Thursday, September 17, 2009

What to Do in Tulsa This Weekend

Temperatures have already cooled, yes, and everyone is already in full-on football mode, but this weekend officially marks an end to the summer of 2009. What better way to give this year's uncharacteristically mild season of sunburns and swimming pools a good send-off but to get out on the town to eat some ribs in the shadow of the BOK Center, catch some rockin' music at a selection of free outdoor concerts and run a foot race in a kilt? Would you believe me if I told you that it's all right here in Tulsa this weekend?

Well, you should. Because it is. And also because you heard it Friday morning on the KRMG Morning News with Joe Kelley.

Tasha's Picks for the Weekend of September 18, 19 & 20

Friday


Rock 'N Rib Festival
When: Now-Sunday; Friday, 11am-12am; Saturday, 11am-12am; Sunday, 11am-3pm
Where: BOK Center, Third and Frisco
Ever had the opportunity to gnaw on ribs with a fruit-based BBQ sauce from Australia alongside Johnson's fiery “Thermonuclear Sauce” from Virginia, all at one time, in one place? Consider your last living wish granted in the form of the first annual Rock 'N Rib Festival in downtown Tulsa. Admission for adults is $3 unless it's before 1pm Friday and Saturday (then it's free), and all kids under 12 get in for nothing the entire festival – not a bad price, considering some of the music acts that will be jammin' this thing into the history books. If you go BBQ hunting Saturday, don't forget to venture inside the BOK Center between 10am-2pm for the second annual free open house, which features tours, live music and a little token of gratitude for helping to give the arena a first year that was even better than it expected.

Saturday


Ladies First 5K & One Mile Run
When: Saturday, 5:00pm
Where: RiverParks West Amphitheatre
Men will literally be chasing skirts in this race, and their wives and girlfriends won't even mind – after all, the men have to catch up to the skirted ladies who got a three-minute head start, right? Entrants get a short sleeved Brooks technical fabric running shirt and free admission to the Oklahoma Scottish Festival (see below), and, good news, there's still time to sign up. Don't miss the fashion show with women's running apparel and men in kilts (rawr). I'll see you at the men's sexy leg contest.

Sunday


Mamma Mia!
When: Now-Sunday; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm & 8pm; Sunday, 2pm & 7pm
Where: Tulsa Performing Arts Center, Chapman Music Hall
A mother, a daughter, three possible dads. A sunny, funny tale indeed. And who could beat the ABBA soundtrack? Be one of the 40 million people all around the world who have added this story to their annals of the best of the best.


Music


P.D.A. “Act III: Wasted Talent” CD Release Party
When: Friday, doors at 8pm, show at 8:30
Where: The Marquee, 222 N. Main St.
I got a little preview of this album, and let me tell you, this is a CD release party not to be missed. For a preview of the awesomeness, check out the P.D.A. Myspace page and hit play. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Tip: Be one of the first 50 people through the door to get a free copy of Act III.

The Gourds
When: Saturday, doors at 7pm, show at 8
Where: Cain's Ballroom
Ramsay Midwood will open for this Austin-based band that claims to have never been much on sentiment. Not much on sentiment? Loves to shy away from tear-in-my-beer “country” ballads? I think I'm in love. Advance tickets are $16, day of are $18.

Regal Plaza Free Outdoor Concert: The Fabulous Mid Life Crisis Band
When: Saturday, 7-9pm
Where: Regal Plaza, 101st and Memorial
If you didn't get enough of The Fabulous Mid Life Crisis Band at Rock 'N Rib Festival Thursday night or at Kings Pointe Village Friday night (busy weekend, eh, fellas?), head out to Regal Plaza Saturday night, where stores will be open late to party with concert goers, and they'll be offering special concert pricing, too. Know what goes even better with free music than discount shopping? A deep-dish Sears Tower pizza and a Marshall's IPA from Savastano's, that's what.

Full Service
When: Sunday, doors at 7pm, show at 8
Where: Cain's Ballroom
Orra will open for the second Austin-based band at Cain's Ballroom in a weekend (Full Service isn't exactly what you'd call defiant country music, however). Advance tickets are $8, or $10 at the door.


Theater


Comedy Night for Playhouse Theater
When: Friday, 8-10:30pm
Where: Agora Coffeehouse, 51st and Memorial
The admission price of $10 will benefit Playhouse Theater of Tulsa. Who's to argue with a night of family-friendly comedy for a good cause? Be sure to say hello to the kids of Crayons! Improv while you're there.

