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City of Durant, Oklahoma, was recently home to a first-of-its- kind, month-long sports festival in the heart of the Choctaw Nation. The Durant Sports Festival, a collaborative effort between City of Durant Parks and Recreation and Events International, LLC, and sponsored by Discover Durant, was conceived with the goal of celebrating the vibrant, diverse recreation landscape available in the area.

Twenty-four different sports, camps, activities and clinics were planned, with something offered for participants of all ages. The Durant Multi-Sports Complex, the city’s largest recreational facility, played a focal role in the event.

“It was a little chaotic, organizing all of the different events, sports and hosts,” says Parks Manager Ryan Brewer. “We had to fit so many activities into 30 days, over an eight-month planning period. My favorite part about the whole event is bringing light to some sports or activities you don’t see very often, like rugby and stickball.”

“It was altogether a successful event. We had over 8,000 people in attendance between our 24 events at eight locations,” adds Brewer. “Athletes traveled all the way from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa to compete.”

The sports festival was a truly collaborative effort, which was made possible through partnerships with 10 organizations. Stickball was held at the Choctaw Nation Cultural Center, and tennis and softball activities were offered through the Durant Independent School District.

The sports festival benefitted local athletes as well. Three events were held to raise money to send athletes to compete at the national level, and the proceeds from two events were donated to local charities, totaling more than $2,000.

Early in June, the festival kicked off with an Okie Kids Fishing Adventure, led by Lori Jo Reid with Okie Toy Run. “We enjoyed the time, food, drinks and good music,” says Reid. “Seventy-six of the participants were kids fishing, and they caught loads of fish. There was tons of excitement, happiness and learning experiences.” Prizes, sponsored by local businesses and individuals, were given for three age groups for biggest fish and most fish caught.

Following the fishing adventure, three to six events were held every week with an average of more than 1,700 attendees visiting City of Durant. “It started off rocky,” Brewer says. “We had rain it seemed like for the first two weeks. We even had to reschedule or cancel events due to the rain in the beginning of the month.”

The final weekend of the sports festival boasted six events in one day, starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 11 p.m. Of these events, a disc golf tournament held by Big Foot Discs raised money to send tournament winners to the National Disc Golf MVP Championship in Rock Hill, South Carolina, later in the year.

“We are thrilled to support the Durant Sports Festival, an event that celebrates athletic excellence, brings together our community, and attracts visitors from near and far. This festival showcases the vibrant spirit of our city and highlights its potential as a premier destination for sports and tourism,” says Janet Reed with Discover Durant and the Durant Area Chamber of Commerce. “We look forward to continuing our partnership and contributing to the growth and success of this remarkable event.”

“We are excited to make this an annual event,” says Brewer. “Next year, we plan to add rodeo, pickleball, esports, lacrosse and anything else that we think would be a good fit. It was, of course, a learning experience, but it was a good event, and we could not have done it by ourselves.”

Brewer expressed his gratitude to the partners and sponsors of the event.

Rebecca Carroll is Public Information Officer at City of Durant Parks and Recreation.