WHERE TO BEGIN WELCOME TO NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA, home to Vance Air Force Base - training the best military aviators in the world. The City of Enid - home to Vance AFB - has agricultural roots and a beginning that dates back to the largest land run in history. Today, Enid is a town that respectfully nods to the morals and values of yesteryear and flirtatiously winks at big city conveniences and modern expectations. There’s nothing plain about her.
Although popular restaurants and retailers like Chili’s, I-Hop and Old Navy give many newcomers a sense of familiarity, it’s the unique and privately owned businesses, sense of community and commitment to quality of life that give Enid depth and charm beyond your average cookie-cutter town. Let’s face it - as good as sizzling fajitas coupled with a cold margarita or a stack of buttery pancakes paired with a bottomless pot of coffee may be, most of us need something a bit more to get acclimated to a new town and to feel more at home. Yes, moving always jolts a shockwave through us—there is nothing admittedly fun about unpacking boxes, straining muscles, finding valuables broken and realizing you have way more stuff than you know what to do with. Even before the boxes arrive, there’s so much to consider: Where are we going to live? What school is right for my kids? Which church should I attend? Who sells organic milk? What channel airs NBC? And, where’s the local pub? Maybe you’re an airman, a student pilot, an instructor pilot, the new flight doc or a dependent. Perhaps this is your first military move, or it’s your fifteenth. Have you always hung your hat in a small town and ordered a plain ol’ cup of Joe? Or, is the big city your home and a venti-low-fat-no-whip-decaf-mocha your daily grind? Whoever you are and wherever you come from, this guide is for you. Here’s a thumbnail sketch of where to begin in Enid. Read on—and make yourself at home.
MAIN STREET ENID is all about creating quality of life. “The whole reason we exist,” explains Main Street Enid Program Director Kelly Tompkins, “is to revitalize the downtown area and make it beautiful.” Main Street is a non-profit national program that boasts a four-point approach (design, economic restructuring, membership & promotion) and focuses on the life of a community. And by the life of a community, every aspect is included from aesthetic appeal and historical integrity to economic vitality and special events. Celebrating 19 years of revitalization (1994-2013), Main Street Enid started by attracting local and regional people to the downtown area through promoting special events. Oktoberfest, held on the first Saturday in October, is an authentic German experience for the young and old. Main Street recreates an old German beer hall and entertains downtown Enid with polka bands, cloggers, German fare such as bratwurst and kolaches, and children’s activities. Enid Lights Up the Plains follows during the Thanksgiving weekend and creates a magical time filled with live entertainment at the Courthouse Gazebo, carriage rides, Santa, merchant sales, food vendors, and, of course, a spectacular fireworks display choreographed to holiday music. Main Street Enid’s special events and downtown revitalization have reached many benchmarks in their 19 years’ existence; however, the program will always be a work in progress. If you would like to volunteer for Main Street Enid, find out more about their mission or special events, contact Kelly Tompkins at 234-1052.
Enid, Oklahoma
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