Oklahoma Magazine November 2025

It’s more than a job. It’s a calling.

Discover how your career can become something greater at Saint Francis Health System. Scan to apply today!

20 Fueling Oklahoma’s Future Oklahoma’s energy companies remain the backbone of the state’s economy, driving progress forward. Beyond powering homes and fueling the economy, these oil and gas and electric utility companies are investing in communities through philanthropy, innovation and workforce development.

25 Special Section: Super Lawyers

45 Dining from Dawn ‘til Dark

From a sunrise coffee and croissant to a midnight burger and beer, Oklahoma’s dining scene never takes a break. Talented chefs are redefining what it means to eat well, whether that’s a decadent brunch, pastry pitstop or a dinner worth dressing up for.

Dominica, a hidden gem within the Caribbean, stuns with cuisine, history and architecture.

The iconic Mayo Hotel finally has the one thing it was missing: a showstopping restaurant.

The opening of the holiday season beckons with community events galore.

PRESIDENT

DANIEL SCHUMAN

PUBLISHER AND FOUNDER

VIDA K. SCHUMAN

MANAGING

MARY WILLA ALLEN

CONTRIBUTING

JOHN WOOLEY

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

BRYAN MEADOR

DIGITAL CONSULTANT

JAMES AVERY

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

STEPHANIE PHILLIPS, BRENT FUCHS

CONTACT US

Letter from the Editor

If you’re even slightly hungry while perusing this month’s issue, I recommend you grab a snack before diving in. Why? It’s time for the annual food issue, of course! This year, we explore Oklahoma’s culinary landscape at large, from early morning coffee and croissants to midnight burgers and brews. Whether you’re looking for a lowkey lunch, mid-afternoon pick-me-up or some decadent dinner plans, it’s safe to say that Oklahoma’s dining scene will have you covered (page 45).

Speaking of things that fuel Oklahomans, we also take a look at the energy and electric utility companies that keep the lights on in our great state. More than a cornerstone of our economy, these businesses also invest in the state through various philanthropic initiatives and eco-conscious, sustainable practices (page 20).

To salute Veterans Day, we sit down with four veterans – spanning different ages and wars – to discuss a day on the front lines, adjusting back to civilian life and the hope they have for our country’s

Keeping that feel-good vibe alive are several other gems, including a spotlight on Thanksgiving volunteerism efforts (page 4); a peek at the new restaurant atop Mayo Hotel (page 56); and a chat with Krystal Reyes, Tulsa’s first-ever Latina Deputy Mayor (page 64).

We’ve got two months left of 2025 — let’s make ‘em count.

Cheevers; photo by Choate House Photography

The State

Serving More Than Meals

Nonprofit organizations, their tireless employees and selfless volunteers make Thanksgiving special for everyone.

In celebration of the holiday, Oklahoma nonprofits are serving up traditional Thanksgiving meals to people who need them most. For those served, a warm meal represents more than just dinner service; it’s an opportunity to connect and experience a sense of belonging.

“We’ve been serving [Thanksgiving meals] for as long as I’ve been here,” says Erin Goodin, president and CEO at City Rescue Mission in OKC. “The thought behind it is to create a community on Thanksgiving, so that no one is left eating at the table by themselves.”

City Rescue Mission

For weeks, volunteers and staff are hard at work prepping turkeys and vegetables for City Rescue Mission’s annual Thanksgiving banquet. On Thanksgiving Day —

this year on Nov. 27 — the Oklahoma City nonprofit will serve free breakfast in the morning and a traditional Thanksgiving meal later in the day to its clients.

Founded in 1960, City Rescue Mission helps those experiencing homelessness in the OKC metro. The faith-based nonprofit assists its clients with obtaining safe housing and becoming selfsufficient.

The Thanksgiving banquet gives City Rescue Mission’s clients an opportunity to gather and connect with others during the holidays.

“A lot of times the people that we serve lack a good social support system,” Goodin explains. “So we really become that for them while we try to connect them back into the community.”

The nonprofit served meals to 1,300 people last year. To make the banquet possible, the City Rescue Mission relies on

hundreds of volunteers to help prepare food, set up tables, and serve guests.

“All of our volunteers give up a day that they could spend with their families to serve others,” shares Goodin. “It’s amazing to see. We have 300 people here on Thanksgiving Day that have sacrificed time at home to give back and be a part of something bigger.”

To get involved, go to cityrescue.org/ volunteer.

City Rescue Mission, founded in 1960, helps those experiencing homelessness with obtaining a residence and getting back on their feet. The nonprofit also hosts an annual Thanksgiving meal to celebrate clients and their hard work. Photo courtesy City Rescue Mission

Photo courtesy the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma

Edmond Community Thanksgiving Dinner

In 1981, the Paradise family organized the first community Thanksgiving dinner in Edmond, inviting anyone who wished to join. The family’s small act of kindness has turned into a long-standing tradition that has fed thousands of people over the years.

This Thanksgiving, the Edmond Community Thanksgiving Dinner will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Bronco Room on the UCO campus. The meal features traditional holiday fixings, including turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, cornbread, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.

In the same spirit as the first community dinner, anyone is welcome to come.

“A lot of people think that we’re just feeding people who are homeless,” says Gary Smith, who has volunteered for the organization since 2007. “Although we do get folks in those demographics, we also cater to the students at UCO who are away from their families and don’t get to travel home.”

Last year, the Edmond Community Thanksgiving Dinner Association served approximately 900 people on Thanksgiving Day. The nonprofit also relies on a robust group of volunteers to set up, cook food and provide table service to guests.

Volunteers are needed throughout November and on Thanksgiving Day. Smith encourages people to follow the Edmond Community Dinner Thanksgiving Facebook page to receive updates about volunteer opportunities.

“When you get to see another family connect — knowing that you were part of the catalyst for that happening — it gives you a special feeling that this [dinner] needs to continue,” shares Smith. “We’re doing everything in our power to make that happen.”

To learn more about the organization, check out edmondthanksgivingdinner. org.

Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma

The Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma has gathered over 6,000 turkeys and 2,000 hams to distribute for Thanksgiving this year. The nonprofit, which has longserved meals on Thanksgiving Day, began placing orders for Thanksgiving turkeys in February.

Dedicated to ending food insecurity in Oklahoma, the food bank has experienced increasing demand for its services.

“In the last year, we’ve seen a 26% increase in the number of guests seeking help that have never used one of our pantries before,” says Jeff Marlow, CEO at the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.

This year, the organization will distribute 150 Thanksgiving meals to families in need. These ready-to-eat meals include traditional proteins and sides.

“For people that may not have the resources to prepare their own freshcooked meals, it means a lot to them,” adds Marlow.

The food bank needs volunteers to help with preparing and packaging the Thanksgiving meals this year. People can also support the food bank by hosting a food drive or donating funds to the organization.

“Just knowing that we’re making a difference in people’s lives is what drives us every day,” reflects Marlow. “So many people out there don’t have family support … The food bank is that safety net and family support system for so many people. That’s what gets me excited and makes me want to do more every day.”

To register for volunteer opportunities, go to okfoodbank.org/volunteer.

FAITH HARL

The Edmond Community Thanksgiving Dinner served approximately 900 people last year – and all are welcome to attend.

Photo courtesy Edmond Community Thanksgiving Dinner

The Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, which has seen a sizable increase in clients over the last year, needs volunteers to help with preparing and packaging the Thanksgiving meals this year. Photos courtesy the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma

Providing Essential Access

Efforts are well underway to ensure all of Oklahoma has access to high-speed broadband internet connection.

High-speed internet service is no longer a luxury — it has become almost as essential as electricity, clean water and transportation in living one’s everyday life in the U.S.

Luckily, Oklahoma will be provided with high-speed internet service through three grant programs administered by the Oklahoma Broadband Office. The programs will build out high-speed internet service to unserved and underserved areas throughout the state.

More than 69,000 locations — with the vast majority in rural Oklahoma — will be funded by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds and the ARPA Capital Projects Fund, covering 95% of the state.

The remaining five percent of locations in Oklahoma that still lack adequate service will be covered by the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program funding.

A mix of fiber, fixed wireless and satellite, where appropriate, will offer high-speed internet connections to

Oklahomans, and the grant programs are planned to be completed by the end of 2026.

“Our grant programs are helping rural households, small towns, tribal communities and farms where high-speed access has previously been too expensive for private companies to reach,” says Mike Sanders, executive director of the Oklahoma Broadband Office.

Those living in rural Oklahoma will benefit the most from the efforts of the Oklahoma Broadband Office, which harbors a goal to ensure every home, business and farm in Oklahoma has access to broadband service.

Additionally, Oklahoma is home to 39 federally recognized tribal nations. For any BEAD project on tribal lands, Oklahoma’s Broadband Office must obtain and include a written tribal resolution of consent. The Broadband Office has been actively coordinating with tribal governments and collecting project-by-project consents as required.

“The biggest challenges revolve around the nature of rural areas — population density,” says Sanders. “When homes and businesses are few and far

between, it’s difficult to connect them to service, and it is much more expensive.”

However, the Broadband Office ensures internet service providers receiving grant funds offer a low-cost option for those to be served. The providers were selected through a competitive applications process — the Benefit of the Bargain round, which focuses on the lowest cost technologies. This broadband project will build pathways to education, healthcare, jobs and opportunity to Oklahomans.

“You can run a million-dollar company, receive a college degree or have a doctor’s appointment from a laptop on your kitchen table, but you have to have access. That’s what we are doing — providing that access,” Sanders says.

In the education sector, high-speed broadband connection will enable families to access remote learning, homework assistance, virtual tutoring and dual-credit programs. On the healthcare side, connection will provide access to telehealth and connect rural patients with specialists, and support remote monitoring for seniors and veterans. On the job front, broadband will support access to online applications, remote work, business e-commerce and workforce upskilling.

“From precision agriculture to smallbusiness growth and adult education, reliable internet is a force multiplier — it expands markets, cuts costs and creates choices for families and communities. Our investments are targeted so those benefits reach places that have been left behind,” Sanders says.

Progress can be tracked in real time on the OBO Broadband Dashboard available on the agency’s website, broadband. ok.gov.

