Arts Wrap: Native American Heritage Month, poetry workshops and Fall Folk Fest

Northern Quest Resort & Casino will celebrate Native American Heritage Month with a series of events that allow guests to explore Kalispel Tribal traditions and culture. All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

Festivities will include an exhibition featuring Native American dance and drumming performances by members of several plateau tribes. Held on the southeastern end of the Northern Quest property near Windfall, performances will begin at 2 p.m. on Nov. 19.

Hosted by the Kalispel tribe, the Northern Quest Dance Championships will welcome 16 of the top Native American “Fancy dancers” from across the United States and Canada. Dancers will perform traditional Fancy Shawl and Fancy Double Bustle dances. The championships begin at noon on Saturday.

Native American comedian Tonia Jo Hall will visit Northern Quest for an evening of laughs at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. For information, visit Tonia Jo Hall on Facebook.

This weekend’s festivities will also include a Tribal artisan and vendor fair. Organizers hope the event will allow visitors to get a head start on holiday shopping while supporting Indigenous-owned businesses. The fair will be open Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For information, visit northernquest.com or call (877) 871-6772.

Poetry Workshop with Mark Anderson

Former Spokane poet laureate Mark Anderson will lead a workshop on reading and writing poetry at Emerge (119 N. Second St., Coeur d’Alene) beginning Wednesday. Anderson will teach several generative exercises at the class while the class shares and receives constructive feedback. This event will continue every third Wednesday from 6-7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25. For information, visit emergecda.com or call (208) 930-1876.

Spokane Fall Folk Festival

The Spokane Folklore Society’s 27th annual Spokane Fall Folk Festival is coming to Spokane Community College, 1820 N. Greene St., on Saturday and Sunday.

The Spokane Folklore Society, a nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to the preservation of folk music and culture, sponsors the festival. The goal is to promote awareness, appreciation, development and continuation of the varied cultural and ethnic traditions that exist in the Inland Northwest by providing a showcase for sharing these traditions in a spirit of community.

Featuring 100 performing groups, the weekend will be full of traditional music, dance, crafts, workshops, storytelling, jam sessions and more. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

For information visit spokanefolkfestival.org.