Chickasaw Annual Meeting and Festival Sept. 25-Oct. 3

Chickasaws from across the country will gather to celebrate Chickasaw heritage, culture and traditions during the 2026 Chickasaw Annual Meeting and Festival, Sept. 25 to Oct. 3. The weeklong event, celebrated in communities throughout the Chickasaw Nation, culminates with Chickasaw Nation Governor Chris Anoatubby’s State of the Nation Address at 9 a.m. Oct. 3, at the Aiitafama' Ishto (large meeting place) on the grounds of the Chickasaw Nation Historic Capitol Building in Tishomingo, Oklahoma.

The tradition of Chickasaw Annual Meeting began in 1960, when more than 100 Chickasaws met at Seeley Chapel near Connerville, Oklahoma, to discuss the state of the tribe and a vision for the future. The Chickasaw Nation pays tribute to this historic event by celebrating Chickasaw pride and progress during the Chickasaw Annual Meeting and Festival.

This year marks the 66th Chickasaw Annual Meeting and 38th Chickasaw Festival.
The event will feature the coronation of tribal princesses, stickball games, a 5K and fun run, archery, senior and junior Olympics, golf, horseshoes, pickleball and cornhole tournaments, and more. Venues in Tishomingo, Ada and Sulphur, Oklahoma, will host numerous activities throughout the week.

The annual Southeastern Art Show and Market (SEASAM) and SEASAM Youth is Friday, Oct. 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 3, from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Capitol grounds. A juried art show and market, SEASAM features adult and youth artists from federally recognized Southeastern tribes displaying jewelry, textiles, sculptures, paintings, photography and much more.

The 2026 Chickasaw Annual Meeting and Festival begins Friday, Sept. 25, with a social stickball game and stomp dance at 7 p.m. at Kullihoma, east of Ada.

The golf tournament in Tishomingo gets underway Wednesday, Sept. 23, and continues until Saturday, Sept. 26. A 1-mile fun walk, 5K run, pickleball tournament, and junior and adaptive junior Olympics are also set for Sept. 26 in Tishomingo.

Women’s and men’s fast-pitch softball tournaments will take place Sept. 26 in Ada, along with the Pontotoc Pursuit Ride and a cornstalk shoot in Kullihoma. Chikasha stickball games begin at 4 p.m. at the Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur.

Chickasaw Cultural Evening will take place Thursday, Oct. 1, at the Chickasaw Cultural Center, along with the Arts and Culture Awards, where Chickasaws are recognized for preserving Chickasaw culture and SEASAM top awards are presented.

Three young ladies will be crowned Chickasaw Princess, Little Miss Chickasaw and Chickasaw Junior Princess during the Chickasaw Princess Pageant, 6 p.m., Monday, Sept. 28, at the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center at East Central University, Ada. Princesses serve for one year as ambassadors of the Chickasaw Nation.

The event hub is the Capitol grounds, where activities from cultural demonstrations, educational tours, stickball games and children’s activities take place beginning Tuesday, Sept. 29. Chickasaw Senior Olympics is also set Tuesday, Sept. 29, in Tishomingo.

A tour of First Indian Baptist Church, 2521 Arlington Blvd., Ada, is set for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30.

Saturday, Oct. 3, begins with Annual Meeting at 9 a.m. Food trucks as well as arts and crafts vendors open at 11:30 a.m. The traditional meal is served beginning at 11:30 a.m.

The festival parade begins at noon, along with live music, a cornhole tournament, horseshoe tournament and parent/child fishing tournament.

A complete list of events, locations and schedules is available online at AnnualMeeting.Chickasaw.net. The event schedule is subject to change.

A live video stream of Annual Meeting, Oct. 3, as well as the Chickasaw Princess Pageant and Arts and Culture Awards ceremony, will be available.

Additionally, a live audio stream of the Annual Meeting will air on KCNP.org, in the Pontotoc County area on 89.5 FM, the Carter County area on 89.3 FM, Johnston County area on 97.3 FM and 104.5 FM in the Garvin County area.

Follow Chickasaw Nation social media accounts on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram for updates.

For more information, call (580) 371-2040 or visit AnnualMeeting.Chickasaw.net.