The sights and sounds of Native America are coming to Leesburg this fall.

At its July 11 meeting, the Leesburg Town Council agreed to allow the First Annual Cherokee County Native American Festival to be held on Oct. 26 - 30 at the Leesburg RV Park.

“What we’d like to do is host a pow-wow, which we now call a Native American festival,” said festival representative Wyn Morgan. “This will be the first Native American festival in Cherokee County in 15 years. Not many people know that [19th century Indian] Chief Pathkiller is buried in Cherokee County, and we have a tradition that we’d like people to be aware of. We expect anywhere from 500 to 1,000 people, and we’ll use the camping area and Leesburg Lodge as accommodations. We’ll have approximately 15 vendors, and portions of the proceeds will go to Cherokee County Native American Coordinator Linda Prater.

“We’ll have our own security, and we welcome the help of the Leesburg Police Department. This will be an alcohol-free and drug-free environment, and we’ve never had any kind of problems during our Gadsden festivals. We won’t in any way interfere with the boats or the fishermen at the landing. The festival is a lot of fun, and it’s something that we’d like to do every year.”

The motion was approved with the provision that the town’s liability insurance would cover the event.

In other business, the council voted to pay a $1,000 fee to Ladd Environmental Services of Fort Payne for an ADECA transportation grant proposal for a paved walking trail in the Leesburg Landing area.

The council also approved the new town employee handbook, entered into a contract with the local American Youth Soccer Organization and purchased a $124.24 advertisement in the Cherokee County Herald’s 2005 Past Times edition.

The council recognized Police Chief Terrell Ransum for completing 80 training hours for Level II Certification in law enforcement.

Mayor Ed Mackey reported that the town had received $2,500 from State Rep. Richard Lindsey for the town park parking lot paving project. Mackey also noted the town is in the process of outfitting its new police car.

Before adjournment, the council discussed several items relating to the Sept. 10 Leesburg Day. Anyone wishing to become a Leesburg Day sponsor or volunteer may contact the Leesburg Town Hall at (256) 526-8890