PRESS RELEASES

"Saturday Day Night Performance reflects Seasons of Change New Beginnings"

Like the theme, “Seasons of Change Bring New Beginnings,” the 65th Annual Navajo Nation Fair has a breath of fresh air this year.

Operating under the auspices of the Navajo Nation Museum and Library after working under the umbrella of the Navajo Parks and Recreation Department all these years, the Navajo Fair Office is quickly moving ahead with innovations and coming into its own. (READ MORE...)

9/5/11-“Save time, relax, and save money!”

Window Rock, AZ - September 5, 2011 - To better serve their patrons, the Navajo Nation Fair office and the Navajo Transit System organized park and ride services for the 65th Annual Navajo Nation Fair. “The plan is to alleviate parking to make it more attractive and provide safer and more convenient parking for fair goers” explained, Manuelitio Wheeler, Director of Navajo Nation Museum. The fair staff extends their invitation to all fair goers to take advantage of the park and ride services to save time; relax and let someone else drive through fair traffic; and most importantly to save money.

The park and ride shuttles will be making their designated stops every hour at the following locations: Ft. Defiance Field House, Navajo Nation Museum and Window Rock Admin. Building One. The shuttle services begin Friday, September 9th-11th. The cost of the round-trip park and ride is only $1.00 for all riders regardless of age. Please have correct change. Drivers do not carry cash. On Friday, September 9th-10th the park and rider services will be available from 12:00 noon to 12:00 midnight and on Sunday from noon to 10:00 pm.

Along with a strategy for better parking the fair office offers special deals and discounts for fair patrons who utilize the park and ride services. Be the first patron each day to get super deals! The deals are as follows: Friday, September 9th, the first 100 riders receive free admission vouchers. Riders thereafter receive coupons for half-off general admission or $5.00 off the rodeo and concert featuring country superstar Easton Corbin. Saturday, September 10th, the first 100 riders receive free admission vouchers. Riders thereafter receive coupons for half-off general admission or $2.00 off the rodeo admission. Sunday, September 11th, the first 50 riders receive free admission vouchers. Riders thereafter receive coupons for half-off general admission or $2.00 off rodeo admission. The park and ride will be available to those attending the Korn concert.

For more information please visit www.navajonationfair.com. Call the Navajo Nation Museum at 928-871-7941 or the Navajo Nation Fair office at 928-871-6478.
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9/3/11 “Korn Concert Tickets On Sale!”

Window Rock, AZ - September 3rd, 2011 - Navajo Nation Museum announces they will start selling the Korn concert tickets on Sunday, September 4th at 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Navajo Nation Fair staff anticipate a long line and are prepared for a large crowd. The line will begin outside the Navajo Nation Museum. Only a limited number of customers will be allowed to enter into the Museum’s Gift Shop to make their ticket purchases.
Ticket are priced at $29.50 with a purchase limit of 12. Payment in cash is strongly encouraged. Credit card sales may be taken at 928-871-6673 or at the register. Be advised, delay is expected with credit card purchases due to limited credit card operations.

Remaining ticket sales will continue September 5 through September 11th at the Museum and the Finance and Payouts Office on fair grounds according to availability. More ticket outlets to be determined.
The show is subject to cancellation, in which case purchaser’s sole right and remedy shall be refund of the purchase price. Nothing herein shall be construed as a waiver, express or implied, of the sovereign immunity of the Navajo Nation.

For more information please visit www.navajonationfair.com, call the Navajo Nation Museum at 928-871-7941 or call the Fair Office at Gorman Hall at 928-871-6478.
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8/29/11 - “The World’s Largest Indian Fair Parade is Coming!”

Window Rock, AZ – August 19, 2011. Traffic jams in Window Rock are extremely rare. One day out of the year a traffic jam will make itself known to Window Rock. Saturday, September 10th, 2011 will be that day. The who’s who of the Navajo Nation will showcase their floats down Highway 264 for the Navajo Nation Fair Parade.

Fair goers from across the Navajo Nation, and the world come to renew their friendships, enjoy the food and see the display of the arts and culture of the Navajo people. The parade will take place on Highway 264 beginning east of Tse Bonito, NM and end in St. Michaels, AZ.

