Camas Festival at Linfield University
Annual celebration of the camas flower at Linfield University in partnership with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, featuring guided tours of the campus camas patch, an Indigenous Creators Marketplace, cultural talks, and art exhibits.
About the event
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.
Key events
- 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