Cherokee National Holiday

The Cherokee National Holiday is an annual event held each Labor Day weekend in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

The event celebrates the September 6, 1839 signing of the Constitution of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma after the Trail of Tears Indian removal ended.

Originally begun in 1953, the event has grown into one of the largest festivals in Oklahoma, attracting in excess of 70,000 attendees coming from all over the United States.

However, events such as the annual parade, fishing derby, powwow, softball tournament, arts and crafts, food markets and vendors were canceled and initially set to resume in 2021.

However, due to the pandemic continuing into 2021, the 69th Annual Cherokee National Holiday was announced as a "hybrid" celebration featuring virtual and smaller scale in-person events, with the expected return to normal delayed until 2022.

Arts and crafts booths on the Cherokee Heritage Center grounds, Cherokee National Holiday, 2007
Cherokee National Holiday stickball match on the grounds of Sequoyah High School , Tahlequah, Oklahoma