Celebrate Bears Ears 2026

Join us March 6-8, 2026 for Celebrate Bears Ears, our signature biennial event. Registration is open for this special weekend of educational panels and discussions, celebration, and partnership to deepen your connection with the landscape we are all working to protect.

Our theme for Celebrate 2026 is The Land Can’t Wait. Today, as we face increased uncertainty around the future of the Bears Ears region, we’re steadfast in our commitment to increase our efforts to implement vital on-the-ground education and conservation programs to protect this sacred landscape. Learn more about The Land Can’t Wait campaign on our website.

We are thrilled to welcome Joy Harjo as our keynote speaker at the main event on Saturday. In addition, our Friday Night Fundraiser Dinner will provide an opportunity to visit with her in a small, intimate setting.

Joy Harjo, the 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate and member of the Muscogee Nation, is the author of ten books of poetry, several plays, children’s books, two memoirs, and seven music albums. Her honors include Yale’s 2023 Bollingen Prize for American Poetry, National Book Critics Circle Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award, the Ruth Lily Prize from the Poetry Foundation, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a Tulsa Artist Fellowship. She is a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets and Chair of the Native Arts & Cultures Foundation, and is the inaugural Artist-in-Residence for the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she lives.

Celebrate Bears Ears Events

Friday, March 6

On the evening of Friday, March 6, we will be hosting a VIP Fundraiser Dinner at Twin Rocks Cafe. This memorable evening will provide a special opportunity to visit with our keynote and enjoy a poetry reading in a small, intimate setting. Enjoy delicious food, and bid on unique travel experiences in a silent auction. Visit the event page to learn more – space is limited, so REGISTER NOW.

Saturday, March 7

Join us for an inspiring day of educational panels, discussions, and presentations, featuring Tribal, agency, community, and other partners alongside BEP staff. Programming will take place 9am-5pm at the Bluff Community Center (3rd East & Mulberry) – full agenda coming soon! Outside, there will be opportunities to purchase artwork from regional Indigenous makers. Registration/check-in and hot coffee will be available starting at 8am. Light breakfast and lunch are both included in your registration fee.

Sunday, March 8

Guided Hikes

Learn more about the Bears Ears landscape on one of five guided hikes in and around the Bears Ears National Monument. Stay tuned for more information about each hike.

Open House

You are also invited to join an open house at our new shared Canyon Country Discovery Center campus. Stop by 1117 N Main St, Monticello, UT 84535, to meet with staff members, explore the grounds, and mingle with fellow BEP supporters.

We can't wait to Celebrate with you!

Art by Kate Aitchison