The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians held its 76th Choctaw Indian Fair in Choctaw, Mississippi, from July 14 to July 18, 2026. Fair attendees at the Neshoba County celebration had plenty of entertainment and food options to choose from including concerts, the Choctaw Indian Princess Pageant, stickball competitions, crafting, social dances, educational events and other activities.

Here are some photos from the second day of this year’s fair, Wednesday, July 15.

Two stickball (kabotcha tóli) players each hold up their two sticks (kabotcha) in the shape of an X. One player has a small ball (towa) cradled between her stickball sticks. Two other players run nearby.
Bok Čito played Beaver Dam in a Tulli Okchi Ishko division game of stickball (kabotcha tóli) at the old Choctaw Central High School football field in Choctaw, Miss., on July 15, 2026. MFP Photo by Heather Harrison 
Ronnie Henry, Sr., Nigel Gibson and Chris Eaves sit side by side in front of rows of people also sitting down.
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Tribal Council members Vice Chief Ronnie Henry, Sr. of Bogue Chitto (left), Nigel Gibson of Pearl River (middle) and Chris Eaves of Crystal Ridge (far right) listen during the opening ceremony of the Choctaw Indian Fair on July 15, 2026, in Choctaw, Miss. MFP Photo by Heather Harrison
An Indian Taco made of ground meat, lettuce, tomato, cheese and taco sauce on top of a piece of frybread sits in a styrofoam to-go box.
On July 15, 2026, cooks at Denson, an eatery at the Choctaw Indian Fair in Choctaw, Miss., prepared an Indian Taco made of ground meat, lettuce, tomato, cheese and taco sauce on top of a piece of frybread, a traditional Choctaw food that can be served as sweet or savory. MFP Photo by Heather Harrison
A woman smiles while holding a baby, who is grasping for a handheld fan with an open mouth.
A Choctaw Indian Fair attendee smiles while holding a baby in her lap in Choctaw, Miss., on July 15, 2026. MFP Photo by Heather Harrison
Cyrus Ben speaks into a microphone on a wooden podium in front of rows of people sitting down.
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben addresses the crowd at the opening ceremony of the Choctaw Indian Fair in Choctaw, Miss., on July 15, 2026. MFP Photo by Heather Harrison 
Stickball players wearing red and white jerseys have their sticks on the ground while staring in intense concentration.
Bok Čito plays Beaver Dam in a Tulli Okchi Ishko division game of stickball at the old Choctaw Central High School football field in Choctaw, Miss., on July 15, 2026. MFP Photo by Heather Harrison 
A diverse group of people sit in bleachers and stare ahead.
Choctaw Indian Fair attendees watch the opening ceremony in Choctaw, Miss., on July 15, 2026. MFP Photo by Heather Harrison
A cook uses a spatula to hold a piece of frybread while cooking in an outdoor kitchen under a green tent.
A cook at Denson makes traditional Choctaw frybread at the Choctaw Indian Fair in Choctaw, Miss., on July 15, 2026. MFP Photo by Heather Harrison 
A doll that looks like a Choctaw girl wearing a traditional pink dress and white apron with beaded accessories stands on a table that is covered with a colorful cloth.
A Choctaw artisan created a doll of a Choctaw girl wearing traditional clothing and beaded accessories at the Choctaw Indian Fair in Choctaw, Miss., on July 15, 2026. MFP Photo by Heather Harrison
A Beaver Dam stickball player lays on the grass while players on the right run and sling a small ball. People sitting on bleachers are in the background.
A Beaver Dam stickball player lays on the grass during a Tulli Okchi Ishko division game versus Bok Čito at the old Choctaw Central High School campus football field in Choctaw, Miss., on July 15, 2026. MFP Photo by Heather Harrison
Kids enjoy a fair ride while an adult takes photos on a phone.
Kids enjoy a fair ride at the Choctaw Indian Fair in Choctaw, Miss., on July 15, 2026, while an adult takes photos on a phone. MFP Photo by Heather Harrison
A Choctaw artisan weaves a basket while sitting at a table that features four woven baskets.
A Choctaw artisan weaves a basket while waiting for customers at the Choctaw Indian Fair in Choctaw, Miss., on July 15, 2026. MFP Photo by Heather Harrison 
Princesses of indigenous communities across the nation dressed in colorful traditional dresses sit next to a man wearing a blue polo shirt and Lexi Rodriguez, wearing a traditional red sparkly Choctaw dress with a beaded sash that says “2025-2026 Choctaw Indian Princess” and a beaded headpiece that has the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians logo on the front and a feather standing up from the back.
Princesses of indigenous communities across the nation sat on stage during the opening ceremony of the Choctaw Indian Fair in Choctaw, Miss., on July 15, 2026. On the far right is 2025-2026 Choctaw Indian Princess Lexi Rodriguez. MFP Photo by Heather Harrison
Several stickball players hone in on a small ball (towa). Two players on the left have fallen into each other on the grass.
Bok Čito plays Beaver Dam in a Tulli Okchi Ishko division game of stickball at the old Choctaw Central High School football field in Choctaw, Miss., on July 15, 2026. MFP Photo by Heather Harrison 

Follow the Mississippi Free Press’ coverage of the Choctaw Indian Fair and read past stories here. 

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State Reporter Heather Harrison has won more than a dozen awards for her multi-media journalism work. At Mississippi State University, she studied public relations and broadcast journalism, earning her Communication degree in 2023. For three years, Heather worked at The Reflector student newspaper: first as a staff reporter, then as the news editor and finally, as the editor-in-chief. This is where her passion for politics and government reporting began.
Heather started working at the Mississippi Free Press three days after graduation in 2023. She also worked part time for Starkville Daily News after college covering the Board of Aldermen meetings.
In her free time, Heather likes to sit on the porch, read books and listen to Taylor Swift. A native of Hazlehurst, she now lives in Brandon with her wife and their Boston Terrier, Finley, and calico cat, Ravioli.