This weekend, 30,000 people will gather on campus for three days of constant dancing, drums and songs at the 36th annual Stanford Powwow.

The Powwow will be held in the Eucalyptus Grove and begins tonight, continuing through Sunday. The annual event is organized by the Stanford Native American Cultural Center and is the largest student-run powwow in the country.

“The Powwow lets people see the customs of this culture perpetuate into the future,” said Spring Golden ‘07, one of the co-chairs of the organizing committee.

The Powwow will feature dancing, as well as vendors selling food and arts and crafts. The annual “Fun Run,” a five kilometer walk/run will take place on Saturday morning.

Most of the dancers and drummers are not from campus, but student groups are encouraged to sponsor special dances. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Resources Center is sponsoring a switch dance this year, in which dancers will dress as the opposite gender and dance the opposite role.

“The dancing is amazing,” Golden said. “Two Aztec dance groups are coming to perform this year.”

Planning for the Powwow starts in September and continues all year.

“It takes pretty much the whole year to plan. Once it’s done, we start all over again,” said Sarah Keopuiki ‘08. “It’s pretty much a non-stop weekend; there is something going on constantly.”

“The Powwow is an awesome event; there is dancing, food, arts and crafts every day,” Golden added. “And it’s completely run by students. It’s cool that such a small community can pull off such a big event.”

For more information about the Powwow, visit http://powwow.stanford.edu.