Jay hosts annual Huckleberry Festival

The Jay Chamber of Commerce will host the 41st annual Huckleberry Festival from July 1-5. The festivities begin on July 1 with a carnival at J.B. Earp Stadium. On July 4, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., there will be a gospel singing followed by a fireworks display. JCC President Becki Farley said that several thousand people attend the festival each year to help the city celebrate the favorite local berry. “Most events are free, however, some have a small entry fee, such as the car show and the run,” she said.

Events begin at 6 a.m. on July 5 as festival crowds can enjoy a pancake breakfast and other events such as “Guess the Hamburger Fritter Weight.” Other contests include the Huckleberry 5K run, a car show, an arts and crafts show, a parade, a hog fry and a few eating contests. Jay is touted as the huckleberry capital of the world, according to usacitiesonline.com.

Carl Williams, Jay Chamber of Commerce member and Jay resident, said the first Huckleberry Festival was held in 1967, but had no name. Williams said the JCC met and brought in a man from Tulsa to help organize a festival because they wanted to bring more people into the community. He said the JCC thought a festival would do that. “People should come and have a good time" Williams said. In the process of discussing what the town would do during the festival, the JCC decided it also needed a name. Williams said the JCC tried to think of something that made the town unique and huckleberries were it.

According to the city’s Web site, Jay is rich in Native American tradition. It states that Cherokees settled here after their removal from their southeastern homelands. It also state’s Jay’s history is a unique blend of Cherokee and Anglo cultures and has gained a reputation as a center of Native American activities, including an annual gigging tournament.