Sonny Ledford, a member of the Warriors of Anikituhwa, dances at a previous year’s Festival at the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum. (Photo by Dawn Arneach/One Feather Archive)
VONORE, Tenn. – The Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, Tennessee’s only tribally-owned museum, will host its 28th annual Cherokee Fall Festival on Sept. 7-8 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day.
Visitors will have the opportunity to step back in time to experience Native American food, Cherokee arts and crafts demonstrations, music and dance. A blacksmith will be doing on-site demonstrations in the shop both days. Other demonstrations and displays will include Cherokee life in 1700’s and a Civil War encampment. There will be a Civil War battle re-enactment at 2:00 p.m.
This year’s theme will be Cherokee Folklore, Legends, and Traditions. Visitors will be able to meet and talk with Cherokees from the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina. Special entertainment will be provided by the Warrior Dancers of Ani-Kituhwa who are the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians official ambassadors. Check out our reconstructed 1800’s dog-trot log cabin. Meet and chat with Miss Cherokee and have your name written in Cherokee. The Tennessee State Parks will be doing a Birds of Prey program on both days. Also there will be Cherokee cooking demonstrations and Civil War gun display.
Other activities include posters from Cherokee Elementary school. Darts, beads, talking sticks, face painting and free Cherokee name cards will be available for children. We will also host a children’s blowgun competition and an adult blowgun competition on both days. Traditional Indian Fry bread and Indian tacos, and other food and drinks will be sold.
This event is funded in part by Tennessee Arts Commission Rural Arts Program Grant, Cherokee Preservation Foundation, and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians.
Tickets: Adults are $10, children 13-18 years old are $5, and children 12 and under are free. Family rate for $25 is also available.
Info: Sequoyah Birthplace Museum (423) 884-6246
– Sequoyah Birthplace Museum
