History will repeat itself Jan. 15 at Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park as the Eagle Wings Dance Group, descendants of the Paiute, Shoshone and Washoe tribes, will be offering traditional songs and dances sacred to the tribes represented to the creator-God in thanks as part of the closing ceremonies for Olympic Heritage Celebration week.

An absence of January snow in the Sierra posed similar planning concerns for the organizers of this week’s Olympic Heritage Celebration events as for the organizers of the VIII Winter Olympic Games Nordic events on the West Shore in 1960. The nervous organizers of those original Olympics brought in Great Basin dancers to encourage snowfall.

“No snow coverage has presented problems, but has also opened a door to history,” Heidi Doyle, the volunteer and interpretation program manager for California State Parks in the Lake Tahoe, said in a release. “Sugar Pine Point State Park was the summer home of the Washoe peoples and we are thrilled that their traditions will return to the West Shore of Lake Tahoe this winter.”

Athletes from around the world came to Lake Tahoe to participate in the 1960 Winter Olympic Games. The biathlon and cross country events of the VIII Winter Games were held in what is now Ed Z’Berg Sugar Pine Point State Park. Portions of the marked Nordic trails, found within the state park, follow the route of the biathlon and men’s events. Olympic Heritage Celebration week celebrates the spirit of athleticism and highlights the unique cultural heritage found within the park and our region.

Past Olympians, officials, and dignitaries from the 1960 Nordic events will also be on hand to commemorate the end of a week celebrating our Olympic Heritage. The ceremony will take place at Sugar Pine Point State Park in front of a quarter scale replica of the Tower of Nations that stands at the entrance to Squaw Valley.

The park is located on Highway 89 midpoint on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe, just south of Tahoma. The Closing Ceremonies begin at 2:30pm and there is an $8 per vehicle parking fee.

For more information, call Doyle at (530) 583.3074.