JENNIFER LEE

The Oklahoma Broadband Office is utilizing three grant programs to provide high-speed broadband internet connection to all of Oklahoma, including the most rural locations. Photos courtesy the Oklahoma Broadband Office

The Joy of Inhabiting Language

Linguaphile Hernán Díaz will receive this year’s prestigious Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award.

Even before he learned how to write, Hernán Díaz knew words were his thing.

“I always knew I wanted to be a writer. I grew up in a rather bookish home, which helped. But as a child, I never wanted to become an astronaut or a firefighter. An unexplainable love of language, which has been with me forever, was my motivation,” says the Pulitzer Prize-winning and bestselling author of the novels Trust and In the Distance, and the nonfiction Borges, Between History and Eternity.

A longtime professor and academic journal editor, Díaz is this year’s recipient of the Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award, given by the Tulsa City-County Library and Tulsa Library Trust.

“It defies belief to find one’s name in a list including so many heroes, from Toni

Morrison to Kazuo Ishiguro, from Ian McEwan to Hilary Mantel. Just imagine a list from which one could produce such names at random,” says Díaz. “It is also quite special to be honored by the Tulsa City-County Library. I’ve always worked at libraries, and I still do. I have an unpayable debt of gratitude to the librarians and curators that have helped me through the years, and their service to their communities should always be remembered and praised.”

Over the past decade, Díaz has received numerous accolades, including the 2023 John Updike Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, given to “a writer whose contributions to American Literature have demonstrated consistent excellence.” His first novel, In the Distance, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award. His second novel, Trust, received the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and was longlisted for the Booker Prize, among

other nominations.

Highly acclaimed for his narrative ingenuity, intellectual depth and elegant prose, the linguaphile Díaz says he “can’t imagine writing without feeling the joy of inhabiting language, without the thrill of discovering a felicitous syntactical surprise, without the gratitude for having found the right word, without the hope of sharing these pleasures with the reader.”

Born in 1973 in Argentina, the multilingual Díaz moved with his family to Sweden when he was 2, returned to Argentina around age 9, moved to London in his early 20s and then to the U.S. in 1999, where he has lived in New York for over two decades.

“Although I’ve traveled extensively throughout the United States, I have never been to Oklahoma,” he shares. “I’m glad this grave situation will be rectified soon. I’ve always associated Oklahoma with the last pages of Amerika, Kafka’s unfinished first novel. We leave Karl Rossman, the protagonist, on a train headed for the ‘Nature Theater of Oklahoma.’ Thus, since my teenage years, the resounding name of your state has been filled with promise.”

JACKIE HILL

2025 Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award Featuring Hernán Díaz

Free Public Presentation and Book Signing Dec. 4 ● 5:30 p.m.

Author Presentation and Black-Tie Gala Dec. 5 ● 6 p.m. Central Library Fifth Street and Denver Ave. Visit tulsalibrary.org/helmerichaward for more details.

Hernán Díaz, who has won the John Updike Award and Pulitzer Prize, visits Tulsa in December to take home the Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award. Headshot by Pascal Perich, book covers courtesy the Tulsa City-County Library

ECHOES OF VALOR

They wore similar uniforms, but have vastly different stories. From the front lines of World War II and Korea to the technological shifts of Desert Storm and Enduring Freedom, each veteran profiled here left an indelible mark in their own way. Years later, they reflect on resilience, hardship and the hope that carried them — and continues to carry others — forward.

BY KIMBERLY BURK

WAYNE WEBSTER World War II NAVY

Before he went off to fight in World War II, U.S. Navy veteran Wayne Webster says he “did not know there was a town bigger than McAlester.”

“My life began when I went into the service,” says Webster, a Sand Springs resident who celebrated his 99th birthday this year. “The rest of it was nothing but work and plowing and raising cotton and corn.”

Webster suffered his share of deprivations as a child, but notes that “we weren’t the only ones.”

His family lived for a while in a farmhouse with no running water or utilities. He was four when an older brother died, and his mother died when he was seven.

He enlisted in the Navy in 1943, “just before they drafted me,” and served as a gunner’s mate on AM 296, an auxiliary mine sweeper. Webster’s ship

took part in eleven World War II invasions in the Philippines, and four in Borneo.

“We had a pretty good crew,” he says. “Ninety percent, at least, were under 19 years old.”

There were many close calls, which Webster can recall in detail.

“There was a four-engine bomber that dropped two at us,” he shares. “We heard them whistling coming down.” Both bombs narrowly missed the ship.

A senior officer once scolded him because he had gone six months without writing to his father.

“I said to him, ‘What can I write? I can’t tell him where we have been, where we are going, where we are, you can’t even discuss the weather.’”

Webster says about the only thing he could tell his dad was that he was OK, to which the officer “looked me right in the eye, and said, ‘Don’t you think your old dad would like to hear that?’”

After the war, two of Webster’s brothers left for work in California and the third remained in McAlester. He has outlived all of them. One of his two sons died last year. Growing up without sisters, Webster says, he is especially fond of his daughters-in-law.

“They are more like daughters,” he says.

Wayne Webster, part of the 1% of World War II veterans still alive today, says his Navy crew was composed of soldiers who were “90% under 19 years old.” Photos courtesy Wayne Webster/Sand Springs Veterans Center

A Donut Dolly’s van with kitchen crew poses after serving the chow line lunch during World War II. Photo courtesy the Oklahoma Historical Society

KYLE BESSE

Operation Enduring Freedom NATIONAL GUARD

On a recent Sunday, Kyle Besse began his day at a homeless shelter.

“I found a veteran, took him to church, and then got his phone number to help him apply for benefits,” says Besse, 33, a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He spent nearly six years in the Oklahoma National Guard and was deployed in 2012-13.

Besse, who lives in Oklahoma City, was medically retired as a sergeant with PTSD and a traumatic brain injury, which happened when an IED (improvised explosive device) struck a truck he was driving. The blast injury resulted in epilepsy. He’s now a full-time volunteer, and his job is veteran advocacy.

He works primarily through American Legion Post 12 in Bethany-Warr Acres to help veterans apply for the benefits they are entitled to.

“I love working with Vietnam veterans, that is where my heart is at,” he shares. “They did not get a fair shake back in the day. We have an opportunity now to make things right.”

Besse joined the military to help with college expenses. He was a dental assistant in a medical attachment, but his role changed after deployment.

“My job was to clear the roads of IEDs and mines,” he says. “I thought I was going to die the whole time.”

But he fought to stay alive, looking forward to being with his wife, who was also serving in the military. The marriage eventually ended, but Besse says they have remained friends.

He sings the praises of the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit that assists veterans who incurred a physical or mental injury on or after Sept. 11, 2001. A couple of months ago, he joined fellow Wounded Warriors at Zion National Park in Utah for an adventure therapy retreat designed to help veterans “rediscover, re-engage and recharge,” he says.

It was through the Wounded Warrior Project that he was able to begin talking about the details of his time in Afghanistan, which had been bottled up for ten years.

“I saw tremendous progress after that,” he says. “I sleep better. I have a better mood.”

Like many veterans, Besse says he would do it all over again – and he encourages other young Americans to serve.

“Our country needs them,” he says. “And it will help set them up for success in the future.”

MARY EPPERLY

Operations Desert Shield & Desert Storm ARMY

Mary Epperly was deployed during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and she draws disability pay for PTSD and other military-related conditions. Yet, she says, she loved her time in the U.S. Army.

“My military experience was awesome,” she says. “I regret nothing.”

Epperly racked up track and field records at Vinita High School that stand today — and gleaned her plenty of scholarship offers. But she had decided by her junior year to enlist right out of high school. She trained in logistics and was sent to South Korea. She grew to love it there.

“I worked for the Republic of Korea Army, we were a combat support team for them,” she says.

On her second plane ride to Saudi Arabia, she met her future husband, Robert Epperly, a Mannford native and Patriot missile operator.

“He fired the missiles, and I ordered them,” she says. She was stationed at Khobar Towers, where “there were scud [missile]

alerts night after night, and you ended up in the bunker,” she says.

Yet there are fond memories, too, of letters from home and serving with a warrant officer “who was the most amazing person I could have worked for.”

She and Robert then served in the same unit in El Paso, but left the Army rather than name a custodial guardian for their daughter in advance of a possible deployment. They wanted to be the ones to raise their child. Back in Oklahoma they found work at manufacturing plants, where their careers flourished.

“The training and experience I got in the military has been phenomenal,” she says.

She had worried she would not be suited to civilian work, but soon found the structure and camaraderie she needed. Robert is commander of their American Legion Post. Both rely primarily on the VA for healthcare, and she admits the system could use some improvement — but says it’s not the only resource available. She found support at church, and they volunteer for Vets that Matter in Sand Springs.

“We help veterans pay their rent and utility bills,” she shares. “We build wheelchair ramps, replace windows. It’s all at no cost to veterans.”

TERRY SPRADLEY Korean War MARINE CORPS

Terry Spradley volunteered to go to Korea because he wanted to fight. However, the U.S. Marine Corps had other plans for him ... and he was not happy about it.

“I had been to Camp Pendleton for advanced combat training,” he says. “I was an infantryman.” But he was sent to electronics school, then assigned to work on airplane radar systems at a base near Pohang, far behind enemy lines.

“We played tennis,” he shares. “I had a dog. I attended a church there, and helped in an orphanage.”

By the time his two and a half years in the Marines were over, his attitude had changed.

“I was so grateful I did not have to kill anybody,” he says. “And I’ve used that electronics background all my life.”

He enrolled at the University of Oklahoma and was married during his senior year. With a family to support, he found a job at Tinker Air Force Base and switched to night classes. He completed a psychology degree at Oklahoma City University, then worked two years for the Federal Aviation Administration. He taught for a couple of years at Star Spencer High School, then earned a master’s degree from Oklahoma State University.

He launched his career in higher education at what is now Cameron University in Lawton, teaching computer hardware and software. Cameron sent him back to OSU for a Ph.D., and he was delighted to learn he had two more years of eligibility on his GI bill.

At age 50, he was offered a retirement package from Cameron that included a pension he continues to collect at age 90.

He then opened Terry’s Bicycles in Lawton, which he owned for 30 years. And he won hundreds of bicycle races, too — including state and national championships.

