The Oldest and Most Traditional of the Navajo Fairs is held each fall in the Navajo Land where the Navajo people of the Four Corners come to celebrate the year’s harvest with a community celebration.
The Shiprock Fair started in 1911 and we have photos below of the 1913 fair.
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Ya’at’eeh (Welcome)
The fair will be held from Thursday, October 04, 2012 through Sunday, October 7, 2012
Parade Begins Saturday, October 06, 2012 at 8:00 am
Click here for Parade Entry Form (PDF file)
For more information regarding the Northern Navajo Nation Fair (NNNF), please call the NNNF Office at (928)221-6128.
Thank you.
The Shiprock Navajo Fair for 2012 is celebrating its 101 year anniversary.
Northern Navajo Nation Fair for 2012 theme:
“Into a New Centry of Technology and Tradition”
Northern Navajo Nation Fair Schedule of Events
Click Here to download a 8 1/2 by 11 pdf file of the below schedule
POW WOW Contest -Traditional Song & Dance
The Shiprock Northern Navajo Fair is the oldest and most traditional Navajo fair on the Navajo Nation.
- Navajo President Ben Shelly and wife Martha at Shiprock Fair
Shiprock Fair 1913, trader’s booths, Navajos and cattle
It is held to coincide with the conclusion of an ancient Navajo healing ceremony. The Night Way, a nine-day chant is commonly called “Yeiibichei” ceremony.
The fair offers events including NNRA Sanction Rodeo, POW WOW Contest, Traditional Song & Dance, Gourd Dancers and crafts, exhibits of horticulture, science, agriculture and livestock. The Miss Northern Navajo competition, a baby contest, concerts to comedians, song and dance competitions. Food concessionaires, a carnival and of course the SNF parade through the main street of Shiprock on Saturday, October 06, 2012 at 8:00 AM.
More photos of the 1913 Shiprock Fair
Shiprock Fair1913, Ed Davies’ Two Grey Hills Trading Post Booth
Shiprock Fair 1913, Ed Davies’ Two Grey Hills Trading Post Booth
Shiprock Fair 1913, San Juan School display of produce and Navajo blankets
Shiprock Fair 1913 – Navajo men, women and children with Navajo Rugs
Do you have more detailed schedule for the fair and yeiibichei? Cant find anything online and the fairs website is not updated since last year.
I just put up the page.
http://navajopeople.org/blog/shiprock-northern-navajo-nation-fair-2011-events-calender/
what is the parade theme, I would like to have entry form for parade, if not to late, for our Klagetoh Community, in Ganado
Please provide the daily events from September 28th through October 9th, 2011. Thank You.
Here is the link:
http://navajopeople.org/blog/shiprock-northern-navajo-nation-fair-2011-events-calender/
Shiprock fair in 1813? Older than 100 yrs.
Thank you for finding my mistake.
I changed it to the correct year of the photo 1913.
The phone number is wrong it should be 505-368-5789.
Thank you I fixed it on the website,
Custom made banners for the parade float. Please email me at music2ears@yahoo.com if you want a custom banner made. I charge 2.50 per. square foot.
My name is Delilah Goodluck, I am the Public Information Officer for the Navajo Nation Nation Museum’s Special Events Section, otherwise known as the Navajo Nation Fair Office. The Special Events Section has been called in to assist the Northern Navajo Nation Fair (NNNF) staff in Shiprock, NM. Currently, an official website is not available for the NNNF. I have information on the NNNF. Please call the NNNF Office me at 928-309-0207 or you may email me at delilah@navajonationfair.com. Thank you.
Please provide the cost of entrance to the fair grounds, activities.
