BETHEL — Arts and traditions of past and present Maine Native American culture will be featured during the annual Mollyockett Days festival.

The event, which recognizes Molly Ockett, an Abenaki healing woman from the 18th and 19th centuries, will be held on Saturday, July 21, and Sunday, July 22, on the Bethel Common and Main Street.

Festivities begin with a grand parade at 10 a.m., followed by a wide variety of events, Robin Zinchuk, executive director of the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce, stated Friday in a news release.

“Enjoy arts and crafts, delicious food, Native American music, dance and craft demonstrations, a frog-jumping contest for children, as well as other children’s activities, and (the day) ends with a bang with fireworks at dusk,” Zinchuk said.

The parade theme is “The Arts and Traditions of MollyOckett.” The parade lines up at the Casablanca Cinema 4 back parking lot on Cross Street.

From 11:15 a.m. to noon, the W.I.L.D. Center Zoological Park of New England will present a show featuring seven species native to North America.

The frog-jumping contest at 1 p.m. follows a 12:30 p.m. Presentation of Miss MollyOckett.

From 1 to 1:45 p.m., there will be Native American music on drums, percussion and flutes by Connie St. Pierre and Pat Malia.

From 1 to 4 p.m., there will be a hands-on Native American Basket Weaving demonstration working with 10 people at a time until supplies run out.

From 2 to 3:15 p.m., Fredda Paul, an elder healer from Pleasant Point, will present Passamaquoddy traditional medicine, plants and healing.

That’s followed at 4 p.m. with a pizza eating contest at Home Slice Pizza.

From 7 to 9 p.m., there will be a Penobscot Cultural Heritage Native American drumming, dancing and narration. Participation is encouraged.

Sunday morning features 1- and 5-mile foot races, a walking event and a Diaper Dash for crawlers and toddlers on the Bethel Common that’s sponsored by Stephens Memorial Hospital.

Registration and check-in outside the Bethel Inn Resort for the Kids’ 1-Mile Fun Run is from 7 to 8:15 a.m., and from 7 to 8:45 a.m. for the Adult 3- and 5-Mile Walk. The children’s race starts at 8:30 a.m. and the adult races at 9 a.m.

The Diaper Dash starts at 9:05 a.m.

Race awards will be presented at 10:30 a.m.

At noon, the Second Annual Tubing and Treasure Scavenger Hunt starts at Bethel Outdoor Adventure and Campground/Maine Mineralogy Expeditions at 121 Mayville Road (U.S. Route 2). It is for families and people of all ages.

Participants float in provided tubes from Bethel Outdoor Adventure to Davis Park on the Androscoggin River, then get a treasure map and hunt for treasure between the Route 26 park and Bethel Outdoor Adventure, according to the event schedule.

A complete schedule of events and race registration for MollyOckett Days can be found at mollyockettdays.com or by calling 800-442-5826.

The MollyOckett Days Festival is organized by the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce and presented by Northeast Bank.

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