Choctaw Cultural Center’s Irish Festival Scheduled for March 16th

The Choctaw Cultural Center will host its inaugural Choctaw-Irish Friendship Fest to commemorate the historic connection between the two nations.

The celebration is Saturday, March 16 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Choctaw Cultural Center. The family-friendly day will include an Art Market featuring registered Choctaw artists, arts & crafts for children, a “Green Frybread” making class, and Choctaw artist and author Leslie Stall Widener reading from her new children’s book “Kindred Spirits: Shilombish Itti

Demonstrations are scheduled for traditional weapons use, Choctaw stickball players, and Choctaw and Irish dances featuring a performance - emy of Irish Dance from Tahlequah.

The public is invited to attend and meet members of the Sherman Celtic Festival, and Highland Games & North Texas Irish Festival. Also, Chahta Foundation Choctaw-Ireland Scholarship Programme recipients will share via video their experiences while studying at University College Cork in the Republic of Ireland.

Ties between the Choctaw and the Irish began in 1847, when the Chahta people, though they had little themselves after the Trail of Tears, raised as much money as they could to send to Irish - ing in the Great Potato Famine. The Choctaw gift is credited with saving thousands of lives, and the Choctaw-Irish friendship remains strong to this day.

Admission is complimentary for members of the Choctaw Nation and those with museum memberships. General admission is $12; active military, veterans, college students, senior citizens 62+, citizens of other tribes, $9; children ages 4-12, CNO associates, $6. For times and other details visit https://chocta. ws/friendship-fest. The Choctaw Cultural Center is located at 1919 Hina Hanta Way in Durant.

About the Choctaw Cultural Center: The Choctaw Cultural Center is dedicated to exploring, preserving, and showcasing the culture and history of the Choctaw people. The exhibits are immersive and told from the Choctaw perspective – honoring the physical and spiritual journey of the Choctaw people, the “Chahta Nowvt Aya.” Located in Durant, Oklahoma, the Choctaw Cultural Center includes over 100,000 square feet of rich, living exhibitions, a vast Living Village, classrooms, a theater, café and retail that combined, bring the Chahta spirit of faith, family and culture to life! For more information, visit www.choctawculturalcenter.com.