Once a year for the past 40 years, Kiamichi County in Oklahoma has produced a festival to showcase the natural beauty, heritage, and industry found here. This year’s Kiamichi Owa-Chito Festival of the Forest will be held June 15-16 in Beavers Bend State Park.
The forest has played a large part in the history and culture of the area, so it’s fitting that forestry competitions are a major event of the weekend. Featuring men and women who make their living from the woods, the contests include double buck sawing, ax throwing, Jack ‘n Jill crosscut, and Bull-of-the-Woods selection.
The family-friendly celebration includes a little something for everyone, including a 5K run, golf scramble, horseshoes, canoe races, games for kids, and bike show. New this year is a large art show, an American Lumberjack Show, Kids Camp, Miss Choctaw Owa-Chito, and a fiddle show. Music is a large component of the festival and throughout the two-day weekend visitors can enjoy gospel, bluegrass, country, Native American, jazz and rock.
Kiamichi Owa-Chito Festival of the Forest
June 15-16, 2018
Beavers Bend State Park
4350 S, OK-259A, Broken Bow, OK
405-522-6158
If you’re planning to come to the event with family or friends, check out Apache Trail Lodge, one of the luxury cabins at Beavers Bend Creative Escapes. Set on two beautiful wooded acres, the large home can sleep up to 18 people, and has lots of space to spread out and relax inside or outside on two large decks. Come for the long weekend—and stay to enjoy a week or two in paradise.