Lots of summer left for family fun in the Choctaw Nation

School kids are settling into the new school year, days are beginning to get shorter, and while the calendar says autumn is approaching, there is still summer left for family fun!

Just here in the Choctaw Nation there is a fall festival, basketball showcases, fun runs, and an Indigenous archaeology day. The Community Health Representative (CHR) Department is holding the 2024 CHR Fall Festival at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at the McAlester Expo Center. Plan to spend the day with the CHR Department as they present health information, program booths, entertainment, lunch. Immunizations will be available at no cost.

Two Futures of Basketball showcases for girls and boys take place at 9 a.m. for the girls and 1 p.m. for the boys on Sunday, Sept. 15 at the Bloomer Sullivan Arena at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. The event is for grades 9-12 to demonstrate skills for college coaches. The event is open to the public.

The third annual Glowing with Hope Glow Run is at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20, at the Durant Community Center. The event features a 1-Mile Fun Run and 5k with proceeds benefitting Feeding Hope, a non-profit organization in Durant, Oklahoma.

The Sewell Animal Hospital’s 5K9 Mutt Strut for PAWS will take place at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21 at the McAlester High School. It is the only race in the area where your dog can participate and win an award, too. It’s a fun event for a great cause for supporting pets in need of medical support they cannot afford.

A Warrior Wellness Charity Wine Run on Saturday, Sept. 21, at 10 a.m.at the Blue River Valley Winery. It’s an exciting new event that also features the amazing scenery and landscape of Blue River Valley Winery.

The Heroes 4 Health Trail Run gets underway at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28 at the Arrowhead State Park – Echo Ridge Campground. The event brings together a scenic, challenging trail run (5k, 10k and 1-mile race) and a great cause for supporting our frontline healthcare workers and first responders.

Also, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28 the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Historic Preservation Department, in collaboration with the Oklahoma Public Archaeology Network, will be hosting an Indigenous Archaeology Day at Wheelock Academy Historic Site to promote Indigenous approaches to Archaeology. The event will be split into morning and afternoon sessions.

The tables include information on traditional Choctaw art forms including pottery, flintknapping, and textiles, which have been documented archaeologically and still practiced by the Choctaw community today. Demonstrations scheduled throughout the event will provide deeper insight into traditional Choctaw artforms and lifeways. Traditional foods will be prepared onsite and served at noon.

Check out the Choctaw Nation events page for more details on upcoming events.