We went on educational day. I had read reviews from previous years and almost decided not to attend on educational day, but we had nothing else planned and went. The majority of vendors were already set up and ready to great all those that ventured out.
We went to the large center area set up for performances and dances. A young man, Gareth Laffely, was on stage and preparing to play the flute. His music was mesmerizing. He had a wonderful stage presence and I thought he was probably in his early twenties. Come to find out, he was only sixteen! He wrote most of his songs by himself and was very articulate. The crowd seemed very impressed. Egee and I met him afterwards and we asked a few questions. I found out he is homeschooled and pursues his passion in music. He has only played the flute for three years and has won many awards. We bought his cd and Little Man loves listening to it. In fact, Little Man had to buy a flute!
I introduced the children to Indian Fry Bread and they loved it. We are going to have to make it at home now.
We browsed the different exhibits and marveled at the various arts and crafts. The paintings were absolutely beautiful and the dream catchers just beckoned for us to buy. Egee did buy a small dream catcher for her room.
We met a Cherokee Indian named Diamond and learned about his history. He has a mobile exhibit to educate the public about the Native American people. We learned about how all the parts from an animal are used by the Indians. Diamond was a wealth of information and I could have spent all day just listening to him and asking questions.
Little Man was intrigued by the Indian Hoop Dancing. We was amazed at the formations they made using the hoops. I suspect, we will be buying large quantities of hula hoops for him to dance with in the future!
The kids had a great time and we hope to attend the event again!
