The Tahlequah Chamber of Commerce reported strong economic signals from the city’s first Bluegrass Festival in September.

Chamber CEO Nathan Reed told the council that a Placer.ai geofencing report estimated "almost 15,000 people" visited the festival area during the two-day event and that the average dwell time in the geofenced area was "about a hundred and 61 minutes." Reed said sponsors provided more than $11,500 in in‑kind support and that the Cherokee Nation acted as a presenting sponsor with a $25,000 cash sponsorship.

Local vendors and downtown business owners told organizers they generally recouped Friday costs and made profit on Saturday; Reed said several downtown businesses compared the weekend favorably to the Cherokee National holiday and that city sales tax collections for the Aug. 15–Sept. 15 reporting period were up about 5%, an increase Reed quantified as roughly $61,000 compared with the prior year, and hotel tax receipts rose nearly 16% in the same window. He said county lodging taxes also showed an increase and called it the county’s largest month of sales tax collection in its history.

Reed said event partners included parks and rec, police and fire, sanitation crews, and many private businesses that provided sponsorships and in‑kind contributions (donated golf carts, trash management, equipment). The festival team has already contracted headliner Rhonda Vincent and confirmed Tahlequah as a host for the 2026 festival in September.

Why it matters: The numbers presented suggest a measurable short‑term boost to sales and lodging receipts and positive vendor feedback, which the chamber argued supports continuing and expanding the festival as a tourism generator. Organizers said they will refine marketing to reach regions that produced attendees this year, including Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Wichita and out‑of‑state attendees reported in surveys.

What council asked for: Council members asked how far attendees came from; Reed cited ZIP‑code data and written surveys showing visitors from across Oklahoma and as far as California, Washington State and the Northeast. Reed said some attendees even came from Australia. The chamber will continue to analyze data and coordinate with city tourism efforts.

Next steps: Reed said the festival is confirmed for September 2026 and organizers will announce additional headline acts when contracts are finalized.