TUSCUMBIA-The annual Oka Kapassa: Return to Coldwater Festival in Tuscumbia has been selected by the Southeast Tourism Society as a Top 20 Event in the Southeast for September.
This year’s festival is Friday, Sept. 9 and Saturday, Sept. 10 at Spring Park. Activities will also be held in Killen and Florence.
The festival celebrates the culture of Native Americans who lived in north Alabama. It includes Native American artists, craftsmen, story tellers, musicians and dancers. It is considered a premier event of its kind in the Southeast.
Terry McGee, board chairman of Oka Kapassa: Return to Cold Water, is elated that the Southeast Tourism Society selected the event this year.
“It’s a great honor to be selected as a Top 20 event,” McGee said. “We work hard to make sure our festival is very informative and educational.”
Oka Kapassa
Anita Flanagan, a member of the Oka Kapassa board of directors, said the festival plays an important role in ensuring that the culture and traditions of Native Americans are not forgotten.
Susann Hamlin, president and CEO of Colbert County Tourism and Convention Bureau, said, “We are so proud to have this festival in our county and in Tuscumbia. It is so meaningful to us because of the American Indian heritage in the area. The board members make sure that the event is authentic and fun, as well as educational for all ages, especially the children.”
Colbert County Tourism nominated the Oka Kapassa Festival for consideration as a Top 20 event. Highlighting 20 events per month throughout the 12-state, southeastern region, STS has been naming these special events since 1985.
STS promotes these selected events throughout the United States. The complete list is listed on two websites: EscapeToTheSoutheast.com and Travel Media Press Room.
“The Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 Festival and Event list is an excellent guide for the Southeast’s visitors and residents. Events selected represent the best, and often most unique, activities in our region,” said Bill Hardman, president and CEO of the Southeast Tourism Society.
Events considered for the STS Top 20 recognition must be at least three years old and have attendance of at least 1,000.
Southeast Tourism Society, founded in 1983 and headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting tourism to and within 12 states – Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
photos/Quad Cities Daily