Last year, Spradley was awarded the Korean Ambassador for Peace Medal.

“They sent somebody from South Korea,” he says. “Two of us received it at the American Legion state convention. They told us if the U.S. had not come there, they would be part of North Korea now. They are so grateful.”

Mental Health Resources for Veterans

Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988, then Press 1 Online Chat: Start a live, confidential chat at veteranscrisisline.net

Medically retired from the National Guard after a traumatic brain injury from an IED, Kyle Besse now dedicates himself to veteran advocacy around the state.

Photo courtesy Kyle Besse/Post 12, Bethany

After being trained in logistics, Mary Epperly was stationed in South Korea and worked within Khobar Towers. “There were scud [missile] alerts night after night, and you ended up in the bunker,” she says.

Photos courtesy Mary Epperly/ Sand Springs Veteran Center

Although he originally wanted to be on the front lines of the Korean War, Terry Spradley was sent to electronics school and assigned to work on airplane radar systems. For his work, he received the Korean Ambassador for Peace Medal last year. Photos courtesy American Legion Dobbs-Adams Post 55

Full Court Fun

Adult recreational sporting leagues encourage athletic activity and social connections.

Oklahoma plays host to a wide range of adult recreational sporting leagues, and the popularity of these clubs is only growing. A plethora of options are available for those looking to get active and make connections – including volleyball, basketball, flag football, kickball and even bowling. Whether you’re super competitive or a type B social sports enthusiast, you’re welcome to join in on the fun.

“All our leagues hold some competitiveness, but our main focus is fun and a healthy community,” says Dory Wehr, executive director and CEO for Tulsa Sports and Events, which manages recreational sports leagues and tournaments in the area. “We strive to provide space for people to continue a healthy lifestyle in a fun community.

Kensi Wells, regional sports director with OSSO Sports and Social – a similar organization based out of OKC – agrees with the sentiment.

“We cater to social sports,” she says. “Our aim is to appeal to everyone, even if they don’t fancy themselves as athletic or competitive.”

Joining a league is as simple as going online, finding the sport you like, and adding your name to the list.

“You don’t need to know anyone to join,” says Wehr. If you’ve got a big group wanting to play or you’re flying solo, you’ll be accommodated.

“We have an option to either put in a whole team or register as an individual,” she continues. “We do our best to create free agent teams every season for individual players. Once you are in the league, you meet new people and, in turn, usually end up creating relationships with existing teams, or liking your free agent teams enough to stay for the next season as a returning team.”

The cost is dependent on both the league and the sport.

“Our leagues run anywhere from $69 to $89,” says Wells. “No athleticism is required. We are here to provide a place for you and your friends to hang out, create a community and be active.”

At Tulsa Sports and Events, costs also vary by sport, and different levels of athleticism are typically split.

“We usually create different divisions in each sport, so whether you are highly

athletic or just getting into it, you have a division to play in,” Wehr says.

If the social scene is another reason you want to join a recreational league, that’s also a big part of what makes them so special.

“We are all about the social scene. Our sand volleyball leagues are hosted at Pearl Beach Brew Pub in both OKC and Tulsa, and the field sports players are encouraged to come enjoy food and drinks after the games to hang out with all the other players,” says Wells.

Wehr continues: “Much of our community has been playing with us for many years. They sometimes do drink nights after games or their team is very close knit and will go out to dinner with their families after games.”

In the end, friendly competition and a place for personal growth are paramount.

“Our primary focus is on health and wellness and fostering a positive environment for all participants,” says Wehr. “This genuine dedication is what keeps our community returning year after year.”

DREW JOSEPH ALLEN

Tulsa Sports and Events offers a variety of recreational leagues, accommodating all levels of athleticism. Photos courtesy Tulsa Sports and Events

From Solo Hobbies to Brand New Communities

Unique clubs help Oklahomans cultivate passions and forge lasting bonds.

Oklahoma is home to a diverse and thriving community of social clubs, many of which go beyond the typical to embrace unique and niche interests.

Of those, Tulsa Modern Quilt Guild (TMQG) board member Jenelle Abbott says their guild is a 130-members-strong local chapter of the National Modern Quilt Guild, with monthly meetings and guild activities including quarterly sew-days, retreats, swaps, workshops and social activities centered around the love of sewing and quilting, whether by hand or machine sewing. Abbott mentions that TMQG harbors a diverse demographic of both women and men who share a love of quilting. Monthly meetings include different locations and speakers.

“It’s artists, hobbyists, and a general love for all things creativity with a whole

lot of laughs and friendships thrown in,” Abbott says.

You can check out TMQG on the first Thursday of each month at Fellowship Congregational Church at 2900 S. Harvard in Tulsa. Members will also be displaying their creations at Quilts on the Lawn at their monthly meeting on Oct. 25. On Jan. 9-10, the group will host a quilt show at Southwoods Landscaping at 91st and Lewis.

Another unique club was created for the average reader without imposing monetary or time constraints: The OKC Silent Book Club (OKC SBC).

“OKC SBC is a free organization that invites readers of all ages to gather and enjoy time reading and chatting about literature and life,” founder Meredith Dennis says. “Most members love attending OKC SBC because there’s no pressure to read a certain book by a certain date. You can simply show up with a book and read at your own pace while enjoying

a drink or meal. Some members bring their partner for a date night. Others meet their friends and chat about life. Solo attendees use the time for some R&R and escape their typical home routine.”

Find twice-monthly OKC SBC meetings by following the club’s Instagram or Facebook page @OKC.SBC. Members quietly read their own book choices for an hour and a half, then join together for 30 minutes of interaction. Each meeting is held at a new location for members to enjoy, developing their love for Oklahoma City.

CAROL MOWDY BOND

Bolstering Business

“OKC SBC was also created to support the community,” says Dennis. “Instead of asking for membership fees, each member is encouraged to possibly buy a drink, treat or book from the location in which we meet. We like to gather in locally-owned businesses that make Oklahoma unique, such as breweries, cafes and bookstores. Over the past year, we have held 19 meetings in 16 locations. OKC SBC brings members out of their routines and introduces them to new places across the metro.”

Abbott continues: “TMQG participates in the community through educational outreach, Tulsa Sews, in which we sponsor junior sewists 10+ years old to learn the craft and teach them sewing techniques. In addition, we give over 100 quilts to St. Francis NICU unit annually, all made by our members and their donations. In 2025, we launched an outreach to make lap-size quilts to donate to local nursing homes in the Tulsa area.”

The Oklahoma City Silent Book Club encourages members to meet, read their own books quietly, then discuss together after. Photo courtesy the OKC SBC

Oklahoma’s Wild Side

Rehabilitators give injured and abandoned animals a shot at a better life.

Reptile rescuer

Annie Chesher of Oklahoma City has some advice for people who adopt pets — reptiles in particular — then tire of the novelty.

“Most people think of them as throwaway pets, but some can live ten to 20 years,” says Chesher, who operates Abigail’s Angels Reptile Rescue out of her home. “You’re not just purchasing a pet. You’re purchasing a member of the family for a lifetime – possibly your lifetime.”

Chesher is one of more than 100 Oklahomans listed as licensed animal rescuers by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, and is passionate about what she does. For her, it’s an all-in commitment, even though she donates her time.

“I do this full-time,” she says. “I laugh that I work eight hours a week at a real job so I can work 80 hours a week with the reptile rescue.”

She is also heavily involved in working with the public “to educate people before they purchase a reptile.”

The Wildlife Conservation Department’s rehabilitators list includes about 30 folks who specialize in reptiles. The list also includes those who help other kinds of native and exotic species, including large and small mammals,

amphibians, birds and other fowl.

Chesher says anyone who finds an injured animal or one that needs some kind of personalized attention can find rescuers through the department’s website, wildlifedepartment.com, or on social media.

Her staff, she says, only consists of herself, her husband, her grandson and one other employee. The team takes in “turtles, snakes, lizards,” Chesher says, “just about any invertebrates or any non-venomous reptiles that are exotics — anything you can buy in a pet store or reptile show.”

Rescuers are required to work with a veterinarian, she says.

For most people, she mentions, “it’s illegal to try to rehab an animal without a license. The goal is to treat the animal sufficiently so it can be released back into the wild.”

Laura Ramsey of Moore is among the listed wildlife animal rescuers, operating Ramsey Wildlife Rehabilitation. She specializes in eastern cottontail rabbits, and her rescue work includes eastern fox squirrels, porcupines, turtles, opossums and skunks.

“I feel like I educate the public in a lot of different things,” Ramsey says, helping people who find an injured animal “and feel helpless.”

Ramsey mentions that she can handle

some types of reptiles, but isn’t big on rehabilitating snakes.

“I will do lizards and turtles, but I just feel like snakes is not my niche,” explaining that it’s hard to get a snake hydrated, and that snakes have other issues.

“There are people that are better at rehabbing [snakes] than me,” she shares.

Ramsey currently has five domestic bunnies in her care.

“They were foster bunnies that were in a hoarding situation,” she explains.

Chris Rauh of Durant says he has become known in his area of southern Oklahoma for his ability to remove snakes and other reptiles from people’s property. He has fostered a life-long love of reptiles, and obtained licensure to be able to legally capture the wildlife other people find in their yards.

Rauh is in his second year as a licensed handler, but says that he’s been catching snakes all his life. He removes copperheads, rat snakes and turtles, and says he relocates them to “a place where they can’t get run over or encounter anyone.”

Ramsey says she garners great satisfaction in her work.

“I find so much joy and happiness in [saving] an animal that’s near death, orphaned or injured,” she says. “They kind of speak to you, if you’re willing to listen.”

HENRY DOLIVE

If you come across an injured animal – be it an amphibian, small mammal or a bird – the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation offers a list of licensed animal rescuers to help.

Stories on Wheels

Antique car clubs help folks swap histories and share passions across generations.

On any given weekend in Oklahoma, it’s not hard to find collections of stunning old cars lined up in rows like shiny jewels. These aren’t just cars; they’re stories on wheels.

