According to a press release from Plains Collective, a new Native‐led cultural initiative, the organization will hold its soft launch of the Native American Book and Arts Festival in collaboration with this year’s 49th annual Watonga Cheese Festival, scheduled Oct. 10–11. This event will spotlight In-digenous authors, artists, screenwriters and cultural bear-ers, offering a dynamic taste of what’s to come in the full festival scheduled in October 2026.
Guests are invited to experience the richness of Native cre-ativity through live dance performances, traditional food demonstrations, beautiful Native fashion, and interactive art displays and participation in the Cheese Festival Parade. “We’re excited to partner with the Watonga Cheese Festival as we begin building something truly special for our com-munities,” said a spokesperson for Plains Collective. “This soft launch gives visitors a chance to celebrate Indigenous voices, stories and traditions while helping us lay the groundwork for the full festival debut. In addition we will be forging a stronger bond between the inhabitants of this rich landscape of Watonga.”
Highlights of the Native American Book and Arts Festival soft launch include: parade participation, cooking demon-strations featuring Indigenous foods, memorial dance, fash-ion exhibit and an art show featuring Native artists. The Watonga Cheese Festival draws thousands each year to the heart of Cheyenne and Arapaho Country. This festival features delicious food, great entertainment, a parade, kids’ zone and a cheese tasting line. Plains Collective is honored to partner with this cultural collaboration, introducing festival‐ goers to the vibrant and enduring contributions of Native people to Oklahoma and beyond.