It’s summertime and, as has become a tradition in the area, the Lori Piestewa National Native American Games have once again returned.

It may be a bit warm out, but that doesn’t seem to slow down the hundreds of folks who come in from all over the state and even across the country to take part in this annual athletic competition.

As in year’s past, the National Native American games are a bit too big to host out of a single location, but both Fountain Hills and Fort McDowell are on the map for events taking place throughout the weekend.

The local schools, fields, parks, athletic centers and even the We-Ko-Pa golf course will serve as host to many of this year’s competitions, including cross country, track and field, softball, baseball, basketball and more.

From Friday evening, July 15, through Sunday evening, July 17, you can drop by places like the high school gym and Golden Eagle Park to check out hundreds of individuals and teams fighting their way through the brackets and hoping to take home a top finish.

To all of our visitors, we say welcome. To all of our locals, we ask you to welcome all of these new faces around town this weekend and maybe head out to take in some of the action in and around Fountain Hills.

A list of the events, locations, schedules, etc. can be found by visiting azsportsent.weebly.com. Click on “LP Native Games” for a full rundown on what’s going on throughout the weekend.

Good luck and have fun.