This weekend, the UW’s Hec Edmundson Pavilion will be bustling with dancers, musicians and vendors from all over North America.

Starting tonight is the 36th annual Spring Powwow, sponsored by First Nations at the UW, a student organization promoting education among American Indian students. The event is free and draws people from all over the United States, as well as international neighbors from the north and south.

At 7 p.m., the first grand entry event takes place, featuring dancing, drumming and singing.

“Grand entry is basically when all the dancers come into the arena. … It’s the way that everything gets started before the competitions,” First Nations Vice President Emma Noyes said.

The opening procession of dancers, singers and drummers will showcase both traditional and contemporary dance. Throughout the weekend, there will be four grand entries, including one entry with performers from coastal tribes.

The coastal grand entry will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, and will feature coastal groups who reside in and around Seattle. The coastal entry pays homage to the powwow’s coastal location. The performances taking place during this grand entry will follow the coastal potlatch tradition, instead of the plains-influenced powwow style.

In addition to the grand entries, there will be a number of performance competitions, including dancing.

“It’s a contest powwow, so there’s contest money, and it brings out a lot of really amazing dancers,” Noyes said. “These dancers are super athletes.”

Regalia, the outfits that dancers perform in, add another dimension to the artistic appeal of the powwow.

“It’s all handmade, from moccasins to head dresses,” First Nations President Mona Daniels said.

In addition to dancing, there will also be musical competitions, social dances, a Miss and Little Miss First Nations contest and a variety of vendors, all of which have found acclaim in both the Native and non-Native community.

“It’s a wonderful celebration, and it brings nothing but good feelings and happiness to all the people that attend,” Daniels said.

The powwow, which is open to all and attracts a variety of people, is the largest student-run event on campus. Both Daniels and Noyes see the event as a way to open American Indian culture to people on the UW campus, but it also brings people involved in the culture to the campus.

The powwow acts as one of First Nations’ largest recruiting events for American Indian high school students applying to college.

Event organizers believe that the powwow is an opportunity to move away from the norm while accurately representing American Indian culture.

“Even in class, there can be a lot of very strange stereotyping, and it can really wear down on you,” Noyes said. “This is a chance to be us and bring the Native community to campus and do that in a way that really includes everyone.”

Reach reporter Kass Bessert at news@thedaily.washington.edu.