From Tulsa to Tishomingo, antique car lovers gather at car shows, swap meets and parades, typically stationed in small towns and city parks. They come in muscle cars from the 1960s, shiny Model A Fords from the 1930s, pickup trucks that once hauled hay bales, and everything in between. Some of these cars are more than 100 years old, yet still run like champs and allow their owners to show them off. Oklahomans love their historical narratives, and antique cars are a way to keep history alive. Each one has its own story.

Bill Ruedy, member of the Tulsa regional chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America – TRACCA – and editor of their newsletter (who likes to show off his 1913 Ford Model T Touring Car, if you’re asking), shares that stories are a component of what brings people to their club. Participants share an “interest in antique automobile preservation, opportunities to show our cars and talk about their history, and fellowship of people with like interests,” he says.

And speaking of history, with the centennial celebration of Route 66 coming up in 2026, many clubs are planning related events. TRACCA board member Michael Halley shares that their club will be rolling out for the Tulsa Veterans Day Parade in November 2026, which will be celebrating the Route 66 Centennial. In the past, the club has showcased more

than 20 vintage vehicles ranging from a 1913 Model T to a 1970 Datsun 240Z, says Halley. They hope to bring out even more for this special celebration.

But if you don’t want to wait for 2026, Halley says, “there are more car shows, Cars & Coffee style get-togethers, cruises, benefit poker runs and other events in northeast Oklahoma than one can shake a stick at.”

The VW Club of Oklahoma, which serves Volkswagen enthusiasts of all ages, hosts monthly get-togethers, cruises and car shows. They also sell all kinds of fun VW-themed merchandise for those who love the “funky little car that brings a smile to people’s faces,” says Angela Bumgarner, who helps run the club.

Bumgarner shares how this love of vintage automobiles can spark conversations, transcend age and allow the older generations to pass on the love and hobby of cars to the next generations.

Antique car culture in Oklahoma isn’t so much a hobby as a way of life. It teaches respect for craftsmanship, pride in hard work and the joy of sharing stories across generations. It’s history you can touch, smell and drive.

BONNIE RUCKER

How to Get Involved

There are plenty of ways to get involved in antique car culture within Oklahoma. Whether you have an old car you would like to show off or you want to learn more about the stories behind these cool conveyances, the internet is the place to go to find out more. Search online for a Cars and Coffee (or occasionally Coffee and Cars) event near you to try out an easy, casual way to meet people and see cool cars.

Cars and Coffee, a group of auto enthusiasts, meets every first Sunday at Tulsa’s Best Buy on 71st Street. Top and right photos by J. Moore Photography, left photo courtesy Cars and Coffee

A Living Sanctuary

Tulsan Teresa Knox has penned her first novel, which explores the Church Studio’s pivotal role in the evolution of American music.

As I’ve written in this space before, it’s generally a fool’s errand to try and pin down just exactly when something began. What usually happens is that just after your research leads you to a good starting place, you run onto a hitherto unknown fact that jumps up and kicks a hole in it.

I mention this because Teresa Knox tells me she first began putting together her new book, Sanctuary of Sound, during January of this year. But, really, its origin story stretches back decades, to the mid’70s, when she was a youngster growing up under challenging circumstances in Tulsa.

“I was eight when I bought a Slurpee from 7-Eleven, and there on the cup was Leon Russell – someone from my hometown,” she recalls. “At the time, 7-Eleven was doing a series of cups with rock and pop stars, and to have someone from Tulsa, Oklahoma, on there was really cool. It was inspiring.”

On that very day, Knox believes, she became a collector of Leon Russell and related Tulsa rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia. Which led to her, many years later, buying Russell’s former studio, fully restoring its capacity as a live-music and recording venue, and turning it into a bona fide tourist attraction. From there came Sanctuary of Sound, a massive, seven-lb.-plus collection of words and images about the building — the latest manifestation of the inspiration sparked within her eight-year-old self by the Russell Slurpee cup all those years ago.

And, as has been the case with a lot of other collectors, she realized early on that her collecting interests were something she had some control over, even in the midst of financial and other familial challenges.

“I had a little radio where I slept, and I remember when a deejay would say, ‘And now, from Tulsa, Oklahoma,” introducing a new record, and, I don’t know, I just got into it all. I couldn’t control my circumstances, my environment, the adults that were around me, but this was something

I could control and something I could be proud of. So I just started collecting anything [about Tulsa rock ‘n’ rollers] I could get my hands on.

“I dedicated the book to my brother Larry, who unfortunately passed away a few years ago,” she adds. “He was 18 years older than me and almost like a father. He taught me to read music and play instruments, and he’d tell me about all these artists – J.J. Cale, Leon Russell, Jim Keltner. And I’d be like, ‘Wow. People from Oklahoma, like us, are famous?’”

However, while she sought out material on all those Okie artists, Russell began as and remained her top priority.

“He was the one who was really . . . interesting, you know?” she says with a laugh. “And the more I looked around – at garage sales, thrift stores, people’s houses – the more Leon stuff I found.”

Knox went on to become a dental technician. Then, divorced and a single mother at 21, she started adding other jobs to support her family. One of those extra gigs fit right into her love for Tulsa music and the people who made it.

Teresa Knox purchased the dilapidated Church Studio in Tulsa back in 2016 and has renovated it to its former glory. The journey is memorialized in her new book, Sanctuary of Sound. Photos courtesy Teresa Knox

“I was so enamored of the music industry that I got a job at a club on Peoria called the Sunset Grill,” she explains. “That’s where I met [Jimmy] Markham, [Tom] Tripplehorn, [David] Teegarden. I met Bill Davis, Bill Snow. I met Jamie Oldaker. Dwight Twilley even came through there. He was not living in Tulsa at the time, but he was in town and he’d sit in with the Mystery Band.

“I didn’t have a super-close relationship with any of them. I was just the waitress who’d serve them drinks and that sort of thing. Then, a couple of years after that, I started a business, and while I continued to collect [Tulsa music memorabilia], I really was busy. I didn’t reconnect with any of those musicians until a decade ago, when I bought the Church Studio, and David Teegarden came by. I asked him, ‘Do you remember me?’ Jamie came by, too, and they reintroduced themselves. So we reconnected, and it was really amazing. It’s kind of weird that a little job I had way back when gave me more street cred than my 30-year career in higher education and the other businesses that I started.”

An involvement in renovating classic Tulsa buildings – along with a conversation she had with her brother Larry – led her to the Church, which she ended up buying sight-unseen from its then-owner, Randy Miller. He initially told her, she says, the building wasn’t for sale but that he was looking for a partner.

However, notes Knox, “I couldn’t see myself sharing that with anyone.” So she continued to negotiate for full ownership.

“I got almost obsessive about it,” she admits with a chuckle. “About what it could be, and cleaning it up and doing something to really honor the legacy of Leon and [Shelter Records founder] Denny Cordell, and what transpired in the '70s.”

Finally, on August 25, 2016, as the new owner of the Church Studio, Teresa Knox walked through its weathered doors for the first time. In her introduction to Sanctuary of Sound, she describes the goosebump-inducing moment: “It wasn’t just the musty smell, the breezy air, or the old wood finishes. I felt this peculiar mix of comfort and curiosity. I knew this place had lived a hundred years of history. It held joy, sorrow, sound, and silence. Its walls remembered what time has forgotten. It moved me, and it made me want to understand everything that had come before.”

And “everything” is exactly what she tackles in Sanctuary of Sound, beginning

with the building’s construction as an actual Methodist church in the 1910s, and going forward into the present, a journey propelled by both words and pictures. As might be imagined, the Russell years are spotlighted, with Knox sharing photos of much of the memorabilia she’s collected over the years. There’s also a nice section covering the time when Steve Ripley – Leon’s former engineer, among other things – and his group the Tractors, which initially included such internationally known, Tulsa-based heavyweights as pianist Walt Richmond, bassist Casey Van Beek, guitarist Ron Getman, and drummer Oldaker, used the Church to record their eponymous 1994 debut disc, a multiplatinum effort that remains the bestselling record ever to come out of Tulsa. During his 18 years at the helm of the studio, Ripley produced, engineered, and recorded an impressive array of acts, including but hardly limited to the Tractors.

There’s also a section devoted to the Church’s little-known life as a Christianmusic studio throughout much of the '80s, as well as other phases in its long history. But, again, the focus is on the Russell period, which saw him and his Shelter Records partner Cordell bring through a wild lineup of rock superstars, top Tulsa talent and acts in between. It was a time when, as I’ve written before, Russell triumphantly returned from the West Coast and sprinkled stardust over his hometown.

Knox notes in the book that music was a part of the Church from the very beginning, as was a sense of, well, sanctuary, the liberating feeling of a safe place to, at first, worship, and later to create. Even the Church-affiliated label’s name, Shelter Records, indicated an environment where artists could work without being second-guessed by executives in the sound booth.

How can my Health Savings Account be integrated into my retirement planning?

When you retire, one of the biggest expenses you may be confronted with is health care. There are tools that can help make these expenses more manageable, one of which is a Health Savings Account, or HSA. HSAs are savings plans associated with highdeductible health insurance policies. Many employers offer policies with HSAs, but if you’re retired, an account may be available to you if you purchased individual coverage in the past. HSAs are funded with pre-tax dollars. For those still working, pre-tax dollars can be funded through payroll deductions, which are made before income tax withholding is calculated on each paycheck. Otherwise, it can be done through taxdeductible contributions. The power of HSAs is that you may use the funds to cover qualifying medical expenses today or in the future. Any dollars remaining in your HSA can continue to accumulate in your account and help offset medical expenses in retirement. While saving in an HSA, you may want to try to retain as many assets as you can in the HSA to take full advantage of it as a retirement savings vehicle. Talk with your financial advisor to learn more about how an HSA can be incorporated into your comprehensive retirement plan.

David Karimian, CFP®, CRPC®, APMA® Prime Wealth Management

A private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial 2431 E 61st St, Suite 400, Tulsa, OK 74136 918.388.2009 David.x.Karimian@ampf.com www.primewealthmgmt.com

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“When I did this book, I wanted to establish the legacy of Leon and Shelter Records in Tulsa, Oklahoma,” she says. “It was very short-lived, '72 to '76, but it was very important. And I really wanted people to know that a building can be more than brick and mortar. It can be this living sanctuary where the history and the musical art come together for the community.

