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Those about to enter the Red Earth Festival this weekend could hear the distant pounding of the drum groups providing rhythm for the dancing inside.

Once they walked into the Cox Convention Center, visitors were immediately greeted with the sounds of bells tinkling and beads jangling from the clothes of Native American dancers.

The three-day dance competition, or pow-wow, categorized dancers by age, gender, location (Northern or Southern) and tribe. Both young and old participated.

“The pleasure of dance makes me feel good,” said Earl Runningbear, a Navajo Ute from Durango, Colo., who participated in the 60 and over Northern traditional category.

This year’s 23rd annual Red Earth was Runningbear’s first time to attend, and he said with a smile that despite the heat, his visit to Oklahoma was otherwise a very good one.

“I’m a teacher, so in the summer I can travel and go to lots of pow-wows,” Runningbear said.

This teacher and grandfather said that his children and grandchildren also participate in American Indian dance.

Jereldine Redcorn, a Norman Caddo potter who was named the festival’s “Honored One,” said the dancer’s clothes are always fun to see.

“The pow-wow is amazing because each dancer probably has about $5,000 worth of bead work and craft that goes into their dance clothes,” Redcorn said. “There is an amazing array of patterns, and it’s interesting to see how tribes modernize their clothes.”

But dance is only one aspect of the Red Earth festival. There were also more than 200 artists who displayed and sold their works of jewelry, sculpture, glass, beads, clothes, embroidery and musical instruments. Each booth was topped with a sign that stated the artist’s name and which tribe he or she belonged to.

Cherokee artist Dan Corley of Tulsa displayed his masks made from different molds, using fired clay, glass and natural feathers to create original works of art that are highly surreal.

“It’s been a good crowd,” Corley said. “And there are lots of good artists. But then again, I’ve never seen a bad Red Earth.”

Lakota Nelda Schrupp, was a returning exhibitioner at Red Earth. Schrupp said that her sculpture is contemporary and abstract, but also incorporates traditional native art elements.

“Meeting all the people is the best part of this festival,” said Schrupp, a festival regular from North Dakota.

Visitor Betty Leavitt, who attended with her husband Vernon, cited the grand entry on Friday morning as her festival favorite.

“We go to a lot of pow-wows, but this has been one of the best,” she said.

The Leavitts hail from Tyler, Texas, and decided to attend Red Earth after seeing Native American musician Arvel Bird perform in Florida.

When the couple heard that Bird was coming to Oklahoma to play at Red Earth, they decided to follow him.

Fiddle player and flautist Bird was one of the performers who played on a stage in the artist area of the festival. Bird, whose heritage is both Native American and Celtic, played instrumental music ranging from slow and poignant ballads to up-tempo fiddle tunes.

“Music is the language of the soul,” Bird said during one of his Saturday performances.