Friday, July 24, 2009

What To Do in Tulsa This Weekend


Ready for this weekend, Tulsa? It's a biggie. In case you missed the rundown this morning on the KRMG Morning News with Joe Kelley, or if you're looking for further information and even more ways to get down with T-Town this weekend, read on.


Downtown

The weekend at the beginning of summer when Mayfest, the Blue Dome Arts Festival and Art Car Weekend roll into town is a big deal, but it pales in comparison this year to what the Tulsa World called the Showtime Trifecta: Dfest 2009, the second weekend of the musical Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz and the American Idols show at BOK Center. Check out the particulars now, right now:


Where: Blue Dome Distrct
When: Now through Sunday
Details: Dozens upon dozens of headliner and emerging bands, the premier of a yoga conference, the trademark Dfest music conference that draws the big wigs of the recording industry from the coasts, four nights and an anticipated crowd of 60,000+, all converging on downtown's Blue Dome District this very weekend. Music will range country to techno to classic rock, featuring such bands as The Black Crowes, Cake, Blue October and Citizen Cope. Good thing for you there are tickets still to be had. Your best bet is to snag some sweet Dfest parking and buy passes at the gate - walk-up tickets will run $50 with the service fee, but that's nothing considering the breadth and depth of entertainment available at each day of this festival. I'd better see each and every one of you there.

When: Friday Night; doors at 5:30, show at 7 p.m.
Where: BOK Center
Details: Adam Lambert and his gang of the top ten contestants from season eight of America's favorite audition reality show will rock the BOK Center into the weekend. Visit bokcenter.com for tickets, which start at about $40.

When: Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Where: Tulsa Performing Arts Center, Chapman Hall
Details: Been hearing a lot of about this musical act lately? Yeah, me, too. Know why? Because it's that good - three Tonys and a Grammy's worth of goodness, to be exact. This show is like a "The Making Of" that tells the story of how the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch got to be, well, the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch. With all the witches flying around, be advised that this isn't a production for kiddos under 8, and the pint-sized under 4 years won't be admitted to the theater at all. The price of admission ($32-$125, depending on if you want to wear your glasses or not) and a few hours' worth of a babysitter's time will be worth it.


Festivals, Expos and Other Stuff


When: All day Friday-Sunday
Where: Expo Square
Details: Hundreds of exhibitors are guaranteed to draw a crowd of 30,000+ to this huge home and garden event. If you're building, remodeling or just dreaming, don't miss it.

Heatwave in the Heartland with Tulsa Glue Dobbers
When: Friday-Sunday, 8 a.m. to dusk each day
Where: Tulsa Glue Dobber Field, 2817 S. Lynn Lane; map at the Tulsa Glue Dobbers Web site
Details: Take the kids to check out this annual fly-in of giant-scale, radio-controlled model airplanes. Food and drink concessions will be available in plenty for this, the largest RC airplane event in the southwest. More than 100 planes of all types (including jets!) will be on display and flying. Heatwave in the Heartland is a family-oriented event for all ages, and admission and parking are free, though donations are accepted.

Palomino Horse Breeders of America World Championship Show
When: Friday-Saturday, starting bright and early at 8 a.m.
Details: The show of hundreds of specimens of my favorite type of horse will wrap up at the fairgrounds this weekend. See palaminohba.com for a schedule of events and programs.

When: Friday night, 8-10 p.m.
Where: Agora Coffeehouse in the Fontana Shopping Center, 51st and Memorial
Details: Tulsa's youngest comedy troupe will be at Agora Coffeehouse laughing it up until 10 p.m. tonight. Admission is $5.

World Naked Bike Ride
When: Friday night, 7 p.m. (that's still broad daylight, y'all)
Where: 306 S. Phoenix (in the shadow of downtown)
Details: Not for the faint of heart, this bike ride is an exercise of free speech in an, ahem, open-air forum. Body painters, duct tape and a licensed attorney will be on hand for participants. If you're old enough to serve and bleed for this country in a time of war, see the World Naked Bike Ride Web site for more info.

Open House at Oklahoma Centennial Botanical Garden
When: Saturday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Details: See the 160-acre site of the state's very own future $40 million botanical garden and learn all about what will be growing there. Look also for what is, in my opinion, the best view of the downtown skyline in all of Tulsa. Reptile curator Barry Downer from Tulsa Zoo will bring non-poisonous plants to teach visitors which plants are friendly and which are not. The trails will be open, so come to the garden packing a pair of comfy kicks.

When: Friday and Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
Where: Tulsa County Fairgrounds at 21st and Yale, Central Park Hall
Details: Craving exhibits and displays on traditional homemaking practices like canning, cooking and sewing? Then the Tulsa County Free Fair is your stop. Check out the WD 40 workshop, too, and play MacGuyver by learning to use everyday objects like duct tape, vinegar and bailing wire for evil. Plus, ice cream and bluegrass music will be available in abundance on Friday night from 5:30-7:30, as well as carnival games. Tickets are $3.

Tulsa Talons, last game of the season
When: Saturday night; kick off is at 7 p.m.
Where: BOK Center
Details: Watch the Tulsa Talons take on the Amarillo Dusters in our very own BOK Center. It's Tulsa Gives Night, too, which benefits the Muscular Dystrophy Association, so come on out and chuck some coin to show you care.

Wild Women of Jazz Concert Series
When: Sunday afternoon, 5 p.m.
Details: This week's concert features Starr Fisher, who has served as the lead singer with Earl Clark and Spectrum and Wall Street. Starr will perform with her quartet.

3 comments:

Brigid said...

It costs $3 to get into the Tulsa County FREE Fair? Only in Oklahoma. I would like to eat copious amounts of ice cream, though.

Tasha said...

Ha! I guess I should clarify what I understand to be true, which is that the Bluegrass festival portion of the fair costs $3.

Traveling Spork said...

I guess the naked bike race only ended up being semi-naked due to poor attendance and real risk at being arrested. Now, St.Louis is a different story...

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