Photo by Mark Larson
This traditional redwood canoe carried Darlene Rose McGee and others throwing candy to attendees of the Klamath Salmon Festival parade.
Driving north in the rain from Arcata early Saturday morning, the prospects for the 60th annual Klamath Salmon Festival didn’t look good. But by the 9:30 a.m. start of the parade, the rain had stopped, the sun came out from behind the clouds and this year’s festival celebrating tribal elders (because the event was turning 60) got under way.
This year’s festival theme, Cho’ skuy’ soo huuew kue no’-o-muen-o-wo-nee (“May the ones that endure live well”), is an expression of appreciation composed by the Yurok Language Program for the tribal elders who paved the way for the tribe’s continued success.
In addition to the parade, the 2024 Salmon Festival featured the Ney-puey Fun Run, live music by the Blue Rhythm Revue and Brett McFarland and the Freedom Riders, activities for children, and stick game, basketball, arm wrestling (a new addition this year) and Indian card game tournaments. While fresh-caught local salmon was again not on the menu (to protect the fishery while the tribe works to undam and restore the Klamath River), attendees had plenty of food options and gift items to choose from more than 100 vendors.