NATCHEZ — The 26th annual Natchez Powwow will kick off this weekend at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians.

The event that began as a small gathering at the Liberty Park fairgrounds in 1989 will continue beating strong Saturday and Sunday on the site where Natchez Indians once gathered.

Dr. Chuck Borum, a Natchez physician who organizes the event each year, said the powwow is a great opportunity for Miss-Lou residents to learn about Native American culture.

“We have a lot of Native Americans who come and encourage us to continue to do what we’re doing, and we always want to defer to them to make sure what we’re doing is a proper celebration of their history and culture,” Borum said. “We try to keep things very easy going, very user friendly and just welcome anyone who wants to attend.”

The gates of the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians at 400 Jefferson Davis Blvd. will open at 10 a.m. Saturday. The gourd dance begins at 1 p.m., with the grand entry and intertribal dancing to follow at 2 and 8 p.m.

On Sunday, the gates open at 11 a.m., and the gourd dance starts at 1 p.m. The grand entry and intertribal dancing starts at 2 p.m.

Tribes represented may include Natchez, Ponca, Comanche, Creek, Cherokee, Shawnee-Quapaw, Delaware, Oto, Osage, Mississippi Choctaw, Coushatta, Cheyenne, Potowatami, Navajo and Sac Fox.

The powwow will also include a number of vendors selling food and Native American crafts, as many Native Americans come from out of town to display and sell their crafts and foods. Most food available on site will be festival-style food, but typically Indian fry bread — also known as Indian tacos — is available.

Entrance to the powwow costs $5 for adults and $3 for children under 12. Portions of the entry fee will go to the Natchez Post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.