Forty men’s grass and women’s jingle dress dance contestants from across the country will compete in the Lead Horse Open II, which runs from Tuesday through Thursday this week.
The event will also include a forum for Lawrence City Commission candidates on the topic of “Ways to improve our Native American Community” in Lawrence.
Events will be held at the Lied Center of Kansas, 1600 Stewart Drive, and also will be livestreamed at this link. A portion of proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Lawrence Public Schools’ Native American Student Services, according to the Facebook event page.
Doors open at 5 p.m. today (Tuesday, July 27) and the preliminary rounds of jingle dress dance will start at 5:30. At 8:30 p.m., the top eight will be announced.
At 4 p.m. Wednesday, the Lawrence City Commission candidates will share their plans in a forum at the Lied Center Pavilion. The forum is free and open to the public. At 5 p.m., the auditorium doors will open for the preliminary rounds of men’s grass dance, starting at 5:30, and the top eight will be announced at 8:30 p.m.
On the final day — Thursday, July 29 — the top eight will compete to be crowned champions. Women performers start at 5:30 p.m. and men will start at 6:45 p.m.
Music is by Joe Rainey Sr. You can see a full lineup of registered contestants at this link.
Three-day tickets are available for $20 through the Lied Center’s website via this link. They’re $15 for children, military, students and seniors. A one-day pass is available for $10. Tickets are all general admission.
Lead Horse LLC was founded by Freddy Gipp, an enrolled member of the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma. The company “builds partnerships between the public and private sector through sustainable economic practices that serve the best interest for Native communities,” according to its website. “We focus on providing culturally enhancing opportunities through strategic event planning that encapsulates the enrichment of human, social and economic capital.”
Follow Lead Horse LLC on Facebook to learn about future events.
