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.

Who’s Tim, and why are we honoring him?

As many of you know, this tournament honors Tim Hill, a longtime employee at our very own trout hatchery who sadly passed too soon. Several years ago, Cherokee’s Fisheries & Wildlife Management Division created this fun and lucrative tournament in his name. 

Did we mention the $10,000 purse?

With a registration fee of $15 and a two-day fishing permit for $17, you’ll be fishing for your share of $10,000 by catching beautiful trout in rivers all across the Qualla Boundary (excluding the 2.2 miles of catch-and-release waters), which will be stocked with tagged fish. When you catch one, you redeem it for cash prizes at the Natural Resources Enforcement Office, 517 Sequoyah Trail, Cherokee, NC 28719, which is across the street from Cherokee Welcome Center off Hwy 441. Prize redemption hours are from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. each tournament day. Register anywhere fishing licenses are sold or at FishCherokee.com by Friday, July 8, 2022. Fishing will start one hour before sunrise and end one hour after sunset each day. Open to all ages and for all legal fishing methods. 

Fisheries & Wildlife Management reserves the right to cancel, reschedule, or amend any tournament or event due to catastrophes, pandemics, states of emergency, adverse weather, etc.

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.

The Cherokee Summer Carnival presents family-friendly fun with a variety of vendors, food, games, karaoke, and literally dozens of carnival rides. The gates open at 5 p.m. on weekdays and 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The carnival is a summer celebration you won't want to miss. Entrance is free to the public.

Ride ticket prices: 
$20 - Unlimited rides
$3–$5 - Individually purchased rides
$1–$3 - Games

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.