Annual children’s fishing tournament on tap for Cherokee

CHEROKEE, N.C. – The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is hosting the 14th Annual Talking Trees Children’s Trout Derby, July 31 – August 1. Children 3-11 years old are invited to compete for $20,000 in prizes. Admission is free.

In 2014, the Derby attracted more than 2,000 youngsters from across the nation.

Pre-registration will be July 31 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Cherokee Indian Fair Grounds. There will be live music, celebrity guests, free food to registered children, clowns, games, zip lines and live animal exhibitions.

Fishing begins Saturday, August 1, at 7 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m. The event takes place at Oconaluftee Islands Park at 86 Tsali Boulevard in Cherokee. Awards and prize presentations follow. Activities are accessible to children with disabilities.

For more information, contact the Cherokee Welcome Center, 498 Tsali Blvd., Cherokee, N.C. 28719, call 1-800-438-6492, or email travel@nc-cherokee.com.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is a sovereign nation with more than 15,000 enrolled members and is the only federally recognized Native American tribe in North Carolina. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians makes its home on the 56,600-acre Qualla Boundary in five Western North Carolina counties about an hour west of Asheville and at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

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