HOT L Baltimore
When: Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 8pm
Where: Tulsa Performing Arts Center
Forget Mrs. Dalloway and get down with this much seedier, less British edition of the day-in-the-life meditation. A tale of how the residents of the Hotel Baltimore (so run down that the E is missing from the marquee) meet and interact with each other during the course of a single day turns into a call for Americans to recover lost values and restore itself not just in its own eyes, but also in the eyes of the world.

Government Death Cheese: A Decomposition on Dying American!
When: Friday & Saturday, 8-10pm
Where: Nightingale Theater, 1416 E. Fourth
Anarchist healthcare reform shadow puppetry. What more could you want? Tickets are $5.

Rabbit Hole
When: Friday-Saturday, 8pm
Where: Heller Theatre at Henthorne Park, 4825 S. Quaker
Escape your own rabbit hole for one night and make your way to the newly opened Heller Theatre at Henthorne Park for this production of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize winner.

Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School
When: Sunday, 7-8pm
Where: Nightingale Theater, 1416 E. Fourth
You want burlesque performers? Notable artists? Musicians? All kinds of other beautiful, interesting people, modeling just for you? You got it. Skip evening service at church and bring your best pencils and $7 to Nightingale and get ready for a one-of-a-kind life drawing experience.


Other Stuff


Oklahoma Scottish Festival
When: Friday-Sunday
Where: RiverWest Festival Park
Many folks discover they are a wee bit Scottish at this annual shindig. Head to the west side of the Arkansas to help celebrate the 30th year of this festival with live bands, athletes, pipe bands, highland dancers, kids glen, tug o' war, whiskey tastings and, introducing, MacBeerfest. Guess you'll have to show up at OSF to find out exactly what that means.

Third Annual Restaurant Week
When: Through Saturday
Where: All over Tulsa
The week of good food at an even better price wraps up this weekend. Dine on a three-course, prix-fixe (or fixed price, meaning you get a number of meal choices under the umbrella of a certain price – in this case it's $12.95 for lunch, $29.95 for supper) at selected Tulsa restaurants, including Avalon Steakhouse, The Brasserie, KEO and Palace Cafe - some of my very favorites. A portion of the proceeds benefits the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma's Food 4 Kids Program.

Eighth Annual Fair Kick-Off Party
When: Friday, 6pm
Where: Expo Square Pavillion
Hit up what the folks at Expo Square like to call “the most unique party in Tulsa” in its eighth iteration. At the event will be live and silent auctions, dancing to music by the Red Dirt Rangers, a preview of the foodie feats by fair vendors and the VIP room, where party goers can catch a broadcast of local sports. Tickets are $50.

Oklahoma Indian Summer
When: Friday-Sunday
Where: Bartlesville Community Center, downtown on the corner of Adams and Cherokee
Love Native American Art? Get thee to Bartlesville this weekend for a juried art competition that will pull together the work of more than 30 American Indian artists. Authentic Indian sculpture, paintings, clothing, gourd art, pottery, wood sculpture, basket weaving, silverwork, beadwork, leather goods and more (!) will be available to ogle and purchase. Look also for the intertribal powwow and contests on Friday and Saturday, traditional crafting and cultural demonstrations all weekend long, Indian storytelling Saturday and church service and gospel singing Sunday. Did I mention food? Oh boy, will there be food.

Enrichment Day 2009
When: Saturday, 9:30am-1:30pm
Where: Tulsa Zoo
It's a wild adventure to spend the day enriching animals with objects that appeal to their raw instincts, yeah, but it's also one of the busiest days of the year at Tulsa Zoo & Living Museum. Kids can watch zookeepers as they create critter versions of Grandma's Sudoku for every zoo animal and boogey to tunes provided by Radio Disney. Look also for an obstacle courses, dancing, music and other fun stuff.

tTownmoms.com Weekend Play Date
When: Saturday, 10am-12pm
Where: Galaxy Home Entertainment, 7813 E. Admiral Place
Join tTownmoms.com for a morning of fun and you just might return home with a free playset worth nearly $2000 (don't forget to enter!). For the kids there will be face painting, a balloon artist, snacks, drinks and crafts. For parents is an opportunity to get out of the house and have a little less action and a lot more adult-level talk.

Newsome Community Farm Workday
When: Saturday, 10am-1pm
Where: Newsome Community Farm, 2620 E. 56th Street North
Pull on your work boots and head north of town to help harvest, plant, till and generally get the Newsome farm ready for winter.

