ROSE, Okla. – Join Cherokee Nation in celebrating community connection and Cherokee culture at the third annual Watercress Fest on Saturday, April 18.
The family-friendly event is open to the public and free to attend from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on the grounds of the historic Saline Courthouse. The spring-fed creek at the museum is home to an abundant amount of the aquatic plant, watercress – the event namesake.
Watercress Fest highlights Cherokee lifeways by honoring traditional foods, ecological knowledge and the enduring connection between the people, land and waters that sustain cultural practices and ways of living.
“We as Cherokee’s have an obligation to ensure that our land and natural resources continue to thrive for generations to come,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “This event reinforces a continued commitment to stewardship and sustainability, reminding us to appreciate the value of the land we call home.”
Guests will enjoy live art demonstrations, traditional games, cultural workshops, a pop-up market, food trucks and hands-on make-and-take opportunities. Live music will be available throughout the day from Jerry Bigfeather and The Drowning Raccoons.
In addition, guests can take part in special trail walks that feature cultural stations located throughout the grounds, along with guided ethnobotany tours and cooking demonstrations on how to prepare watercress, led by Cherokee Nation citizen and Indigenous culinarian Chef Taelor Barton.
The event also serves as a qualifier for the 2026 Traditional Native Games Championship. Cherokee Nation’s Native Games coordinators will be onsite conducting qualifying rounds of cornstalk shoot, hatchet throwing, blowguns and more.
For more information and a detailed schedule of events, go to VisitCherokeeNation.com.