DEER VALLEY RESORT; PARK CITY, UTAH (October 23, 2014) – The 25th annual Navajo Rug Show and Sale will take place at Deer Valley Resort's Snow Park Lodge, November 7 - 9, 2014. This special event provides attendees the opportunity to experience Navajo culture through demonstrations of weaving, singing and other traditions; and to help support Navajo elders by purchasing their hand-woven rugs and hand-crafted jewelry.
The Adopt-A-Native-Elder Program is proud to sponsor the event, celebrating its 25th year in Park City. This year's show has the theme “Honoring Our Weavers” and pays tribute to the weavers who make the show possible, many of whom have been participating since its inception in 1990. This year's participants were asked to weave a self-portrait of themselves at the loom into their creations.
Program founder, Linda Myers, started the Rug Show as a way to help the elders support themselves by selling their crafts and to raise awareness for the elders' needs. "The Rug Show offers guests a unique opportunity to learn more about the Navajo way of life and to meet 30 elders and their families who will travel from their native homeland to Park City,” said Myers. “From its humble beginnings of just a few rugs at the Kimball Art Center, the Rug Show has evolved into what may be the largest event of its kind in the country. More than 700 rugs will be on display and available for purchase at the show. The proceeds from the rug sales go directly to the weaver."
Adopt-A-Native-Elder assists more than 500 Navajo elders living traditionally in remote areas of the Navajo Reservation in Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. Volunteers deliver food, clothing, medical supplies and other necessities twice a year to support the elders and to build a bridge of hope between cultures.
On Friday, November 7, the event opens to the public with a preview fundraiser from 6 to 10 p.m. at Deer Valley’s Snow Park Lodge. This preview allows guests to view the complete selection of rugs available at the show and to purchase rugs at a 10 percent discount. A live auction featuring the rugs, trips and special gift packages will take place between 8 and 9 p.m. Tickets are $30 for adults and $10 for children under 12. They can be purchased at the door or with a credit card by calling 435-649-0535.
The Rug Show and Sale continues on Saturday, November 8, and Sunday, November 9, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $5 and/or $5 worth of donated canned goods, per day. On Saturday, a Navajo Children's Princess Pageant will take place at 10 a.m., a weaving demonstration at 1 p.m., Navajo Grandma Idol contest at 3 p.m. and the Navajo Grandpa Idol singing contest at 4 p.m. On Sunday, there will be a Navajo Veterans ceremony at 10 a.m., a weaving demonstration at 1 p.m. and a closing Pow Wow at 3 p.m.
Food and clothing collected during the show and all funds generated from the sale of rugs and jewelry go directly to the elders. The Rug Show is supported by grants from the Utah Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Summit County Restaurant Tax.
For more information on the Rug Show, please visit the Adopt-A-Native-Elder website athttp://www.anelder.org, call Linda Myers at 435-649-0535, visit the resort's website at deervalley.com or contact resort Communications Manager Emily Summers at 800-424-DEER (3337) or 435-645-6522. To follow resort happenings on social media, search #skithedifference.
###
Deer Valley Resort revolutionized the ski industry by providing the first-class service one would receive at a five-star hotel. The resort offers 21 chairlifts, 101 ski runs, six bowls, 12 restaurants, 300 annual inches of powder, three elegant day lodges, 2,026 acres of alpine skiing, hundreds of luxury accommodations and a renowned Ski School and Children’s Center.
