Camas Festival at Linfield University
A partnership between Linfield University and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde celebrating the camas flower — a native plant and Indigenous First Food of the Pacific Northwest.
About the festival
The 2026 Camas Festival is the 5th annual edition, held on May 1 from 10 AM to 4:30 PM at Nicholson Library, Linfield University, McMinnville, OR. The festival grew from a campus restoration project: environmental studies students removed invasive plants from the Cozine Creek Natural Area, and the following spring, dormant camas emerged — the festival followed from that discovery.
The event is a partnership with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, whose territory historically encompassed much of the Willamette Valley — prime camas growing country. The festival centers Indigenous knowledge, food sovereignty, and the ecological recovery of a plant that shaped Pacific Northwest civilizations for thousands of years.
2026 program highlights
- Guided camas patch tours — 10:30 AM and 2:00 PM, departing from Nicholson Library to the Cozine Creek Natural Area
- Indigenous Creators Marketplace — artist and artisan vendors from the region
- Chachalu Tribal Museum exhibit — on view throughout the day
- Children's activities — 10:30 AM–1:30 PM
- Guest speakers — Chris Rempel and Greg Archuleta of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde on camas cultivation and preparation
- Artist talk by Tammie Dupuis — 3:00 PM
- “Continuality” art exhibit — Linfield Art Gallery, open throughout the day
- Community tables and displays