Cherokee Heritage Festival

This free event will feature Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians demonstrating basket weaving, pottery, carving, flint knapping, singing, dancing, music and beading.  Presentation by well-known artisans, historians and storytellers will be scheduled throughout the day.  Cherokee works of art and Cherokee food will be available for purchase. 

The Clay County Historical and Arts Museum houses examples of Cherokee artifacts found in Clay County and additional examples of Cherokee culture representative of thousands of years of history in the Upper Hiwassee River Valley.  A life-size Cherokee basket weaver and Trail of Tears era quilt are also displayed in the museum.  The museum is free and will be open during the Festival.

The Cherokee Homestead Exhibit is a reconstructed 17th and 18th century village homestead.  It contains a Cherokee winter house, a summer house, food storage crib, summer kitchen, Cherokee garden and information kiosks.  Public art includes hand-forged steel representations of Cherokee clan masks and iconic symbols of Cherokee culture and mythology, and wall-mounted panels depicting Cherokee artifacts, art and symbols.  This free self-guided exhibit is open year-round.