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“The building is really the star of this book,” she adds. “I think the power of that place is an important takeaway.”

Sanctuary of Sound is available for $59.00 from schoolofhardknox.com and at the Church Studio gift shop.

JOHN WOOLEY

Cristie Lehr-Hawkins. M.D., Fig - For Inner Good - Medical Spa 8921 S Yale Ave - Tulsa, OK 74137 918.932.8810 - figtulsa.com

Advertising designs and photography are for use in Oklahoma Magazine only. Use in other publications or materials is

Medical director of aesthetics & Wellness

DR. CRISTIE HAWKINS

DAVID KARIMIAN CFP®, CRPC®, APMA®

Life & Style

A MAP TO LIVING WELL

Delve Deep into Dominica

This hidden gem within the Caribbean stuns with its cuisine, history and architecture.

Not all Caribbean islands are alike, and that is often the misconception from tourists who don’t dive into the distinctions of a destination. Dominica, not to be confused with the Dominican Republic, is definitely one of those unique island countries. If visited on a cruise ship itinerary, you can spend the day doing several excursions that reveal the essence of this country.

The port town is a veritable postcard image of quaint homes under a cloud covered mountain peak. The first impression of Dominica is its profusely forested landscape. The ascent into the hilly villages takes you to various natural formations and excursions. Natural hot springs, rainforests and rivers, plus archeological and heritage tours, are some of the highlights. The soil is rich with volcanic minerals, which contributes to the fertile landscape. An example of the latter is the pumice, which is a significant commercial product and can be seen on the boulders as you drive through the island.

A bus tour is an excellent way to take in the diverse highlights of Dominica, as you’ll see pumice on one side of the road and tropical trees planted inside painted car tires on the other. Another roadside attraction is the sprawling estate of the

Caribbean’s first female prime minister, Eugenia Charles.

While you’re absorbing the visuals of this charming country, you’ll also learn factoids about the citizens’ lifestyle nuances. For example, Dominica has a resolute pride about freshly baked bread. Not only do they prefer and prioritize this daily, but reportedly, they also practice it as a twice daily ritual. Bread is baked in a wood fire stone oven daily except on Sundays. It’s also sold out of vans and cars to villagers.

Other options in Dominica are whale watching and sea turtle hatching. Dominica is reportedly the only country in the world where the sperm whale resides all year long. Sightings typically occur between November to March while sea turtle hatching takes place between March and October.

The World Creole Music Festival happens every October and showcases Indigenous music. Other ways to honor the authenticity of the island is to immerse yourself in a Kalinago tribe village excursion.

Hikers will enjoy visiting the second largest boiling lake in the world. It’s a rigorous hike in this flooded fumarole, but an unforgettable one at this World Unesco site.

Perhaps the most significant cultural fact about Dominica is that it’s the only island that has a distinct group of Carib

Indians who descended from the island’s first inhabitants long before colonization began. In fact, the word “Caribbean” is derived from the name of the tribe, “Carib.” The Bois Cotlette Heritage tour is a recommended way to experience Dominica’s history, archeology and agriculture.

Known as the oldest surviving estate on the island, the approximately 290year history of the land has produced cocoa, sugar cane and coffee. Situated 1,000 feet above sea level on a volcanic terrain, the estate beckons historians and archeologists who both appreciate what it offers. From steep escarpments to what feels like a private sanctuary, the estate holds strong historic echoes to the 1700s. Tour guides walk you through the former plantation, identifying archeological details of the structures. A sample of rum with a local snack is provided within a pavilion that doubles as an art gallery and small market of locally made chocolates and products.

As you descend the mountainous village roads, the forest scenery stimulates and relaxes you at the same time. Farm animals and tropical plants decorate the trails and paths, creating a hypnotic forest retreat as you circumnavigate the bucolic country island.

GINA MICHALOPULOS KINGSLEY

Dominica – not to be confused with the Dominican Republic – is a small Caribbean island with plenty to do and see, including the stunning green hills of Rosseau (above).

The Loneliness Epidemic

Feeling lonely doesn’t just affect the mind, but also carries serious physical health risks.

Loneliness was declared a public health epidemic in 2023 by the U.S. surgeon general and has remained a national health concern.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, one in three Americans feels lonely every week and younger adults, ages 18 to 35, revealed feeling lonely every day or several times a week.

The loneliness epidemic stems from several social factors: shrinking social networks, declining participation in community activities and individuals reporting to have fewer close friendships.

Britta Ostermeyer, M.D., chief of psychiatry for OU Health in Oklahoma City, shares how changes within the family structure have also played a role.

“Families are now smaller and family members may no longer live in the same city,” she says. “Due to greater and easier mobility, family and friends are moving more often, and at times far away, for education or work. More frequent moves disrupt family and social ties.”

In addition, she says increased work demands leave people with little time for social events and that the internet, social media and COVID-19 have led to more

online and less face-to-face interactions.

“These online relationships, however, are usually of a superficial nature — often not conducive to supportive and fulfilling relationships,” says Ostermeyer. “Social isolation and loneliness deprive us of much needed support from others and cause distress and suffering, often causing negative thought patterns and feelings of hopelessness.”

Ostermeyer says loneliness is recognized as a significant factor contributing to mental illnesses, such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, cognitive decline, insomnia and suicidal behavior.

“Also, there are physical health problems that can develop with loneliness, such as cardiovascular diseases and weakening of the immune system,” she adds.

Social isolation and loneliness have been linked to heart disease and stroke — with reports of a 29% increased risk for heart attack and/or death from heart disease and a 32% increased risk for stroke.

To address these health risks, it’s necessary for individuals to recognize when loneliness becomes concerning, try to build social connections and seek professional help, if needed.

“Combating loneliness is a gradual process that involves taking proactive steps to connect with others and nurture your mental and emotional well-being,” says Ostermeyer. “However, even small, consistent efforts can lead to significant meaningful changes over time and improved wellbeing. It is important to reach out to others in the community and connect.”

She encourages in-person interactions and simple ways to get involved in the community.

“Join a church, synagogue, mosque or temple, or a club to play music or sports,” Ostermeyer says. “Be active in your community; volunteer and attend community events; foster social connections and relationships with others; help others, and ask them for help when you need it.”

There are many ways to connect with others and build relationships through local activities and community involvement.

However, if feelings of loneliness feel overwhelming or persistent, consider reaching out to a mental health professional for support and guidance.

REBECCA FAST

A City of Living History & Spirited Adventure

Oklahoma’s first capital is a hub of holiday charm, friendly folks and plenty to see and do.

Situated in central Oklahoma just north of Oklahoma City, Guthrie blends historic appeal with unexpected happenings. Once the territorial capital, the Guthrie of today is best known for its lovingly preserved downtown – the largest Historic Preservation District in the nation – where brick-lined streets and ornate Victorian buildings invite visitors to linger, shop and explore. Yet beyond the echoes of the past, Guthrie pulses with energy, offering everything from adrenaline-fueled outdoor sports to festive holiday traditions that light up the community.

The city’s historic roots run deep. Guthrie’s early statehood story comes alive at the Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library, where exhibits highlight the Land Run of 1889 and the town’s role in shaping Oklahoma’s identity. Nearby, the Oklahoma Frontier Drugstore Museum and Apothecary Garden offers a glimpse into 19th-century medicine, when pharmacies served as both remedy dispensaries and social hubs.

“The goal is to preserve the pharmacy history, specifically within Oklahoma,” says Sandi M. Colby, volunteer and Oklahoma Drugstore Museum board of direc-

tors vice president. “We have guests from all walks of life that come [to visit], and all of our docents have tons of stories on Oklahoma history, as well as Oklahoma’s ties to national history. We try to make it as friendly to all guests as we can.”

But Guthrie is far from a town that rests on its history. Just outside the city center, thrill seekers find their playground at Avid Extreme Sports Park, one of the premier paintball and airsoft destinations in the midwest. Set across wooded landscapes and open fields, the park’s innovative courses and obstacle-filled arenas are designed to test teamwork, strategy and skill. Whether for a family outing, birthday celebration or corporate team-building event, Avid delivers high-energy fun that contrasts and complements Guthrie’s historic downtown charm.

Seasonal celebrations also play a central role in Guthrie’s appeal, none more enchanting than the Guthrie Territorial Christmas Celebration. Each winter, the city transforms into a Victorian holiday postcard, as lamplight carolers fill the streets and shopkeepers in period costume welcome visitors for the beloved Victorian Walk Nights on Dec. 7 and 14. The Christmas Parade of Lights takes place on Nov. 30 and brings the community together in dazzling style, while families make memories visiting Santa and enjoying time-honored festivities.

Beyond its headline attractions, Guthrie offers plenty of surprises. More than a dozen charming bed and breakfasts, many set in restored Victorian homes, extend the historic experience into overnight stays. Antique shops, galleries and specialty boutiques line the downtown district, ensuring that each stroll brings new discoveries.

“Guthrie has all the small-town charm and warmth you could hope for, paired with a surprising variety of fun things to do,” says Missy Hancock, tourism coordinator for the city of Guthrie. “Known as a place with ‘a festival for every season,’ Guthrie celebrates year-round with everything from classic car shows and the Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival to spirited ghost walks and our much loved Victorian Walks, where the windows come alive with Victorian scenes and visitors stroll the historic streets in their finest period attire. There is always something to celebrate in Guthrie.”

ROCCO GEPPI

The Oklahoma Frontier Drugstore Museum and Apothecary Garden showcases the world of 19th-century medicine. Photos courtesy the Oklahoma Frontier Drugstore Museum and Apothecary Garden

For a change of pace, travelers to Guthrie can visit Avid Extreme Sports Park, one of the premier paintball and airsoft destinations in the midwest. Photo courtesy Avid Extreme Sports Park

Fueling Oklahoma’s Future

Oklahoma’s energy companies remain the backbone of the state’s economy, driving progress forward. Beyond powering homes and fueling the economy, these oil and gas and electric utility companies are investing in communities through philanthropy, innovation and workforce development.

By Gretchen Eichenberg

Evolution of the Oil Industry

While the global energy transition raises questions about the future of oil, Oklahoma’s legacy has stood the test of time. For more than a century, its oilfields have powered economies, built cities and shaped communities — making petroleum a big part of the Sooner State’s identity. We dive into the timeline of Oklahoma’s oil reign.

