The Hammonassett Festival comes to the Guilford Fairgrounds, 111 Lovers Lane, Guilford this fall for two days of celebration, education, and entertainment. Honoring nature and Native America, the seventh festival will take place on Saturday, Sept. 30, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Each day will begin with a Native American blessing and smudging ceremony led by Allan Saunders (Mohegan), followed by music, dance, art and craft vendors, exhibits and demonstrations, activities for the whole family, storytelling, and a variety of food choices.

“Word of the festival has spread, and we have been approached with dozens of [people with] exciting ideas and opportunities. To accommodate that interest, this year’s event offers more attractions and extended hours,” says Barbara Hanson, co-chair of the Hammonassett Festival. “The event has traditionally taken place at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, but ongoing construction at the park prompted us to take the event to the nearby—and spacious—Guilford Fairgrounds.”

Hanson says “the festival isn’t about place, but that the heart of the event is the gathering together of many peoples to share and celebrate and honor and learn. We hope to raise community awareness of the culture and time-honored traditions of the indigenous peoples, as well as issues they face today. We hope to raise awareness of how we can work together to repair the balance between people and nature, and preserve the beauty and abundance of Mother Earth for those who live with the land and the seven generations that are coming.”

Featured performers:

• The popular Native Nations Dance Troupe, led by Erin Meeches (Schaghticoke), will gather in the Dance Circle to share their dances and interpretations. There will be multiple presentations on Saturday and Sunday.

• Kalpulli Huehuetlahtolli will present Aztec Dance. Each dance is a prayer, a way of life utilized to communicate with each other and the world. There will be multiple presentations daily.

• The Chankas of Peru will present the Scissors Dance, a cultural expression of the Andean of Peru. There will be one presentation each day.

Featured wildlife shows:

• Live raptor show by A Place Called Hope, a raptor rehabilitation center in Killingworth. Christine Cummings and Todd Secki will introduce guests to the “ambassador birds,” those who cannot be returned to the wild due to injuries and who help educate the public on ways to better co-exist with all wildlife. Birds will be on-site Saturday and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.; there will be one raptor show daily.

• Live reptile show presented by the Meigs Point Nature Center of Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison. Ranger Russ Miller will present exhibits and lead discussions on the snakes and turtles seen throughout Connecticut. There will be two live reptile shows on Saturday and one on Sunday.

Other special attractions:

• Multiple performances of Native American flute music and guitar by Allan Madahbee (Ojibway) in the Concert Area

• Performance on Saturday by local music group Ponybird with Jennifer Dauphinais, Jason Bates, and Rob Dauphinais

• Expanded Children’s Area offering stories, games and crafts presented by the Institute for American Indian Studies (IAIS), local libraries, and Friends of Hammonasset; also a mock dig, teepee painting, scavenger hunt, and touch table.

• The New England Atlatl Championship, where attendees can also try their hand at the ancient skill of spear-throwing

• Native American artists, craftspeople, and traders displaying and selling authentic handmade beadwork, silver jewelry, wampum jewelry, pottery, dream catchers, woodcarvings, baskets, clothing, and more

• Environmental exhibits, museum outreach programs, and demonstrations presented by organizations such as Menunkatuck Audubon, the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, Friends of the Office of State Archaeology, Shoreline Outdoor Education Center, Trout Unlimited, and the U.S. Coast Guard

• A variety of food choices in the Food Court

All features and special attractions are subject to change. For updates, visit the Facebook page HammonassettFestival or email HammonassettFestival@gmail.com.

For more information, contact HammonassettFestival@gmail.com. The festival is presented by Friends of Hammonasset, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and is sponsored by Friends of Hammonasset and the Robert F. Schumann Foundation.