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Chumash Day Powwow in Malibu celebrates 25 years this month

March 19, 2026

Chumash Day Powwow and Intertribal Gathering at Malibu Bluffs Park is a gathering of families and an homage to ancestors and Native American culture. And when it returns for its 25th anniversary on March 28-29 people will also have the chance to leave their permanent mark on the event, which for many marks an emotional reunion of tribes and families.

“In the beginning the powwow was very small and now it has grown into something we all just look forward to every year. It’s like a family gathering and it’s exciting to see it grow each year,” said Beverly Folkes, a Chumash elder who helped found the gathering 25 years ago.

“It’s a celebration of our ancestors. That’s the way I look at it. When I’m there I’m there for my mother, who was very much into her Native culture at a time when they didn’t talk about it much,” she said.

The Chumash Native Americans are Malibu’s original residents, living along the coast on territory that encompassed 7,000 square miles that spanned from the beaches of Malibu to Paso Robles for centuries before Europeans arrived. According to the city, the name “Malibu” is derived from the Chumash “Humaliwo,” which means “Where the surf sounds loudly.”

“The Annual Chumash Day Powwow and Intertribal Gathering is an opportunity for the City of Malibu to honor the original people of this land and to welcome Chumash tribal members from across the country for a weekend of celebration and contemplation,” said Mayor Bruce Silverstein in a statement.

About 3,000 people are expected at the celebration that will include not only Chumash but also members from tribes from across the Western and Southwestern United States like Apache, Tongva and Cherokee. Some dress in traditional Native regalia to sing, dance and perform in drum circles. It all begins with an invocation led by Folkes and The Grand Entry, a ceremonial entrance that marks the start of a powwow.

“I feel a lot of pride, I truly do, and that’s important to me,” Folkes said.

To commemorate the milestone anniversary, Malibu-based artist Hunter Blaze Pearson will be painting a mural and inviting people to leave their mark on the art piece.

“It’s going to be a mural in honor and commemorating Chumash culture and the history of Malibu and how they intersect,” he said.

Pearson will be painting live at the event and he’s worked in a section into the design where people can leave their handprints and fingerprints along the border of the piece.

“It’s going to be a bit of a time capsule for the 25th annual,” Pearson said. “I think for an event like this it’s such a communal environment already it feels great to incorporate people from the tribe to have an input on this art,” he added. The mural will later be displayed at the park’s Michael Landon Community Center.

The event will also include Native American artisan vendors selling things like jewelry, flutes, moccasins, beading accessories, leatherworks, pottery, dream catchers and food trucks.

Chumash Day Powwow

When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. March 28-29

Where: Malibu Bluffs Park. Shuttles and parking are available at 23575 Stuart Ranch Road and Malibu City Hall at 23825 Stuart Ranch Road.

Cost: Free

Information: malibucity.org/chumashday

Orange County Register

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Chumash Day Powwow in Malibu celebrates 25 years this month

Chumash Day Powwow

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