23rd Annual Apache Jii (Day) Celebration

Downtown historic Globe will be a pageant of color & sound on Oct. 14th, as the 23rd Annual Apache Jii (Day) celebration gets under way.

The day is chock full of entertainment, arts & crafts booths & savory foods. Tribal royalty in full traditional dress & native entertainers from flute players to hoop dancers will be on hand for a full day of activities.

The day begins at 9 a.m. in front of the historic old courthouse at the corner of Broad & Oak, one block east of the US 60 highway. Opening ceremonies feature a traditional Apache prayer & the national anthem sung by 17-year-old Jamie Kniffin, who has been participating in Apache Jii for the past 10 years. Her heart-stirring rendition of the national anthem in Apache has become a tradition for this event.

More than 100 booths featuring jewelry, painting, beading, wood & stone carving & more are expected for the street fair. Entertainment is planned throughout the day & no one will go hungry if they stop by the food booths which will feature everything from delicious Apache fry bread & Indian tacos to more traditional dishes like acorn stew.

There is no admission charge for Apache Jii, an event originally started as a thank you to the San Carlos Apache Nation, which borders Globe to the east. The festival has grown every year & offers a unique chance for visitors to talk one-on-one with Native Americans from throughout the Southwest. There is nothing like choosing a piece of jewelry or artwork after visiting with the artist who designed it.

Apache Jii is hosted by the Globe-Miami Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with Golden Eagle Distributors, Bank of the West, San Carlos Apache Telecommunications, Inc., Apache Gold Casino and Resort, APS & the city of Globe.

Globe is located 90 minutes east of Phoenix on US 60. For more information on Apache Jii, please call the Globe-Miami Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-804-5623.