and heritage of the Navajo people and their connections to the broader Native American community.
Subject Terms
Navajo Nation Fair
The giant Navajo fair held annually at Window Rock, Arizona, the capital of the Navajo Nation (the largest of the tribal nations in the United States), is one of the largest Native American fairs in the United States. Not only Navajos but Native Americans representing many other tribes participate. There are colorful traditional dances and exhibits of a wide variety of clothing, arts and crafts, and other facets of cultures that predate written history. The fair also represents the contribution of Native Americans to American history and is a practical example of cross-cultural influences between the Navajo people and the modern world.
The first Navajo Tribal Fair took place in 1908 in Shiprock, New Mexico, the headquarters of the Northern Navajo Agency. It was the inspiration of the first superintendent of the agency, William T. Shelton. For many years, Shelton had helped and guided the Navajo people, and he was eager to exhibit their products and crafts. The main attractions of the fair, in addition to races and rodeos, were the vegetables, canned and preserved foods, improved breeds of animals, arts and crafts, and needlework of the Navajos.
The first Shiprock fair was such a success that it was decided that it would be held on an annual basis. In 1937 the first Window Rock fair was held, capitalizing on the success of the Shiprock event. The Window Rock fair was discontinued during World War II, but it resumed in 1951. It has been held every year since then in early September, with the most recent fair covering five days from September 9 to September 13, 1998. More than one hundred thousand people attended.
Although the Window Rock fair is a highlight of the Navajo country, there are many other places of interest. Occupying a four -corner area of the Southwest where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah join, the Navajo Nation reservation is some 200 miles wide and 135 miles north to south and offers some of the most scenic vistas in the Southwest. A high tableland, it is crisscrossed by spectacular canyons and sprinkled with eroded buttes and other natural formations, one of the most famous being Window Rock itself. The rock has been important for many centuries in the rites and legends of the Water Way Ceremony, and Navajo people call the formation Tse-ghahodzani or “perforated rock.” Traditionally it was one of only four places where tribal medicine men went to get water for rain ceremonies.
McRoberts, Julian. "A Place of Joy--Navajo Nation Fair." PhMuseum, 2024, phmuseum.com/projects/a-place-of-joy-navajo-nation-fair. Accessed 1 May 2024.
"Schedule of Events." Navajo Nation Fair, 2023, www.northernnavajofair.org/. Accessed 1 May 2024.