Red Fern Festival 5k

🏃‍♂️ Red Fern Festival

April 24-25 Tahlequah Main Street will host the 18th annual Red Fern Festival. This festival celebrates the “Where the Red Fern Grows” Novel which is set in the Ozark hills in and around Tahlequah Oklahoma. The festival spans seven blocks and hosts over 150 arts and crafts vendors and gourmet food trucks, along with inflatables, petting zoos, and live music.

🏅 Race Details

• Date: April 24, 2026
• Location: 400 N Muskogee Ave, Tahlequah, OK
• Course: New course starting and finishing at The FIT (NSU Fitness Center at 530 N Oak Ave, Tahlequah, OK 74464)
• Weather Policy: This will be a rain or shine event, but if the weather is too much to go on, we do not have a reschedule option and it will become a virtual run.

⏰ Start Time

The start for both the 5k and the fun run will be 6:30 Friday evening, April 24th. Runners will be finishing just a few blocks from food trucks and live music at the heart of the Red Fern Festival at Norris Park. So sign up and soon run, eat, and be entertained at the Red Fern Festival 5k!

🐕 Dog-Friendly Event

This social run also encourages running with dogs, since dogs play an important role in the Red Fern Festival. For the more serious runners, this will be a chip timed race by I:40 Race Service and we will award medals to the top 3 in every 5 year M/F Age Groups.

📅 Event Schedule

• Location: Covered Pavilion just south of Norris Park
• Events: 5k and Fun Run
• Registration Open: 5:30 PM
• Start Times: Both the 5k and Fun Run will start at 6:30 PM

💰 Registration Fees

• Early Bird Registration Fees: Fun Run for $25, 5k for $30 (Before April 7th)
• Full Price Registration Fees: Fun Run for $30, 5k for $35 (After April 7th to Race Day)
• T-shirt: Must register by April 7th to get a guaranteed shirt. All registrations after, shirts that are first come first serve.
• Course Information: Coming soon, map will be posted then.

🔗 More Information

For more details, visit the race page: Red Fern Festival 5k.