WARRIOR: Sonny Ledford, a member of the Warriors of Anikituwah, dances at a previous year’s Great Island Festival at the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum. This year’s Festival is set for Sept. 9-10. (Photo by Dawn Arneach/One Feather Archive)
VONORE, Tenn. – The Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, Tennessee’s only tribally-owned museum, will host the Great Island Festival on Sept. 9-10 from 10am – 5pm each day.
At Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, visitors will have the opportunity to step back in time to experience Native American food, Cherokee arts and crafts demonstrations, music and dance and the blacksmith shop will be doing demonstrations both days. Special demonstrations and displays will include Cherokee life in 1700’s and a Civil War encampment and the Civil War battle re-enactment will be at 2pm.
The 26th Annual Cherokee Fall Festival’s theme is “Cherokee Phoenix”. Visitors will be able to meet and talk with Cherokees from the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation in North Carolina. Check out the reconstructed 1800’s dog-trot log cabin. Meet and chat with Miss Cherokee. Have your name written in Cherokee. The Tennessee State Parks will be doing a Birds of Prey program both days.
Meet Bill Landry who will host a book signing on both days from 11am – 1pm.
Other activities include posters from Cherokee Elementary school. Darts, beads, talking sticks, face painting and free Cherokee name cards will be available for children. There will also be 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 and the Cherokee Preservation Foundation. Tickets are $5 each and children 12 and under are free.
Info: Sequoyah Birthplace Museum (423) 884-6246
– Sequoyah Birthplace Museum
