Red Clay State Park will host its 28th Annual Cherokee Days of Recognition festival on Aug. 7 - 8, featuring traditional Cherokee dance, food and arts. Activities will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday and run through 6 p.m. Sunday events will be held from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

The festival is open to the public. There is a suggested $5 parking donation per vehicle / motorcycle, with proceeds benefiting the Friends of Red Clay State Park in support of various programming and activities throughout the year.

“Cherokee Days of Recognition is a long-established, cultural event and a great opportunity to learn about Cherokee history,” said Park Ranger Erin Medley. “We are always so fortunate to host many talented artisans, musicians and performers and encourage everyone to join us in our celebration of a very important part of Tennessee’s history and its future.”

Featured attractions will include Cherokee traditional and fancy dancers, storytelling, living history, games, demonstrations and more. The Wolftown Cherokee Stickball players will show off their expertise on Saturday. The annual Red Clay Open Blowgun Tournament is scheduled for Sunday, with men’s, women’s and youth divisions. Participants must bring their own river cane blowgun and darts.

In addition to a talented roster of gifted artists, a variety of special visitors will highlight this year’s event. Eastern Band Cherokee Storyteller Fred Bradley has been a regular fixture at past Cherokee Days celebrations and Red Clay is pleased to welcome him back to share his gifted talents as a storyteller and his captivating tales of ancestral stories and the Cherokee people.

Designed for audiences of all ages, these storytelling programs will be held both Saturday and Sunday in the park’s small amphitheater.

Michael Jacobs, an award-winning Cherokee recording artist, will also perform throughout the weekend. The Cherokee Children Gospel Singers of the Cherokee Academy Immersion Program will perform Saturday, with the Reid Family Cherokee Gospel Singers slated to perform on Sunday.

Cherokee arts and crafts will be demonstrated and sold both days. Cherokee foods also will be available, along with some old favorites. Park visitors should bring a blanket or chairs, along with sunscreen. Cash is accepted for purchases, with some booths accepting personal checks.

Red Clay State Historic Park is located in the extreme southwest corner of Bradley County, just above the Tennessee-Georgia state line, and is the site of 11 of the last 12 Cherokee Council meetings before the infamous Trail of Tears. The park encompasses 263 acres of narrow valley and forested ridges and features picnic facilities, a loop trail and amphitheater. The park also contains a natural landmark, the Blue Hole Spring, which arises from beneath a limestone ledge to form a deep pool that flows into Mill Creek. The Cherokee used the Blue Hole Spring as their water supply during council meetings.

For more information about Cherokee Days of Recognition or Red Clay State Park, please visit the website at www.tnstateparks.com/RedClay/ or call the park office at 423 478-0339.