Cherokee Blog

Every member of the family can plan on having a good time at the Cherokee Indian Fair Tuesday, October 3, through Saturday, October 7, 2017. It’s an event that combines the familiar joy of carnival rides and games that adults may remember experiencing from their childhood, along with traditional Cherokee stickball games, crafts, and food vendors.

The Kananesgi Pottery Festival is set for Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cherokee Fair Grounds. Attendees can look forward to storytelling, vendors selling pottery, and presentations on Cherokee Pottery. The Pottery Festival’s purpose is to be an educational resource for people interested in Cherokee pottery, a sales opportunity for the potters (and a chance for buyers to meet the potters behind the work), and a chance for potters to talk to each other.

Planning your trip to Cherokee, NC, this summer? Whether it’s your first time or your annual family tradition, there’s a ton to see and do—you won’t want to miss a thing! With so much happening, including over a hundred free events throughout the year, we’ve put together a list of our top five favorite Cherokee summer experiences that your whole family will enjoy.

Now in its 21st year, the Cherokee Voices Festival celebrates thousands of years of tradition in the southern Appalachians with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). A free daylong event of continuous performances and crafts demonstrations, Cherokee Voices shines a light on the people of Cherokee who carry traditions of the culture that have been passed down for generations. The next Cherokee Voices Festival will take place on Saturday, June 9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Museum in Cherokee, NC.

Generations of Cherokee artists are represented at the Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, the nation’s oldest Native American Cooperative that preserves and promotes the traditional arts and crafts of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. While the shop is open year round, the annual Open Air Indian Art Market provides visitors an opportunity to meet many Cherokee artists who are members of Qualla Arts and Crafts, and watch them create their masterpieces.