11th Annual Haudenosaunee Wooden Stick Festival Weekend, September 11–13 at Onondaga Lake

# days of free, family-friendly events include the Alfie Jacques Ambassador, the Restore Our Sacred Lake 5K, the Randy Hall Memorial Tournament, & Smoke Dancing

LIVERPOOL, NY, UNITED STATES, August 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The American Indian Law Alliance (AILA) today announced the 11th Annual Haudenosaunee Wooden Stick Festival weekend, a three-day celebration of the Haudenosaunee origins of lacrosse, to be held September 11–13, 2026. The weekend opens with the Alfie Jacques Ambassador Award Dinner on Friday evening and continues Saturday and Sunday at Onondaga Lake with the festival, the Randy Hall Memorial Tournament, Smoke Dancing, and the Restore Our Sacred Lake 5K. Festival admission is free and open to the public.

Lacrosse — known in the Onondaga language as Deyhontsigwa'ehs, "They Bump Hips" — was given to the world by the Haudenosaunee and has been played as the Creator's Game for more than 1,000 years. The festival returns the game each year to the shores of Onondaga Lake, the birthplace of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, where the Peacemaker united the nations under the Great Law of Peace.

The weekend's events include:

🍽️ Alfie Jacques Ambassador Award Dinner — Friday, September 11, 5:00 p.m., Bellevue Country Club, 1901 Glenwood Ave., Syracuse. The award honors the legacy of Alfie Jacques, the renowned Onondaga stickmaker who crafted tens of thousands of traditional wooden lacrosse sticks over more than five decades. The 2026 honorees are college coaching legend Dom Starsia, international lacrosse leader Michael Kennedy, and Haudenosaunee ambassador Mike Kanatakeron Mitchell. The award trophy is carved by Ryan Sandy (Six Nations), and proceeds support a college scholarship for Native American youth. Tickets: alfieaward.com.

👟 Restore Our Sacred Lake 5K — A community run and walk along the shore of Onondaga Lake in support of the sacred lake's restoration. Runners and walkers of all ages and abilities are welcome. Registration is open at aila.li/run.

🥍 Haudenosaunee Wooden Stick Festival & Randy Hall Memorial Tournament — Saturday, September 12 and Sunday, September 13, Onondaga Lake. Traditional wooden stick lacrosse played throughout the weekend in the memorial tournament honoring Randy Hall (Akwesasne Mohawk), who brought the game back to Onondaga Lake in 2013. The festival also features Smoke Dancing, traditional stick-making demonstrations, Haudenosaunee singing and dancing, Indigenous food, and craft artisans.

The public can register for the Restore Our Sacred Lake 5K at www.aila.li/run and learn more about the full weekend at www.aila.li/wsf.

Betty M Lyons
American Indian Law Alliance
aila@aila.ngo
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