Eiteljorg to host Indian Market and Festival INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Eiteljorg Museum is celebrating Juneteenth on Friday with free admission to the museum. Conner Richberg, festivals manager at the Eiteljorg Museum, jo ined News 8 at Daybreak on Friday to talk about both the Juneteenth celebrations as well as the upcoming Indigenous Art Market. Free Juneteenth Celebration You can go to the Eiteljorg Museum for free on Friday to celebrate Juneteenth. The museum is offering people in Indianapolis a chance to celebrate holiday through music, dance and interactive activities. The museum’s Juneteenth: A Celebration of Connection runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring performances designed to educate visitors about African American heritage through authentic cultural experiences. “We have roller skating, double dutch jump rope and live music,” said Richberg. “It’s going to be a really good, fun time and a perfect way to celebrate.” The free Juneteenth event features music from the group Be On It, plus performances by Roller Skate Indy and Neo-Griot Collab, a jump-rope modern dance group. The programming runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with museum access available until 5 p.m. Indigenous Art Market Returns for 34th Year Next weekend, the museum shifts focus to Native American culture with its 34th annual Indian Market and Festival on Saturday, June 27, and Sunday, June 28. The event brings more than 125 Native artists from across the United States and Canada to downtown Indianapolis. “It’ll be 10 to 5 both days,” Richberg said. “We have over 125 Native artists coming in from all across the U.S. and Canada. We also have performances taking place and art demos. It’s going to be a really great time.” The market offers visitors direct access to handmade jewelry, pottery, sculptures, paintings and other authentic Indigenous art. Tickets start at $22, with free admission for museum members. Advance tickets are available at Eiteljorg.org/Indian-Market-and-Festival. Cultural Appreciation Over Appropriation Richberg emphasized the importance of engaging with Native cultures in authentic ways rather than through stereotypes or appropriation. “One of my favorite things about Indian Market is that when somebody asks me what I want them to walk away with, I hope they walk away knowing they played an integral part of Native resiliency,” Richberg said. “They were able to participate in cultural appreciation, not appropriation, in a genuine and authentic way.” The distinction matters because Native cultures are often viewed as historical rather than contemporary, Richberg explained. The market allows visitors to interact directly with living artists whose work reflects modern Indigenous life and traditions. “So often we think of Native cultures as something in the past, something that’s gone,” Richberg said. “You can buy one of these necklaces and try them on and wear them and love them. It’s so important that we’re engaging in an authentic way.” Supporting Indigenous Artists and Communities The economic impact of the Indian Market extends beyond cultural education. Artist vendors rely on sales to support their families and communities, not luxury purchases. “These artists aren’t buying second homes and yachts with this money,” Richberg said. “They’re feeding their family. They’re paying rent. You’re getting to tell their story about how their culture and heritage is expanding in a contemporary way.” Richberg wore a beaded necklace from artist Aaron’s Pocky during a recent interview, along with asymmetrical earrings by Timberlake and an Ethiopian opal ring by J.J. Otero. She highlighted earrings by artist Rita Louise, who created a Wicked-inspired collection before the movie’s release. “The beading is beautiful,” Richberg said. “You never know what you’re going to get.” (Photo Provided by the Eiteljorg Museum) (Provided Photo/Eiteljorg Museum) Performances Highlight Traditional Stories This year’s festival features high-energy performances from Indigenous Enterprise and Skywoman Dance Theater, which will present “Turtle Island: From the Creation Story of the Haudenosaunee.” The production includes a giant inflatable turtle and represents traditional Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) creation stories. “I am from the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, so it is the story I grew up knowing and still tell to this day,” Richberg said. “The turtle is one of a kind. It’s the only time it’ll ever be here in Indiana, and it’s the furthest west it will ever be.” Additional performances include Métis Jiggers and the Lion Sisters. Native-owned food vendors will offer traditional fare, including fry bread. Museum Expands Cultural Programming The back-to-back cultural celebrations reflect the Eiteljorg Museum’s mission to promote understanding of American Indian and Western art and cultures. The Juneteenth celebration marks the June 19, 1865, announcement of emancipation to enslaved people in Texas, representing the effective end of slavery in the United States. Both events offer people Indianapolis residents opportunities to engage with cultures through education, art and direct interaction with community members and artists. The programming emphasizes contemporary cultural expression rather than historical artifacts alone. Museum members receive free admission to both events. More information about the Juneteenth celebration and Indian Market and Festival is available at Eiteljorg.org. (Conner Richberg, festivals manager at the Eiteljorg Museum) This story was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. 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