The Annual Cherokee Cultural Celebration is one of Tennessee’s most significant events, taking place at Red Clay State Historic Park Saturday and Sunday, August 8th and 9th.
The event celebrates and honors the rich history, traditions, and living, breathing culture of the Cherokee people at a very important site in Red Clay State Historic Park, which functioned as the last seat of the Cherokee national government east of the Mississippi River before their removal on the Trail of Tears in 1838.
By design, folks this weekend can expect to be immersed in the cultural traditions of the Cherokee people through shared dance, immersive and interactive experiences, and hands-on demonstrations. There will be storytelling that shares details on Cherokee lore, traditional stickball games, and authentic Cherokee foods like the traditional frybread.
The celebration will also feature live music from Cherokee artists, including Tommy Wildcat, alongside demonstrations and performances from the Warriors of AniKituhwa, as well as beautifully handmade arts, crafts, and pottery reflecting the Cherokee people’s culture and creativity.
Rather than presenting the weekend as a trip back through time and history, the organizers have made it so that people will experience the living, breathing culture of the Cherokee people and what traditions continue in the present, allowing folks to gather a deeper knowledge of the living Cherokee culture that remains ever-evolving and present through interaction.
In speaking with Taylor Young, Park Interpretive Ranger II at Red Clay State Historic Park about the annual Cherokee Cultural Celebration’s history, its first ever cultural event, and how it has evolved over the years, she mentioned the first event taking place in 1984, and that the site chosen holds both joy and sadness, as it was a place where an entire people would lose their homeland, but also a place today that serves as a reminder of the Cherokee people’s resiliency, strength, and perseverance.
“The first Cherokee cultural event at Red Clay was Cherokee Days of Recognition in 1984. These events began to bridge the gap between the public and Cherokee history and culture.
In 2013, the three federally recognized Cherokee tribes: the Cherokee Nation, United Keetoowah Band, and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee, passed a joint resolution to financially support and send representatives to the annual Cherokee cultural events at Red Clay. They recognized that they all three had an equal responsibility to ensure that their history and culture were presented accurately and authentically.
After receiving feedback from Cherokee citizens, the event was retitled to the Cherokee Cultural Celebration in 2016. Starting in 2016, only Cherokee citizens were able to demonstrate and sell their crafts to preserve the authenticity of the Cultural Celebration.
Red Clay was the last site of the Cherokee government’s meetings before their removal on the Trail of Tears in 1838. This site holds both joy and sorrow simultaneously: this is the place where many people found out they would be losing their homeland, and today, it serves as a reminder of the strength, perseverance, and ingenuity of the Cherokee people.”
Young went on to discuss the impact that the major cultural event has had on the surrounding communities, and on educating both locals and visitors throughout the years.
“The Cherokee Cultural Celebration provides an opportunity for Cherokee people to return to their homeland to share their history and culture with our community. Having legitimate and consistent representation has cleared up misconceptions about native culture and has dispelled many of the myths that Hollywood perpetuates.
We have had the honor of bearing witness to a shift in our community’s understanding of the Cherokee and an increasing desire to understand the history.”
Not only is the annual Cherokee Cultural Celebration at Red Clay State Historic Park a reminder to pause and reflect on the significance of the site and the importance of the Cherokee people and their culture, it is a community-oriented event that seeks to not just educate, but celebrate and preserve the Cherokee heritage for generations to come.
Cherokee Cultural Celebration
- Saturday, August 8th to Sunday, August 9th.
- Red Clay State Historic Park. 1140 Red Clay Park Road SW. Cleveland, TN.
- 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
- $5 per vehicle.
- tnstateparks.com/events/cherokee-cultural-celebration-2026