Cook Book Swap
When: Saturday, 11am-2pm
Where: Allen's Gourmet Grocery, 4329 S. Peoria Ave.
As part of the weeklong celebration of the store's one-year anniversary, Allen's Grocery is partnering with Booksmart Tulsa to host its first-ever cook book swap. Simply bring in your surplus (we won't say haggard or tired because in the world of cook books, there's no such thing - only thoroughly loved) cook books and swap 'em with others. Be sure to sample some of Allen's cheeses, meats and other treats. Plus, all purchases made during the swap will be discounted by 10 percent. Squee!

Oklahoma Authors at Gardner's Used Books & Music
When: Saturday, 1pm
Where: Gardner's Used Books & Music,
Don't forget to bring the kids to meet children's book author Darleen Bailey Beard, the writer behind Operation Clean Sweep, The Babbs Switch Story, Twister (appropriate much from an Okie author?) and The Flimflam Man. And guess what – she's bringing Elvis. Yes, that Elvis.

Spa, Pool & Sauna Show
When: Friday, 5-9pm; Saturday, 10am-8pm; Sunday, 10am-6pm
Where: SpiritBank Event Center
Looking for the good life now that summer is over and prices have dropped? Look no further than SpiritBank Event Center in Bixby this weekend. Admission to this seriously sudsy show is as free as you'll feel when you test out your birthday suit in your new hot tub.

Tulsa Comic and Anime Expo
When: Saturday, 10am-12am; Sunday, 10am-6pm
Where: Tulsa Convention Center
If the reason your bed leans to one side is because the stack of comic books underneath continues to grow, then you can't miss Oklahoma's largest anime, comic, fantasy, video game, sci-fi and gaming convention. Advance tickets are $23, $30 at the door.

Brookside Artzz
CORRECTION! When: SATURDAY, 11am-5pm
Where: Brookside, 37th-39th Streets
Art and jazz – just two more reasons why Brookside is such a Tulsa hotspot. Head to T-Town's original drag strip after church this week for everything from photography and giclee to pottery and jewelry, all by 30 local artists and set to the music of five Tulsa jazz bands.


Sports


FUHBAHL! Tulsa at Oklahoma
When: Saturday, 2:30pm
Where: Memorial Stadium in Norman

FUHBAHL! Rice at Oklahoma State
When: Saturday, 6:00pm
Where: Boone Pickens Stadium at Lewis Field in Stillwater

Komen Race for the Cure
When: Saturday, 6:00am-10:30pm
Where: CityPlex Towers
Join runners and walkers alike in this largest 5K in Tulsa and a celebration of life and those who have lost their lives in a battle with breast cancer. There's still time to donate, and time to sign up to run or walk, too. You could even join the team headed by LeAnne Taylor, News on 6 anchor, breast cancer survivor and 2009 president of Susan G. Komen Tulsa. Cool!

Super Shows Gun & Knife Show
When: Saturday, 9am-5pm; Sunday, 10am-4pm
Where: Expo Square Exchange Center
Don't miss your chance to visit the top guns of the state's gun, knife and ammo industry, all under one roof. Admission is $10.

American Miniature National Show
When: Now-Sept. 19
Where: Expo Square
We humans have a penchant for miniature stuff: miniature dogs, miniature people and, of course, miniature horses. Catch this show of tiny horses – big fun in a small package, as they're called – through Saturday.


Movies

Manhattan Short Film Festival

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
When: Opens Friday
It's so nice to know there's someone out there in the world who thinks about meatballs falling from the sky to solve world hunger, let alone more people who thought it'd be cool to make a movie about it. Rated PG.

The Informant!
When: Opens Friday
Sigh. Matt Damon. Incidentally, the story has a plot – it's the story of the highest-ranking corporate whistleblower in U.S. history. Rated R.

Jennifer's Body
When: Friday
Different kind of sigh. Megan Fox. Incidentally, this story has no plot – not one above and beyond the ho-hum murderous cheerleader gimmick, anyway. Redeemer: The movie was written by Diablo Cody (of Juno fame). Rated R.

Love Happens
When: Opens Friday
Aniston and Eckhart – not exactly a Bergman and Bogart, but for this weekend, we'll take what we can get. A self-help author finds help from someone besides, ahem, himself.

Manhattan Short Film Festival
When: Sunday, 7-9pm
Where: Circle Cinema
Feeling critical? Exorcise the demons at this film festival where you're the judge. Each member of the audience will be given a voting card upon entry to the theater and will be asked to vote for the one film he or she thinks should win. The winner will be announced Sept. 29 in New York City.

2 comments:

Brigid said...

Hot l Baltimore features me, so you know you wanna be there.

Amber said...

As usual, you have made me flush with excitement about the upcoming weekend. You make me proud to be a Tulsan, Natasha Ball.

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