The festival will feature native drumming, food, languages, weapons and lifestyle exhibitions, men's and women's traditional dancing and jingle dancing, in which the dancer wears a dress covered in noise-making ornaments, or jingles.

The festival will be in Bisset Park because American Indian artifacts were found there when the park was under excavation in 1974, said Deb Cooney, the city's tourism director.

"So many people come here, but don't think of it or don't know about the history here," Cooney said.

Many people are surprised to find there are still American Indian tribes in Virginia, said Donnie Freeman, a member of the Cheroenhaka Nottoway and Cherokee tribes, based in Southampton County.

"We're still around, and not everyone is like you see in the movies about the wild West," Freeman said.

He plans to demonstrate how to use a blow gun, traditionally used to hunt small game, and men's dancing during the festival.

"We want to get the general public to understand we're still here," he said. "We're trying to get the truth out about our people."

The festivities start Friday, when Chief Walt "Red Hawk" Brown of the Cheroenhaka Nottoway will give a presentation about languages at 9 a.m. and noon.

The presentation is geared toward elementary school children, who will attend to fulfill of Virginia's Standards of Learning requirements. All events are open to the public, Cooney said.

The festival is one of four events designed to promote tourism in Radford, Cooney said. A ghost tour will be held Oct. 30, and a choir showcase and river-related event are in the planning stages.