Early Discoveries of Oil – Late 19th Century

Oklahoma’s story as an oil powerhouse began in the late 19th century. The first commercial oil well in the state, Nellie Johnstone No. 1, was completed in 1897 near Bartlesville in Indian Territory. Drilled by the Cudahy Oil Company, it marked the state’s entry into the petroleum age and ultimately produced more than 100,000 barrels before being capped in the 1960s, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS).

The momentum accelerated in 1905 with the discovery of the Glenn Pool field south of Tulsa, one of the richest oilfields of its time. Production was so abundant that pipelines, refineries and entire communities sprang up almost overnight, propelling Tulsa into its new role as the “Oil Capital of the World,” according to the Tulsa Historical Society (THS).

Boom Years – 1910s to 1930s

The early decades of the 20th century brought explosive growth. Discoveries at the Cushing-Drumright, Healdton and Oklahoma City oil fields fueled surges in drilling, storage and refining capacity. By the 1920s, Cushing was known as the “Pipeline Crossroads of the World,” a hub that moved crude to refineries across the country, according to the American Oil & Gas Historical Society (AOGHS).

Oil wealth transformed Oklahoma’s cities: skyscrapers rose in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, banks flourished and philanthropists endowed universities and museums. By 1927, Oklahoma’s annual production peaked at nearly 278 million barrels, cementing its role as a cornerstone of America’s energy economy, according to AOGHS records.

Mid-Century – 1940s to 1970s

During World War II, Oklahoma’s oil was essential to the Allied war effort. Its fields provided the fuel that powered tanks, planes and naval vessels. After the war, new drilling technologies, including secondary recovery methods like water flooding and gas injection, extended the life of mature fields. The mid-century period saw steady growth, as petroleum revenues bolstered state budgets and thousands of Oklahomans worked in oil-related jobs, according to the Oklahoma Geological Survey (OGS).

Photograph of a gusher in the Cushing Oil Field after it was shot with 100 to 200 quarts of nitroglycerin. Photo courtesy the Ira M. Spangler Collection, Oklahoma Historical Society

Energy Crises & Declines – 1980s to 1990s

The 1980s ushered in a painful downturn. Following a global oil glut and collapsing prices, Oklahoma’s once-booming industry went bust. Banks failed under the weight of unpaid energy loans, oil companies shuttered and thousands lost jobs. The collapse devastated towns reliant on oil and left skyscrapers half-empty in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. By the mid-1990s, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), annual production had dropped below 90 million barrels — a fraction of its former highs.

Shale Revolution – 2000s to Present

The early 21st century brought a renaissance through the shale revolution. Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing unlocked previously inaccessible reserves in areas like the Woodford Shale of the Anadarko Basin. Production soared and Oklahoma’s output more than tripled between 2005 and 2019, peaking at over 217 million barrels that year, according to the EIA. Today, the state ranks among the top U.S. producers of both oil and natural gas. At the same time, Cushing, Oklahoma remains one of the most important crude oil storage and pricing hubs in the world, according to the EIA.

Innovation in Energy

Oklahoma has long been at the forefront of energy production, and recent technological advances are driving a new era of efficiency and innovation in both oil and gas and electric power.

From sophisticated drilling techniques and enhanced pipeline monitoring to automated grid management and energy storage solutions, technology is transforming how energy is produced, transmitted and managed across the state. These developments are helping Oklahoma maintain its position as a critical player in the nation’s energy infrastructure.

Drone technology is changing how Public Service Company of Oklahoma will prevent and respond to outages.

“Our recent winter storm drill highlighted drone-in-a-box technology that allows us to autonomously launch drones to survey power lines and look for issues, improving reliability and reducing outages for our customers,” says Leigh Anne Strahler, president and COO.

PSO is deploying smart grid technology to improve system efficiency and resiliency.

“We’re also exploring future AI-enabled solutions that could create even more efficiencies for PSO and our customers, ensuring they get the most out of every megawatt generated and every kilowatt consumed,” Strahler says.

OG&E launched its Grid Enhancement Plan in 2020, featuring AI-powered upgrades.

“OG&E’s smart grid technology, balanced power generation and electric vehicle fleet upgrades are all designed to strengthen the electric grid for the growing communities we serve,” says Ford Benham, OG&E’s Director of Environmental Operations. “The technology we’re implementing reduces outages and accelerates recovery after extreme weather.

Serving communities with reliable, efficient energy at low costs is how we drive economic development now and in the future.”

NextGen Gas is one way Williams Companies, a Tulsa-based energy infrastructure company that owns and operates one of the largest natural gas pipeline systems in the United States, is revolutionizing its industry. NextGen Gas, a term coined by Williams, refers to natural gas that has been tracked and certified by an independent auditor as having low emissions across its entire value chain using technologies like blockchain, satellite monitoring and internal operational data.

“We’re talking end-to-end,” says Zach Keith, director of business development and sustainability at Williams. “Production through the midstream, through treatment and processing, transportation and delivering it to the user, whether that be a utility, an LNG shipper or a gas-to-power type of application.”

That’s technologically revolutionizing the industry, Keith says, by delivering trust through transparent and high veracity emissions data, which provides actionable insights.

“It incentivizes investment, not just in infrastructure, but in clean, affordable and reliable energy,” he says. “It really gets you into the nitty gritty about what we can do to continue to do better without sacrificing affordability or reliability.”

While AI is revolutionizing the oil and gas industry in the areas of exploration and drilling, Williams Companies is also harnessing its power internally for things like market intelligence and to empower

employees through automating tasks and returning their time back to them for better collaboration and creative thinking, Keith says.

Power Innovation is a Williams initiative that involves providing turnkey natural gas-fired power generation solutions, infrastructure and energy services to meet the increasing demand from data centers and other high-energy industries.

“It’s sitting at the end of our traditional business and contemplating how Williams can participate in providing reliable power, affordable power and clean power to the end user, not just gas,” Keith says. “Taking our core competencies of rotating equipment and moving gas and applying them one step further to turning that gas into power. So we can actually do lots of different behind the meter applications.”

Renewables and the Energy Mix

While technology continues to revolutionize traditional energy production and delivery, Oklahoma is also exploring how innovation can shape the next chapter of its energy story. From wind farms to solar installations and advanced energy management systems, the state is applying the same forward-thinking approach to renewable resources, blending cutting-edge research with practical applications to meet evolving energy demands.

PSO is accelerating clean energy adoption through large-scale wind and solar assets, customer-facing renewable programs and smart grid innovation. The company recently

PSO is deploying smart grid technology to improve system efficiency and resiliency, as well as accelerating clean energy adoption through large-scale wind and solar assets, customer-facing renewable programs and smart grid innovation. Photo courtesy PSO

expanded its renewable energy portfolio with nearly 500 MW of new wind and solar assets.

“We use a diverse mix of energy resources, including clean and efficient natural gas, alongside renewables to ensure grid resiliency and affordability,” Strahler says. “Our energy-saving programs help Oklahoma customers lower their energy bills and improve comfort year-round through rebates, free upgrades and personalized solutions for homes, businesses and communities.”

The company’s smart grid technology is also being deployed to enhance efficiency and reliability across all its systems, helping the environment by reducing carbon emissions through increased use of wind and solar energy.

“PSO’s customer programs and smart grid innovations promote energy efficiency and conservation,” Strahler says. “We continue working with customers to explore additional ways to reduce energy use during extreme temperatures.”

That helps reduce the amount of peak energy it needs to generate, which not only keeps prices affordable but also is environmentally sound.

“Our diverse energy mix, including renewables and clean natural gas, further supports a resilient and sustainable grid,” she says.

Environmental stewardship also is top of mind at OG&E where the company is decarbonizing its energy mix and engaging in biodiversity, habitat and community-based environmental initiatives in collaboration with local organizations to protect and preserve habitats and support pollinators, Benham says.

“As Oklahoma pioneers in wind and solar energy, today our all-of-the-above approach includes implementing more efficient and lower-emitting natural gas generation,” he says. “We also support water conservation, recycling and educational partnerships.”

That includes energy efficiency programs with the Oklahoma Thunder and community clean-up events.

“These efforts help reduce our environmental footprint while empowering communities to build a more sustainable future together,” Benham says.

Williams Companies is aggressively deployed across technological innovation, emissions reduction, clean energy infrastructure and ESG leadership. Williams is also committed to doing the right thing when it comes to land,

Keith says.

“When we build assets, let’s say we build a pipeline through an area, we do some surface work,” he says. “We’re pulling up some of that grass, pulling up some of that native vegetation. But we always come back and reclaim that whole area. We want to make sure that native species are then replanted, monitored and measured for several years after construction is over to make sure we’re returning that back to its original state as much as possible. And a lot of that is in coordination and engagement with the local communities.”

Key Companies in Oklahoma’s Energy Market

ONE Gas

Spun off from ONEOK in 2014, ONE Gas is a regulated natural gas utility serving millions of customers in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas. The company focuses on safe, reliable delivery of natural gas while leveraging modern pipeline monitoring and customer service. Its strategy emphasizes infrastructure investment to strengthen system resilience and efficiency. ONE Gas takes pride in sustainability initiatives that reduce emissions for a cleaner future.

ONEOK

Founded in 1906 as Oklahoma Natural Gas Company, ONEOK has evolved into one of the largest midstream energy companies in the U.S., specializing in natural gas gathering, processing and transportation. The company has been a pioneer in expanding interstate natural gas pipelines and developing integrated midstream infrastructure that supports the nation’s energy markets.

Continental Resources

Founded in 1967 by Harold Hamm, Continental Resources is a leading exploration and production company headquartered in Oklahoma City. The company played a central role in developing the Bakken and STACK shale plays, employing advanced horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques to unlock significant oil reserves.

Devon Energy

Devon Energy, founded in 1971 and headquartered in Oklahoma City, is a major independent oil and gas producer focused on onshore U.S. operations. The company has been at the forefront of unconventional resource development, leveraging technological innovations in drilling, completion and production optimization.

