Slideshow | Rock the Canyon
Navajo Times | Sharon Chischilly
Artist Edward Whitethorne and his daughter, Brooke Whitethorne, stand in front of his artwork Aug. 29 during the Rock the Canyon Arts & Music Festival at the Eddie “Cheii” Shootinglady Pavilion in Shonto Canyon, Ariz.
SHONTO CANYON, Ariz.
Rock the Canyon returned Aug. 29 to the canyon for the first time since 2019, bringing musicians, artists, vendors and families back beneath the cottonwood trees near the Eddie “Cheii” Shootinglady Pavilion.
The festival began in 2009 and developed into a summer gathering centered on Diné music and art, with featured artists, community food, vendors and events such as the Rez Car Show.
The 2026 return kept art at the center. Elizabeth Whitethorne-Benally said organizers wanted artists involved because the festival originally grew from art and because many Shonto artists sell their work outside the community. Her brother, artist Edward Whitethorne described the return as “a long time coming” and said this year’s one-day crowd was nearly as large as he remembered from earlier festivals.
Rain moved through the canyon during the gathering, sending some people home while others stayed. Whitethorne-Benally said people in Shonto welcomed the rain after a dry stretch.
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