34th Annual Nause-Waiwash Native American Festival
Honoring Tradition • Celebrating Culture • Sharing Stories
Join the Nause-Waiwash Band of Indians for a powerful, family-friendly celebration of Indigenous culture, heritage, and community. Now in its 33rd year, this annual festival offers the public a rare opportunity to learn directly from the descendants of the Choptank and Nanticoke peoples—Dorchester County’s original inhabitants. Through storytelling, music, dance, art, and food, tribes from across the region come together to preserve and share traditions passed down for generations.
Festival Highlights:
Traditional drum and flute performances
Native dances, including specialty dances like Hula, Grass Dance, and Sneak-Up
Cultural demonstrators: flint knapping, pine needle basket weaving, beading, carving, wampum and pipe making
Indigenous foods for sale: fry bread, Indian tacos, and succotash
Children’s Table: Explore the history and lore of the Turtle in Indigenous storytelling
Vendors offering authentic jewelry, leather goods, and handmade crafts
Silent auction, bake table, and 50/50 raffle
Special Exhibits & Appearances:
Sled dogs and a live bald eagle
Local artifact displays and historical education booths
Participating Tribes: Nanticoke, Choptank, Pocomoke, Accohannock, Assateague, Lenape, Aztec, Navajo, Lakota, Lumbee, Piscataway, and more
Visitors are encouraged to ask questions, engage respectfully, and take photos—with permission.
Admission is $10 per person, cash please.