Helmerich & Payne

Established in 1920, Helmerich & Payne is a Tulsa-based drilling contractor known for its innovative FlexRigs, which allow for faster, safer and more precise drilling in challenging environments. The company has been a leader in deploying automation, directional drilling and advanced rig technology across domestic and international markets.

Expand Energy

Expand Energy is an independent Oklahoma-based energy company focused on exploration and production of oil and natural gas. The company emphasizes operational efficiency through the use of advanced well completion and production technologies in key U.S. basins.

Williams Companies

Founded in 1908 and headquartered in Tulsa, Williams Companies is a major energy infrastructure firm specializing in natural gas processing, transportation and storage. The company has been a leader in building extensive interstate pipelines, compressor stations and gas processing facilities that support reliable delivery to markets across North America.

Right: Williams Companies is aggressively deployed across technological innovation, emissions reduction, clean energy infrastructure and ESG leadership. Photo courtesy Williams

Environmental stewardship is top of mind at OG&E, where the company is decarbonizing its energy mix and engaging in biodiversity, habitat and community-based environmental initiatives in collaboration with local organizations to protect and preserve habitats and support pollinators. Photo courtesy OG&E

LEVEL 1 TRAUMA CENTER LEVEL 1 TRAUMA CENTER

Ascension St. John Medical Center is always prepared for an emergency. As the first and only American College of Surgeons verified Level 1 Trauma Center in northeastern Oklahoma, our care teams have the right people, knowledge and tools to treat even the most severe and complex injuries, delivering lifesaving care when it matters most.

Scan the QR code or visit ascension.org/StJohn to find lifesaving care.

Bo l d flavors and thoughtful presentation create memories that linger. Join us for lunch, dinner, or drinks and dine like a baron in the heart of Tulsa’s historic Blue Dome district.

At the Summit Club, diners can enjoy delicacies from chef Bill Lyle, including a Japanese oyster shooter with quail egg, tobiko, sake and shoyu glaze. Photo by Brent Fuchs

BREAKFAST & BRUNCH

Tulsa

Queenie’s

Queenie’s has been an iconic breakfast spot since Ruth Young founded it well over 40 years ago. When Brian Hughes took over circa 2020, he kept all the old and well-loved menu items, including the Q-hop, with pancakes, eggs and sausage, and added a few new dishes, such as huevos rancheros and pain perdu (custard French toast).

Savoy

The Kelamis family served breakfast to soldiers going off to fight in World War I. Now, four generations later, they’re ready to serve you. Everything is made from scratch. For their cinnnamon roll French toast, they bake the rolls, put on custard, then topped with strawberries and homemade whipped cream.

Wildflower Cafe

When it opened four years ago, Wildflower Cafe owner Heather Linville just hoped people would enjoy what she had to offer. And they did. The restaurant now has too many customers for their bright, homey location on Peoria and will soon relocate downtown. Wherever they are, you can get fresh, made-fromscratch breakfast items such as eggs Benedict, quiches, crepes and baked goods.

Prism Cafe

Aimee Hunter, a big city chef who’s cooked in New York City and Colorado, came to Tulsa on a whim and never left. Her charming cafe serves an ever-changing roster of whimsical dishes made, whenever possible, with produce fresh from the farm. Her late breakfasts include a full roster of sandwiches, though the most famous, the heirloom tomato BLT, is served only in summer.

Bramble Breakfast & Bar

Johnna Hayes opened Bramble a dozen years ago, and they’ve been serving delicious breakfast options ever since. They have all the standard items, such as omelets, eggs Benedict and chicken-fried steak, but there’s also one you rarely see west of Azerbaijan. It’s Khachapuri, a Georgian dish made from a freshly-baked loaf of bread which is topped with egg yolks that cook as the bread bakes, plus three-cheese fondue.

Cheever’s Cafe

This beloved OKC institution opened a Tulsa outpost earlier this year. Everybody loves it. Brunch is a special treat, featuring Southwest dishes such as shrimp risotto with masa cakes and poached eggs, or Juan’s Queso Chihuahua, a layered cheese and bean dip. They also offer regular dinner menu items including their famous chicken fried steak.

Ava June

New

The soothing light of the Mediterranean is captured on the walls of this pleasing French bistro. Provencal in decor and serving Alsatian dishes, Ava June was opened this year by the people who brought us Lowood. Their breakfast menu is unique, at least on this side of the Atlantic. It features tartines served with eggs and baguette, croques madame, croissant souffles and more.

Queenie’s; Tulsa

Ava June; Tulsa

Prism Cafe, Tulsa; photo by Miranda Due

Oklahoma City

The Press

A casual Plaza District eatery with a big patio, the Press offers Southwest comfort fare like pot roast, chicken fried steak, burgers, salads and quesadillas. Here’s what’s special: they serve brunch all day, every day! Breakfast tacos, breakfast hash, breakfast burritos, lots of eggs and cereals — yours all day.

Picasso Cafe

Chef Ryan Parrott, a veteran of many OKC fine dining kitchens, helms a restaurant popular for its farmer’s market fresh, made-from-scratch, artistically plated entrees. Sunday brunch is famous, perhaps too famous because it’s packed, as diners enjoy Benedicts, smothered biscuits sided with pulled pork and roasted peppers, Bananas Foster waffles, fried goat cheese, and more. Bring your dog; there’s a special doggie menu.

The Mule

A whole army of sandwiches, many hot with melted cheese, awaits, along with poutine, chips and dips, and bacon cheese fries. Their weekend brunch menu features, in addition to all that, a cheese omelet with a Philly steak, a stacked sandwich with layers of over easy eggs, avocado, goat cheese, smashed tomatoes and more.

Waffle

Champion

A decade ago, Todd Woodruff, sous-chef at Cheever’s, quit to establish a food truck. He served waffles. It was such a success he started a restaurant. Their brunch features waffles in many incarnations: topped with gourmet treats such as a farm egg scramble with garlic spinach and mushroom or crispy tenders with pickles and sassy slaw; or made sweet with caramel apples or strawberries with cream or even s’mores.

Cafe Kacao

In 2011, Veronica Zelada, an immigrant from Guatemala, saw a huge, abandoned tire

shop in OKC. She bought it and converted it into Cafe Kacao. Now, after a decade of hard work and delicious meals, it’s a wildly popular brunch spot. She starts with family recipes from Guatemala, adds a few culinary touches from El Salvador and Cuba as well as the U.S. and these tasty meals are her recipe for success.

Cafe Antigua

It’s rare for a city to have even one famous Guatemalan restaurant. OKC has two, and they’re related. Cafe Antigua is owned by the son in law of the owner of Cafe Kacao. Each restaurant has their partisans, and there are a lot of people waiting patiently outside Cafe Antigua during brunch hours, hoping to sample the skirt steak topped with eggs, the carne adovada, the waffles and the Spanish omelet.

Frida Southwest

Chef Quinn Carroll has run the kitchen of this highly regarded Paseo District gem since the day it opened. He describes his food as a tapestry of Southern comfort and Mexican-inspired dishes. Creative brunch plates include Southwest spring rolls, heart of palm ceviche, stuffed French toast made with challah bread, and stacked enchiladas with pulled chicken.

WHERE THE CHEFS EAT

We asked some lauded Oklahoma chefs:

“WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU OUT TO EAT ON A DAY OFF?”

While you may think they’d be reluctant to shine a light on their ‘competition,’ that couldn’t be further from the truth.

“Justin Donaldson’s lamb at Barons on 1st is the best around.

Sonny Dalesandro’s asparagus salad, anything chef Roque Heidler prepares with foie gras at Boston Title, and Dona Gloria’s gorditas de tripa.”

Bill Lyle Summit Club

Waffle Champion, OKC; photo courtesy Day One Concepts

Chef Bill Lyle, Summit Club; photo by Brent Fuchs

LUNCH

Tulsa

Rib Crib

Bret Chandler founded Rib Crib in 1992 with a a smoker and a handwritten barbecue recipe. The delicious BBQ has been drawing crowds ever since, and those crowds leave happy, and with full bellies. Lunch offers somewhat smaller portions of items such as the signature ribs, chicken, loaded baked potatoes and even a salad.

Mondo’s

Lou Aloisio couldn’t afford to hire a construction firm, so in 1969 he and his friends build Mondo’s themselves. Tulsans have packed the restaurant ever since, and it’s still run by the Aloisio family. Mondo’s features the rich Italian-American fare you’re used to, but with a twist. Lou’s father was a chef in one of the best hotels in NYC, and so the recipes incorporate French fine dining elements. Lunch has smaller portions.

Sisserou’s

Eben Shillingford’s family came from the tiny verdant Caribbean isle of Dominica. He opened Sisserou’s to showcase the food of his home and of the surrounding islands. Island fare such as callalou soup, oxtail, and jerk chicken are done with flair, so well that the chef-owner was a James Beard semi-finalist.

Ti Amo

For almost 40 years, Ti Amo’s has been enchanting Tulsans with hearty, well-made Italian food and touches of white-table elegance. There’s tuna, salmon, flounder, ribeyes, osso buco, veal romano, chicken with parmesan cream sauce. Lunch offers a few international specials such as fish tacos and pastrami sandwiches.

Lone Wolf

It started as a lone food truck, so successful that customers lined up before the truck arrived. Now it’s a restaurant with several branches. You can still get the same delicious Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches that made the truck famous. A choice of tasty fillings comes on a French baguette with cucumber, slaw and sauce. There’s also kimchi fries and fried rice bowls.

Polo Grill

An upscale Tulsa dining staple, Polo Grill offers refined American cuisine with global flair. Polo may be best known for its award-winning wine list, paired with elegant ambiance and impeccable service. While most would recommend Polo for dinner, it’s lunch menu also delights. Try the tenderloin burger, grilled shrimp and grits or spinach and strawberry salad.

Smoke

Smoke marries finedining quality food with a casual ambiance where everyone feels welcome. In fact, they were a semi-finalist for the James Beard hospitality award. Lunch offers intriguing appetizers such as bacon jam with herbed goat cheese and fried cauliflower with Korean gochujiang. Entrees include lamb sliders, fried pork chops and various pastas.

