Denver March PowWow

Tourism Star Award Recipient — 2002

With 1,600 dancers from 98 tribes the Denver March PowWow is one of the nation’s largest gatherings of Native Americans – and one of the most colorful. Indians from 38 states and three Canadian provinces come together in the Mile High City to sing, to dance and to honor the heritage that has been passed down to them from their ancestors. Now in its 28th year, the Denver March PowWow attracts more than 60,000 spectators, who attend to see the dancing competitions, sample Native American foods, shop among 170 traders for Native American arts, jewelry and merchandise and immerse themselves in this fascinating culture. With 68 different drum groups keeping the beat and signing traditional songs, while hundreds of dancers are on the floor, it is an amazing spectacle of color, beauty and history. Longwoods research shows that one of the key reasons people visit cities instead of other destinations is that they want to see cultural events, sample new foods and experience something they can’t see at home. The Denver March PowWow provides all these experiences, making it a worthy winner of a 2002 Tourism Star.

The profile of each Tourism Star is reflective of the time of the award.