Jun. 12—Two Muskogee businesses received a RedBud Merit Award from the Oklahoma Travel Industry Association Tuesday night.

This award honors tourism attractions, events, programs, organizations and destination marketing organizations to recognize Oklahoma tourism. Visit Muskogee submitted these destinations with hopes Muskogee would be recognized for its tourism efforts.

The Hatbox Event Center received the Outstanding Agritourism Attraction award for its agriculture opportunities.

“I think it’s monumental for Muskogee,” Muskogee Tourism board member Marlon Coleman said.

The Outstanding Temporary Exhibit award was presented to the Five Civilized Tribes Museum for its Boarding School exhibit in 2023.

“We were just one of the top five western major museums in the United States, but this is a little bit better because it’s within our own state,” Sean Barney, CEO of Five Civilized Tribes Museum said. “We are the size that we are and we’re not gonna get any bigger, so we’re constantly changing things out. For us to be relevant is always a good thing.”

Coleman said they made the submissions to express how families celebrate agriculture and to show the significance of a museum with diverse culture and history, especially of its magnitude.

“It feels like the strength of new winds beneath a standing sail,” Coleman said. “When I left the mayor’s office after a decade of public service, I prayed for an opportunity to continue serving to make Muskogee better. I could not have asked for a better way than to tell the good news about Muskogee through tourism.”