Amazing tales as told by the Cherokee storytellers themselves.

Imagine you’re gathered around a roaring bonfire, the occasional spark shooting high into the night sky, as a strong but gentle voice begins a story you’ve never heard. As the drama builds, you’re nearly breathless, your own heartbeat matching the occasional beat of the hand drum the storyteller uses. Drawing from a rich oral tradition dating back millennia, the Cherokee Bonfire runs throughout the tourism season, and is an enchanting way to interact with the rich details of the Cherokee people and their stories. Get your room reserved in Cherokee, grab a blanket and someone close to you, and enjoy a cultural experience only Cherokee can offer.

The Bonfire stories crackles from 7:00–9:00 p.m. on the following dates at Oconaluftee Islands Park, on Tsali Blvd.:

May 28-30 and then Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, June 1–October 31, 2022.

The Cherokee Gourd Artists’ Gathering presents the opportunity for gourd artists from across the United States and Canada to meet for one long weekend a year to exchange ideas and collaborate on gourd art. Classes provided at this event include wood burning, carving, painting and sculpting, and range from beginner to advanced levels. Other activities include silent auction, live auction, and raffles throughout the event. The Gourd Artists’ Gathering is free to the public. Class sizes and fees vary; classes often fill up quickly.

Come on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday to see our wonderful displays of finished gourds for raffle, auction, and theme contest. On Sunday, there will still be plenty of opportunities to shop, but our large displays will be dismantled as the display gourds will have been given to the various activity winners.

Bring a blanket and an appetite for heart-pounding drama.

You can feel a slight chill run up your spine; but not from the mountain winds shifting their direction in anticipation of the coming dusk. It is from your anticipation of the coming drama. Unto These Hills drama is the tragic and triumphant story of the Cherokee that traces back to the years before the heartbreak of the Trail of Tears to the present day. Millions of people have witnessed America’s most powerful drama, which rewrites the Cherokee’s place in the world. A place based on traditional Cherokee values and modern sensibilities.