Road closures will begin at 6:00 am; it is essential that fair exhibitors and contestants as well as bypassing traffic plan their commute accordingly. Law enforcement will also be closing access points to residential and commercial areas during the parade. The parade is scheduled to begin at 8:00 am. Any spectators along Highway 264 are discouraged from parking within the right of way. Special Events Office and the Navajo Nation will not be held responsible for any loss of property or accidents that may occur along Highway 264.

To bypass the Parade traveling east on Highway 264 into Window Rock it is recommended that you take route 12 through Ft. Defiance on to Route 54, Old Coalmine Road then back on Highway 64.

If you are traveling east into Window Rock from St. Michaels it is recommended to bypass the parade through Route 12. Route 12 heads north to Ft. Defiance, AZ and south to I-40. If you are traveling west into Window Rock you may take Route 54, Old Coal Mine Road into Ft. Defiance, AZ to bypass the parade.

Due to high traffic and possible vehicle accidents along the road, the public is strongly discouraged from camping along Highway 264 during the duration of the fair. Camp grounds are available on the fairgrounds. Camping sites will be available on a first come first serve basis that will open up the week of the fair.
Parade line-up begins at 5:00 am. Parade participants under eighteen years of age will not be allowed to partake in the parade without a signed waiver. There will be no onsite registration for parade entries. The parade entries are limited; the deadline is September 2, 2011 at 5:00 pm. Download entry forms at www.navajonationfair.com or pick up from Navajo Nation Museum. Submit entries with Money Order to Division of Natural Resources c/o Navajo Nation Fair Parade P.O. Box 9000 Window Rock, AZ or walk in entries to the Navajo Nation Museum.

For more information please visit www.navajonationfair.com or call the Special Events Section at 928-871-6642 or 928-871-6632.
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8/19/11 - “Navajo Athlete Honored as Navajo Nation Fair Parade Grand Marshall”

Window Rock, AZ – August 19, 2011 - The 65th Annual Navajo Nation Fair Parade Grand Marshall is Notah Begay III. Notah is a Four time PGA tour winner and the only full blooded Native American (Navajo - Cochiti/Isleta) on the PGA Tour. He is a 1995 Stanford University graduate.

Not just an athlete, Notah is a co-founder of the Notah Begay III Foundation which is a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization that was started in 2005. The foundation’s mission is to promote the health, wellness and leadership development of Native American youth on Indian reservations nationwide. To raise money for Notah's foundation, the Oneida Indian Nation of New York hosts the annual Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge on August 30th and 31st, which draws world class golfers. This year’s fourth annual challenge will include Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan, LPGA’s Annika Sorenstam and many more. The Oneida Indian Nation Council will also be Special Guests of the Navajo Nation during the upcoming fair.

Notah also owns a successful consultant business to serve Native American communities interested in the development of golf properties. “I am very proud that NB3 Consulting is a Native American owned business that always acts in the best interest of the community.” Notah stated on his website, www.notah.com.
Notah’s was selected as the Grand Marshall for the largest Indian Fair Parade based on his leadership and advocacy of American Indian health and wellness through his Notah Begay, III Foundation. Notah’s nomination letter stated, “Notah Begay, III has excelled as a professional athlete, an academic scholar, community leader, health and wellness advocate, and philanthropist on and off the Navajo Nation thereby making him a noteworthy individual who has served as an ambassador of American Indian people in general, and Navajo people in particular.” In response to Notah’s selection, Navajo Nation Vice President, Rex Lee Jim, said, “I believe that Notah Begay, III successfully demonstrates the Navajo principles of T’aa ho’a’jit’eego and K’e, two basic principles of our Navajo culture. We are pleased to honor his personal, academic, community, and professional achievements."

The parade will take place Saturday, September 10th beginning at 8:00 am. The Navajo Nation Fair takes place September 5th – 11th. It will be filled with carnival rides and games, the annual Ms. Navajo Nation presentation at the Night Performance, Indian Rodeo, Nizhoni Arts Market, Contest Powwow, Social Song & Dance, Easton Corbin Concert, Matt Kennon Concert, numerous youth activities, food courts, a vendor fair and much more.

For more information please visitwww.navajonationfair.comor call the Special Events Office at 928-871-6642 or 928-871-6632.

7/22/11 - "President Ben Shelly Announces, 'Seasons of Change Bring New Beginnings' for the 65th Annual Navajo Nation Fair"