COURTESY  The PlaterosFestival activities continue through June 26 at the Claude Cox Omniplex, including cultural demonstrations, an All-Indian rodeo, concerts

featuring local and national acts, sports tournaments,  arts and crafts, food vendors, a parade through downtown Okmulgee and a children’s fun fair.

OKMULGEE, Okla. - The 37th annual Muscogee (Creek) Nation Festival has events lined up for the whole family and expected to host thousands of spectators and participants throughout June.

This year’s theme, “Celebrate Life!” encourages us to enjoy every aspect of living.

The festival begins with the Miss Muscogee Scholarship Pageant. The Miss and Jr. Miss pageants will be at 7 p.m. on June 3 at the High School Auditorium in Henryetta.

The Softball Slow Pitch Tournament is June 17-19 at the Claude Cox Omniplex, just west of the intersection of Highway 75 and Loop 56 in Okmulgee. The weekend includes the annual slow pitch softball tournament and the Adult 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament at the Multi-Purpose Building at the Claude Cox Omniplex.

The official festival weekend kicks off with a ceremonial stomp dance at 7:30 p.m. on June 23 at the campus of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Complex on the southeast corner of the intersection of Highway 75 and Loop 56.

Festival activities continue through June 26 at the Claude Cox Omniplex, including cultural demonstrations, an All-Indian rodeo, concerts featuring local and national acts, sports tournaments,  arts and crafts, food vendors, a parade through downtown Okmulgee and a children’s fun fair.

All events of the festival are free and open to the public, including the popular entertainment event, which begins at 9 p.m. on June 24 with Nashville recording star Jo Dee Messina.

With hits like “Lesson in Leavin’,” “Because You Love Me,” “Downtime,” “Bring On The Rain,” “That’s The Way” and “My Give A Damn’s Busted,” Messina earned a well-deserved reputation as an electric live performer, becoming one of the first women of country to mount a headlining tour.

Live entertainment continues at 7 p.m. the next day with the Plateros. For generations since the late 1950s, the Plateros have been known for singing and being musicians within the Tohajiilee Indian Reservation in the Eastern Agency of the Navajo Nation. The band’s website states that the band’s performances are filled with some amazing energy and a mixture of blues, rock, funk and gospel.

Saturday’s lineup concludes with a performance by Dennis DeYoung and the Music of Styx. Styx has sold more than 35 million albums worldwide and DeYoung has written eight of their nine top 10 singles. Styx was the only band to ever record four consecutive triple platinum albums. For more than four decades, DeYoung has been a singer, songwriter, keyboardist and record producer. He wrote and sang several classics including: “Lady”, “Come Sail Away”, “Best of Times”, “Mr. Roboto” and the 1979 People’s Choice Award winner “Babe.”

As with any major event, parking can be complex. Therefore, there will be shuttle parking again this year. Park at the MCN Housing Division parking lot or the parking lot east of the Mound at the MCN Complex. Shuttles are scheduled to run every 20 minutes beginning after 5 p.m. on June 24 and after noon on June 25.

Join us for this momentous and time-honored gathering and enjoy meeting old friends and new acquaintances. Place a float in the parade and advertise your program or company or choose to be a sponsor at any level.

The Muscogee (Creek) Nation Festival is a collaborative effort of the departments and entities of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation with operations overseen by the Tourism & Recreation Department.

For a complete listing of times, events and contacts, visit the festival section of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s official website www.muscogeenation-nsn.gov.For more information, call 918-732-7992 or 1-800-482-1979 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..