The Brighton Field Day Festival and the Seminole Tribal Fair and Pow Wow – two major annual events in the Seminole Tribe – were scheduled to return to in-person gatherings this winter, but both have been cancelled.  

The 83^rd Brighton Field Day Festival was slated to be held Feb. 18-20 on the Brighton Reservation and the 50^th anniversary of the Seminole Tribal Fair and Pow Wow was scheduled for Feb 25-27 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. Similar to 2021, both will offer virtual contests, but no in-person programs.

Florida and the rest of the country have been dealing with a surge of Covid cases in recent weeks. Florida has recorded more than 50,000 new cases each day since Jan. 3, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The safety of attendees must always come first,” Tribal Fair officials said in a statement about the event cancellation. “We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and we look forward to celebrating the Seminole Tribal Fair and Pow Wow next year.”

Details about the virtual contests are being worked out. Categories will likely include clothing, arts and crafts, patchwork, beadwork, Seminole dolls, baskets and carvings as well as fine arts for various age divisions.

In early 2020, Field Day and Tribal Fair were among the last major in-person tribal events held before the pandemic began forcing cancellations.