The Arts Festival showcases artists from throughout the Americas who will exhibit and sell their outstanding pieces. Visitors will be treated to traditional and contemporary arts in a myriad of mediums. You won't want to miss a variety of award-winning silversmiths, potters, sand painters, beaders, sculptors, carvers, drum makers, weavers, basket makers, and more. All artists are enrolled tribal members. No traders or retail vendors permitted. Young ones and those young at heart can participate in archery and corn pounding, and all visitors may learn about the instincts of the live wolves and eastern buffalo, which will be present at the Festival.

Your visit wouldn't be complete without sampling delectable Indian foods. Prepare your taste buds for venison, caribou, wild rice, Navajo tacos, three sisters rice, alligator, con soup, or your choice of a fabulous selection of meat or vegetarian dishes.

Count on spending an entire afternoon with us. There is limited seating, so for your comfort, bring a blanket or, chair. Expand your horizons, appreciate cultural arts, be entertained, participate in a friendship dance, learn about a new culture, discover a new culinary treat, and above all, have a grand time with the feeling of community that is so much a part of each

Description: Features 150 American Indian artists and entertainers from throughout the Americas. Continuous entertainment. Wide variety of native food. Demonstrations, Wisdom Keepers, and live animals.

This event is accessible to all persons With a minimum two weeks advance notice, all efforts will be made to accommodate special needs.

This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; Subaru of America Foundation, Inc., and presented in cooperation with the Department of Environmental Protection.

WHERE: The Festival is held on the beautiful, 350 acre Rankokus Indian Reservation, only 30 minutes from Philadelphia, or 1 1/2 hr. from NYC, off Route 295 at Exit 45A, or the NJ Turnpike, Exit 5. From the exits, follow the red arrows.

On the first full weekend in July our special brand of fireworks happen as a three-day explosion of authentic Indian dancing, drumming and tribal regalia. Dance competitions kick the excitement up even higher.

This year our annual gathering of tribes from throughout the Americas takes its rightful place as the finest showcase of native dance, art, and culture in the southeast. The Festival of Native Peoples is an exposition of non-competitive dance, storytelling, and song performances expressing the collected history, culture, tradition, and wisdom of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. And for 2008, juried artists and artisans will return to Cherokee to display, show, and sell their beautiful work. The Cherokee Festival of Native Peoples is a unique event that is not to be missed.

Witness bead making, basket weaving, sculpture, and woodwork being crafted by Cherokee artisans, practicing hundreds of years old traditional art techniques. You will fine art pieces you will treasure for years.

Experience Cherokee village life in the 1750s. Visit the council house, ceremonial grounds, and sweat lodge, where you’ll learn of the Cherokee way of life and the seven-clan society. See traditional potters, basket weavers, blowgun marksmen, mask-makers, bead-workers, arrowhead knappers, and craftsmen making great canoes by ancient methods. A life so peaceful you may not want to return home.

The Oconaluftee Indian Village is open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. May 9-Oct. 18. Admission costs $15 for adults and $6 for children ages 6-12. Children ages 5 and younger are admitted free and group discounts are available. The Village is on Drama Road, near the Mountainside Theatre, off U.S. 441 in Cherokee.

Each year the fair offers an opening parade, midway, fireworks, traditional Cherokee food and competitions that bring out the best of the Eastern Band’s basket makers, carvers, quilters, gardeners and more. The fair also attracts high-quality entertainment to perform each evening in the amphitheater.

The fair began as a way for members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to showcase their arts and crafts and invite neighboring communities to the Qualla Boundary, the tribe’s traditional homeland. The fair has grown since its early days, but its original focus remains. This is a hugely popular event among Eastern Band members and a great opportunity for visitors to experience the fun, welcoming qualities of the Cherokee culture.

Event Detail: Business Mtg., 2pm; Election of 2009 Officers; Covered Dish Supper, 5pm; Gourd Dancing, 6:30pm; Grand Entry, 7:30pm; Head Singer: Gene Logan; Host Hotel: Best Western (866) 782-9683; RVs: (817) 597-6348, Tent Camping Sites Available.