Red Fern festival just around the corner

Apr. 10—Food vendor slots are filled for this year's Red Fern Festival, and entertainment has been finalized for both nights of April 26-27 event.

Music is scheduled for Friday and Saturday. The first live music event is at 3 p.m. Friday at Norris Park. The fiddle contest begins at 7 p.m., with more live music from 6-9 p.m on the corner of Shawnee Street and Muskogee Avenue.

On Saturday, music begins at noon and goes until 7 p.m. at Cherokee Square. At Norris Park that same day, music is 3-8:30 p.m.

On the corner of Shawnee Street and Muskogee Avenue, music will begin at 5-9 p.m. on Saturday.

Jill Herrlein, secretary-treasurer of Tahlequah Trails Association, announced a fundraiser concert featuring Michael Martin Murphey, a musician famous for the song "Wildfire" with the band Rio Grande.

The concert is April 26, 6-10 p.m. at the Chota Center during the Red Fern Festival. Tickets, if still available, can be purchased at www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/c39e7816-12f2-49e3-83c3-99655b14e652.

"Since it is the 50th anniversary [since the release of the movie 'Where the Red Fern Grows'], we put out an invitation for anyone in the general area that was in the 1974 movie — we want to bring them in and celebrate them," said Kelton Weaver, marketing coordinator for Tahlequah Main Street Association.

The Red Fern Car Show is along Water Avenue this year, and registration begins at 8 a.m. Saturday.

The hound dog trails will be held at Sequoyah Park behind the Armory Building and registration is Saturday at 9 a.m. with the trials beginning at 10 a.m.

The "Coon Fun Hunt" is at 7 p.m. Friday, and the night hunt entry fee is $10. The location for the hunt is listed in the calendar of events on the TMSA website.

A popular event at each year's festival is the "Red Fern Pageant" and ages 2 to 5 begins at 10 a.m. and ages 6 and older starts at noon. Both pageants are held at the pavilion in Norris Park.

Showings of "Where the Red Fern Grows" is scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m. for the 2003 version and 2 p.m. for the original movie in 1974, at the Tahlequah Public Library.

Other activities like Cherokee traditional games, a train ride, yoga, a rubber duck race and kid zone are listed on the calendar of events.

A disclaimer on TMSA's site states that since it is an outdoor festival, it is held rain or shine. However, it is subject to cancellation if weather is severe.

Learn more

For a calendar of events of the Red Fern Festival, www.tahlequahmainstreet.com/map-and-schedule-of-events.html. To register to set up a craft or food vendor, visit: www.tahlequahmainstreet.com/vendors.html.