The First Pow Wow of 2026 Set the Bar High

Ya’at’éeh! Aaron Tsosie here — the person behind the camera. 🎥

Welcome to the 2026 Pechanga Pow Wow, held inside Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California. This marks my third year in a row returning to this pow wow for YouTube, and honestly… it might already be one of the best pow wows of the year 😋

Why?
✔️ Free admission
✔️ Free parking
✔️ Clean indoor casino restrooms
✔️ Plenty to do inside the casino between sessions

Hotel prices in Temecula are definitely on the higher side during pow wow weekend. I originally planned to sleep in my car like I usually do, but since I had my mom with me and my buddy Sooya Davis, we booked a Motel 6 in Historic Old Town Temecula, about 15 minutes away. Two full beds for about $300 for the weekend — not bad considering the timing.

When you enter the casino’s conference area, you’ll notice many seats covered with blankets so families can sit together. With how popular this pow wow is and the limited seating capacity, I do think some seat management would help. That said, the Pechanga staff does enforce a no blanket rule overnight, clearing all reserved seats each night so everyone gets a fair chance the next day.

There is also designated handicap seating available. Just outside the conference room, you can stop by the casino’s customer service desk to pick up a daily handicap wristband. A new wristband is required for each day you attend.

I’m always a bit camera-shy when I first arrive at a pow wow, so I like to introduce myself early. I said hi to Powwows.com and set up my transmitter to share my video feed with them. I also checked in with the MCs and the pow wow committee to introduce myself and ask permission to record. They just wanted to know my YouTube channel and asked that I stay outside the barriers, which I fully respected — especially during Grand Entry. But I ended up kneeling near the Powwows.com cameras and set up a small basecamp there, inside the barriers in the corner, which is where I filmed from for the rest of the weekend. I’m always grateful to be welcomed and honored to share my feed with them!

Friday night kicked off at 7pm, though I later found out there was bird singing earlier in the day — something I’ll definitely arrive earlier for next year. Friday ran until about 1:30am, Saturday until 3am, and Sunday wrapped up around 6:30pm.

I’m especially proud of this upload because it’s a full 6-hour video in one take, from prayer all the way through the end of Friday night. Filming nonstop for that long isn’t easy — or cheap — but I truly believe that commitment is what sets my work apart.

Thank you for watching and supporting the work I do. It was an incredible weekend, and I can’t wait to share more with you soon.
Ahe’hee’! 🪶
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