Watercress Fest 2025

Join the festivities on April 26, 2025 from 10am - 5pm at the Saline Courthouse Museum for the second installment of Watercress Fest! Watercress will feature cultural games and art demonstrations, conservation and ethnobotany tours, as well as a pop-up market, native food trucks and live music. The festival will center around our relationship to land and water and feature conversations focusing on conservationism and stewardship of the Cherokee Nation Reservation. The first year had over 1,200 attendees.

As part of the Watercress Fest experience, there will be a Spring pop-up market just in time for Mother's Day seeking vendors selling goods. All types of goods are welcomed: Arts & Crafts, Environmentally friendly, Nature themes, Plants and gardening, Wearables, and Great gift items. The vendor fee is $50.00, paid after application acceptance. Booth sites measure at least ten feet by ten feet (10' X 10'), with no access to electrical outlets though portable generators are allowed as long as they are quiet.

Vendors must bring their own setup including tables, chairs, tents, and displays. Load-in hours are 7am - 9:00 a.m., with personal cars parked in designated off-site parking areas by 9:30 a.m. Load-out takes place after 5 p.m. Applications are selected by festival staff, with an average of 50 applications submitted yearly and 20 artists selected to participate. Images required: 5, with booth shot required. Application fee is free and emerging artists are accepted.