Red Fern Festival to attract young and old
By MADELINE ANELE Tahlequah Daily Press
In 1973 , Where the Red Fern Grows was filmed in Tahlequah . Many locals remember the filming , or even participated in shooting scenes from the movie . In honor of this history , in 2007 , Tahlequah held the first annual Red Fern Festival .
This year it will be held April 29-30 in downtown Tahlequah with events all around mainstreet and beyond . This event is coordinated by the Tahlequah Main Street Association .
“ You can expect live music , plenty of food trucks , 100 + vendors , pony rides , a kid zone with inflatables , the duck race , The hound dog field trials , A first responder ‘ touch the truck ,’ and much more !” said Jamie Hale , TMSA director “ We will be showing the Movie in the Park again this year , as well as two indoor viewings at the public library .”
The event will kick off at noon on Friday beginning with vendors and live music . Vendors will include local artists and feature local goods such as jewelry ,
Live music performances from bands such as Oklahoma Moon will continue throughout the evening .
Around 7 p . m . that evening the coon hunt will begin on N . 520 Road , which is being organized by the Green Country Coon Hunters Association .
That same evening there will also be an after-dark screening of the 1974 Where the Red Fern Grows film .
Saturday will feature another day of great events including food trucks , vendors , the Little Miss Red Fern Pageant , and the Hound Dog Field Trials in the morning hours .
Saturday afternoon promises to be a great time as well , with the Miss Red Fern Pageant and a rubber duck race in Sequoyah Park . This year ’ s Tahlequah Leadership Class will operate the duck race , which will be held on Saturday at 2 p . m . The president of Class 24 is Amy Jenkins , a clinical coordinator at the OSU college of Osteopathic Medicine at Cherokee Nation .
6 Tahlequah Daily Press | Green Country Scene • Good Eats • April 2022