19th Native Contemporary Arts Festival

A beloved Father’s Day tradition celebrating the creativity of North America’s indigenous peoples, the 19th Annual Native Contemporary Arts Festival showcases a diverse program of Native music, dance, spoken word performances and crafts. The family-friendly festival opens and closes with sacred invocations by songstress L Frank (Tongva Ahacmem) and features amazing magician Tamaka (Choctaw); activist and rap artist Frank Waln (Lakota); spoken word with Tanaya Winder (Ute Mountain Ute and Duck Water Shoshone); singer-songwriter Jeremy Goodfeather (Mohawk); and ever-popular All Nations Singers and Medicine Warrior Dancers (intertribal). The program is emcee’d by comedian Charlie Ballard, and coordinated by Janeen Antoine (Sicangu Lakota). All young-at-heart creatives are invited to participate in art activities with artists Christy Galbadon (Wappo) with hand drilling beads, Kanyon Sayers Rood (Ohlone) making talking sticks, Celeste Aguilar (Navajo) making beaded bracelets, and Jeffrey Martinez (Lakota) making stamped prints.
The NCAF is presented by Yerba Buena Gardens Festival in partnership with American Indian Contemporary Arts, with generous support of the San Francisco Arts Commission.