'Energetic crowd' for Whispers from the Past [Video]

After a week's delay due to rain, Whispers from the Past still brought crowds to enjoy Native American dancing, crafts, food and culture.

The annual event at Aldridge Gardens had kids activities such as making clay pots, weaving dreamcatchers, fishing, painting gourd masks, grinding corn, beading, storytelling and learning about Native American tools.

Native American dishes such as roasted corn and fry bread were available for sale, as well as burgers and other more typical festival foods. Vendors were set up around the gardens to sell woven baskets, jewelry, arrowheads, dreamcatchers, pottery and more.

The stars of the event, though, were the Medicine Tail Dancers and Singers. The group performs dances from different Native American tribes and tours the U.S., including at previous Whispers events.

Kids at the event got to try out the dances after seeing the dancers perform.

One of the new dancers this year was Cody Boettner, who performed a hoop dance that originated among western tribes such as the Navajo and Zuni. The dancer must pick up a number of hoops with his feet and incorporate them into his dance, including creating symbols to tell a story.

Boettner started learning the hoop dance at 5 years old, starting out with five hoops. He has performed at previous dance shows with his father, but Whispers from the Past was his first show with the Medicine Tail group. He said he enjoyed the "very energetic crowd."

While he dances on the weekends, Boettner is a student at Florida State University and returns there during the week. It's a challenge for him to balance both, but touring with the Medicine Tail Dancers and Singers is fun and helps him pay for school.

"It is definitely tough, but this is what I love to do," Boettner said.