Wow, the 100th Northern Navajo Fair? I’m not that old yet but, hopefully this year’s fair is at least a little better than years before. The Fair Board definitely need to focus on a better fair ground place with up to date restrooms with running water of course, especially to accomodate several stalls in several areas of the fair grounds. Also to focus on having the ground to be paved and a more up to date buildings for the exhibit halls. My gosh 100yrs and still no actual improvement to date. I do understand the beginning years but now for the last 20 yrs, it should of at least have had some upgrades. You indicate the proud 100th year,BUT with such shame the same old place, buildings, etc. Come on!!!! Make some improvements for the next coming years, that’s if NO ONE embezzles the money again or start pointing fingers, BUT whomever the fair board members are for the previous and upcoming years, you should be ashamed of yourselves for embezzling the money that was made from the previous years from the fair. Hope the next fair board members actually make a difference and change to make it more memorable and enjoying!
I have to agree with L. Henry statement. the whole shiprock area needs an over haul, including the people themselves
I have to agree with L. Henry statement. the whole shiprock area needs an over haul,
Can someone please let me know if the cookout was today or next week.
I agree with Mr. Henry, wow! no clean bathrooms, very dirty and dusty gounds
Free BBQ: Oct 6th, Thursday 3pm at City Market Parking Lot
Admission Fees: $10 13&UP, $5 12&Under/60+, $25 3-Day Pass (Admission covers all events within Fairgrounds i.e. Rodeo, Powwow, Song & Dance, Entertainment, etc… No separate entry costs within fairgrounds with the exception of Carnival)
Hello All,
Well, can’t get any more “Traditional” than that(dust, dirty, smelly outhouses, broken down buildings), since the Shiprock Fair itself claims it is “The Most Traditional Navajo Fair”, it doesn’t say “Modern Fair” in any way shape or form. 100 years ago, none of these ‘modern’ amenities existed, just take a look at the pictures, you don’t see anyone complaining about being at the fair, or exhibits(Yes I’m aware you can’t literally “see” people complaining). You always have a choice of not going, which gives the rest of us more room to roam, less waiting time in line for the rides, foodstands and of course, the smelly outhouses, and less grumpy people to deal with. I bet people who are complaining on here don’t complain as much when they go to the local WalMart/Target/Sam’s Club stores, they have their share of dirty restrooms, grouchy/grumpy people, just not as dusty. Just go there and have good time, make the best of it, and it’s mostly for the kids anways. The only ones that do the complaining are the “Grown-ups”, but not the Children and the Elders. And please, show some respect to the Police Officers, Fair Employees, and Security Guards while at the Fair, they are only doing their jobs. Take care of your kids, the Elders, and most of all, yourselves. Hope to see you all there, with your sunburnt, dirt-crusted, greezy faces and hickied-up necks/jaws/cheeks(YES, I’ve seen people munched on their cheeks!!), ENJOY, Shii Dine’ee!! =)
Changes have been made to the Northern Navajo Nation Fair Schedule of Events. Click on this link to see the latest updates.
http://navajopeople.org/blog/northern-navajo-nation-fair-2011-events-calender/
The people are asking where and to who they write a money order or cashiers check to. It is Shiprock Fair, Shiprock Fair Board, Northern Navajo Nation Fair, Northern Navajo Fair, Northern Navajo Nation Fair Board, Northern Navajo Fair Board, Shiprock Navajo Nation Fair Board, Navajo Nation Museum Special Event, etc? Where do they go to submit their checks, or where in the website does these cost show (i.e., booth, admission, vehicle entry, Indian Market booth, parade cost run down, any other cost like exhibit hall)?
I will miss this year fair, but would like to know if the Rodeo Fair Board did something special for the older rodeo contestants who had previous participant in the years past to be part of the rodeo grand entry or special grandstand to watch the rodeo?
The overall Fair is a good community/region effort. The Yei Bei Cheii Ceremony doesn’t need to be with the Fair anymore. Throughout the whole fair days and ceremony days/nights, announcers keep saying its a sacred ceremony, respect is needed for patient to heal. Why can’t it be fenced off to keep people that are drunk out of the arena. Some of us do not see all the drinking, fighting and disrepectful activities as a healer for the patient.