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Tahlequah and Salina, OK - As fall festivities arise and communities begin to gather, the Cherokee Nation will host its 7th Annual Fall Festival/Health and Safety Fair in two area communities. In Salina, the festival will be held on Thursday, Oct. 29, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at 100 S. Ross St., across from the high school gymnasium. In Tahlequah, the event will be held on Friday, Oct. 30, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the James Danielson Children’s Village, located two miles south of the Cherokee Nation tribal complex on Hwy. 62. Sponsored by the Cherokee Nation Early Childhood Unit, the festival will offer carnival-style games and fun activities for children of all ages, including classics such as a bean bag toss and a basketball throw. The event is open to the public and non-scary costumes are encouraged. “The Fall Festival is the program’s effort to bring children, families and the community together in a fun atmosphere enjoying our community helper friends and providing games for the children to participate in,” said Karen Ryder, Center Operation Specialist “The ECU is about health and safety of children and in an effort to encourage that we provide a festival versus trick or treating and candy.” In addition to games, other activities and information sharing are planned, including a visit from Smokey the Bear and some exotic animals and wildlife, courtesy of Zoo Safari and the Three Forks Nature Center. For the Tahlequah festival, the Tahlequah Fire Department will bring one of its fire trucks and representatives are expected from several Tahlequah community organizations ranging from health care to law enforcement. The mission of the Cherokee Nation’s Early Childhood Unit is to enable each child to develop to his or her fullest potential. The program was initiated to promote school readiness for preschoolers through education, nutrition and social services. Rain date for the Salina festival will be Nov. 5 and for the Tahlequah festival it will be Nov. 6. For more information, please call 918-453-5757.

Related Cherokee Nation contact information:

Mike Miller, Cherokee Nation Director of Communications Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2210) Fax: 918-458-5580 E-mail: Communications@cherokee.org Larry Daugherty, Advertising Manager Cherokee Nation - Public Affairs Phone 918-456-0671 (Ex.2324) E-mail: ldaugherty@cherokee.org

Steven Swogger, Agriculture Liaison Natural Resources Department Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2546) FAX: 918-458-7673 E-mail: sswogger@cherokee.org Bradley D. Peak, Cherokee Nation Natural Resources Specialist Phone: 918-456-0671 (ex.2843) E-mail: bpeak@cherokee.org