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McAlester organizers outline March sister‑city visit from Middleton, Ireland, and downtown St. Patrick’s festival
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Summary
Organizers briefed the council on a planned visit by delegates from Middleton, Ireland, tied to a March 13, 2026 St. Patrick’s Day community festival in downtown McAlester. Plans include Choctaw Nation‑hosted tours, an education/business morning at Peterbaugh school, a festival 1–4 p.m., and an interim "friendship accord" owing to overseas paperwork.
Adrian O'Hannon told the council the sister‑city relationship with Middleton, Ireland, is progressing and that two delegates are confirmed, with a third tentative, for a multi‑day visit around March 13, 2026. “It’s coming together great,” O'Hannon said, adding the visitors would spend three to four days depending on travel.
The delegation’s first day will include a Choctaw Nation‑hosted tour of cultural facilities and a Q&A at Choctaw headquarters, O'Hannon said. He described a Friday morning education and business program at Peterbaugh school to highlight a pen‑pal project between local students and Middleton schools, and he said a visiting professor from a London college that partners with Choctaw Nation is expected to join.
Because officials in Ireland require additional governmental steps before signing a formal sister‑city agreement, the group plans an interim public "friendship accord" or letter of intent during the visit; organizers hope to send a delegation to Ireland in the fall to complete the official documentation. “We are moving forward with this,” O'Hannon said.
Saturday’s schedule centers on the St. Patrick’s Day Community Festival from 1 to 4 p.m. on Choctaw Avenue between Third and Fifth streets, with vendors in the gravel lot by the ice house, a portable white bandstand and a PA system. The program will open with a welcome and remarks from the mayor, include remarks from Choctaw Nation district councilman Robert Carr and brief comments by the Irish delegation, and feature live music and family entertainment. O'Hannon cautioned that vendor slots closed after organizers received several last‑minute requests.
Organizers also plan a public unveiling of a "Kindred Spirit" statue intended to honor the historic Choctaw–Irish connection; O'Hannon said the piece will debut at the festival and be installed later as a public art feature at the airport. He described the organizers as a nonprofit partnering closely with the city, local businesses and community groups, and said outreach is under way to include Northtown neighborhoods, student groups and local sports teams in events and transportation.
O'Hannon said one or more additional partners have expressed interest and that the team will finalize details as delegates confirm travel. The briefing closed with council praise for the event’s momentum and a reminder that some details — including final delegate numbers and the formal signing timeline — remain to be confirmed.