Albert G’s

Chuck Gawey’s cousin owned beloved steakhouse Jamil’s, so he knew how to run a restaurant; he taught himself to barbecue. In 1992 he opened Albert G’s. That high-quality ‘cue gained such a reputation that he opened several more branches. As you’d expect, it’s slow-smoked meats and sides (try the tabouli). Great sandwiches include the mammoth “Fat Albert G’s.”

Fab

Rib Crib, Tulsa

Polo Grill, Tulsa

Ti Amo, Tulsa

Albert G’s, Tulsa

Oklahoma City

Perle Mesta

Take the city’s most storied hotel, add a James Beard Award-winning chef, and you’ve got a recipe for success. The dining room is a study in elegance. The menu lives up, featuring what chef Andrew Black calls “possibility cuisine,” pushing the boundaries with unusual ingredients and techniques. The lunch menu is somewhat more conventional, offering bacon slab sandwiches, jerk steak frites and brickroasted chicken.

Guyutes

Sheesh Mahal

WHERE THE CHEFS EAT

For the past decade, Guyutes has been serving up elevated street food. That means dishes like Tequila Sunfryz, which features waffle fries, Tequila queso, pulled pork, cilantro crema and a sunny side up egg. Lunch offers sliders and tacos named after famous movie stars, and a variety of creative things like adobo-seasoned chopped cheese egg rolls, beet hummus and grilled okra with lemon.

Naija Wife Kitchen

Tahnee Francis married a man from Nigeria and fell in love with his country’s cuisine. She went from cooking Nigerian recipes for church socials to running a tiny food stall in an obscure food court to being a nationally famous James Beard semifinalist. Her soups, stews and rice dishes have introduced Americans to the rich, hearty complexity of Nigerian food — and made them love it too.

Patty Wagon

Patty Wagon takes the idea of gourmet burgers seriously. The meat comes from grass-fed cows on local ranches. Burgers are made to order, and there are lots of inventive preparations such as the Jailhouse Blues Burger, with melted bleu cheese and thick-cut hickory smoked bacon. Don’t like burgers? No problem. You can feast on chicken tenders, turkey sandwiches and more.

Some people say that the best of the rich creamy curries that most of us think of when we want Indian food is made by Pakistani chefs, and those people will love Sheesh Mahal. There are a few delicious dishes specific to Pakistan, such as haleem, nihari and tawa chicken, as well as wonderful renditions of wellloved Mughal dishes such as butter chicken and palak paneer.

Nic’s Grill

Nic’s is an iconic burger joint that does one thing and does it superbly: an onion burger that food writer Louis Fowler calls “a sizzling, cheese-smothered onion-packed masterpiece.”

The Oklahoma onion burger has become world-famous, and some people say the best you can get is served at Nic’s.

Edge Craft Barbecue

Zach Edge grew up in Norman but spend his childhood watching his Texan family cook central Texas barbecue. After a decade cooking in fine dining restaurants, Edge decided to open a BBQ showcasing his family’s recipes, using little more than meat, smoke and oak wood fire. Expect delicious brisket and ribs. Regulars know to arrive early and wait in line.

“Don’t be afraid to talk to the locals — strike up a conversation at 30th Market in the Paseo District and you’ll uncover the best spots to eat, explore and shop. I love grabbing a coffee at Willow Coffee in Deep Deuce. For food, DesiCorner in Edmond has some of the best Indian food I’ve had lately, and Raven on Western is a new hot spot I’ve really been enjoying.”

Andrew Black Grey Sweater

“My go to spot is El Rio Verde on North Trenton Ave — and crushing their wet burrito!”

Justin

Donaldson Barons on 1st

Perle Mesta, OKC; photo courtesy Day Date Inc.

Chef Andrew Black, Grey Sweater/Perle Mesta

Chef Justin Donaldson, Barons on 1st

Barons In opulent ambiance comes exquisitely plated entrees that are some of the finest in the land. Chef Justin Donaldson, who once worked with legendary chef Gray Kunz in NYC, offers treats such as foie gras lollipops, a lamb rack cooked

Dalesandro’s

The menu never changes, yet regulars come week after week for decades. The fresh, vibrant flavors of the carbonara, the lasagna, and, star of the show, the perfect swordfish piccata, are as exciting the hundredth time as the first.

DINNER

Tulsa

Daigoro

to perfection with an elegant French sauce, and Cornish hen roulade with beurre rouge. If you’re famished, there’s always that huge tomahawk ribeye, carved tableside.

Amelia’s

Three James Beard nominated chefs have worked at Amelia’s. One, executive chef Andrew Donovan, still does. He and his culinary team are wizards of creativity,

putting forth magical dishes full of flavor surprises. Expect exceptional dishes such as red deer tartare with togarashi, soy-cured quail egg, and smoked onion and miso aioli; and bison and burrata ravioli floating in a sauce of charred corn, caramelized onions and white wine butter.

Copper Dome

Set in

verdant rolling hills west of Tulsa, Copper Dome looks like a vacation getaway. Inside, three genius chefs offer a dining experience that ranks with any in the region.

The show-stopper at Daigoro is chef Phillip Phillips’s creative dishes, which are inspired by the cuisines of East Asia. There’s a big smoker in back, so you’ll find such dishes as smoked ribs glazed with Korean barbecue sauce. Other dishes offer strange and delicious surprises. There’s a Singapore dish made with shrimp, chili peppers and Malaysian baby cereal; a foie gras and eel baguette; and a stunning hamachi crudo.

On Friday and Saturday, an eight course tasting menu is a parade of dishes, any of which is an exemplar of envelopepushing creativity. Sundays are far more casual, with six courses served family style, all you can eat, for $28.

Noche

It’s vibrant and full of energy, with high ceilings, brightly painted walls, upbeat music and a huge horseshoe bar.

Bodean Bodean has been a culinary landmark for forty years, yet the innovative entrees are still cutting edge, thanks to chef Tim Swepston. Fish is flown in fresh every day from the world’s oceans, and it finds its way into such entrees as king crab stroganoff; bouillabaisse; and seared coldsmoked Chilean sea bass with roasted beets and jicama in a blood orange vinaigrette.

It’s been acclaimed in the New York Times and was a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for the nation’s best new restaurant. But it’s the flavorful Mexican dishes that keep people coming back.

Club

Summit

It’s exclusive –but it’s worth the effort. The setting is one of quiet elegance. You are cosseted, pampered, treated like royalty. Chef Bill Lyle and his staff will serve you some of the best food in the region. Ingredients and recipes come from every corner of the world. They dryage their own steaks. And backdrop to it all? A panoramic view of the city from the 30th story dining room.

Juniper

For fifteen years, Juniper, the flagship of highly regarded restaurateur Justin Thompson’s restaurant flotilla, has paid homage to chef-driven creativity. In fact, Thompson and his team have by now created some two thousand dishes.

Seasonal and always changing, the menu offers such delights as smoked duck breast with pea puree and farro, and a grilled pork chop with cider brine, cheesy polenta and pomegranate demi-glace.

Dalesandro’s, Tulsa

Barons on 1st, Tulsa

Halibut with Parmesan crust, sun-dried tomato and ricotta gnocchi with baby spinach; Summit Club, Tulsa; photo by Brent Fuchs

Amelia’s, Tulsa; photo by Halle Frieden-Frieden Films

Symmetry

Dark, high-ceilinged and glamorous, Symmetry is a fine setting for the food that awaits. The menu is more creative than the usual steakhouse. Appetizers include Korean duck wings, roasted bone marrow with gorgonzola, and “lobster cargot.” The steaks are the star of the show. The meat comes from the Linz Heritage Angus Ranch in Byers, Oklahoma. The cattle are grassfed and then fed for a few weeks on corn, so the meat is rich, flavorful and glorious.

Birdie’s

For decades, Kevin Lee worked in other people’s restaurants. Finally, at Birdies, he is doing what he wants, flexing his creative muscles to the max. He draws inspiration from Korean, Italian, and American cuisine. You might choose hamachi crudo with chojiang, then go on to sweet potato burrata, or tteokkboki,

Oklahoma City

Korean rice cakes, served with a rich Italian ragu. None of that appeals? Birdies offers a full range of huge delicious steaks

Ma Der Lao James Beard finalist. Hailed by the New York Times as one of the best restaurants in the country. Who would have thought that a tiny casual Laotian eatery in Oklahoma could receive so much attention? Well, it deserves that and more. Shimmering with intricate unnameable flavors, the bold and brightly colored soups, noodles and other entrees are not only some of the best southeast Asian food around but also some of the best food around.

Akai Oklahomans never dared hope to enjoy a sushi experience as rarefied as what you’ll find in NYC or Los Angeles, until Chef Shinichi Okamoto, with 25 years of training under his belt, opened Akai. The creative dishes go beyond nigiri or rolls. You might find eggplant confit with sesame and miso, a salmon “pizza” with ponzu aioli, and a bite of seared Japanese A5 wagyu with caviar on top.

Kanji Kanji aspires to be Japanese cuisine at its finest. You put your fate in the chef’s hands with the 20 course omakase dinner. It’s mostly sushi (nigiri, to be more precise) with the finest fish flown in from different regions of Japan, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. But there’s more. A delicate Hokkaido scallop seared in Wagyu fat dissolves on the tongue. Salmon roe, dashi, soy and tuna combine with eggs to form an ethereal custard.

Grey Sweater

This is the sort of hushed, very elegant temple to gastronomy you’d expect to find in New York or Paris. Chef Andrew Black won a James Beard award and the artfully plated, inventive entrees, which combine wonderful flavors, live up to the billing. There’s no menu and every course is a surprise.

Nonesuch It started with three immensely talented chefs planning envelopepushing menus over bowls of pho. And, almost a decade later, that’s about what it is today (with more chefs). From pickling and preservation to maceration and a robata grill, they use every cooking method imaginable and every ingredient imaginable to produce ineffable flavors you’ve never dreamed of. Their ever-changing 9 course tasting menu is always a masterpiece. Sedalia’s We’ve all seen movies where a genius painter slashes at the canvas with bold strokes and bright colors, and somehow creates a masterpiece. The delicious dishes at Sedalia’s, intensely creative, featuring the freshest seafood, and brimming with sharp unforgettable flavors, are like that. From tuna conservas to octopus anticuchos to snapper crudos, just expect the unexpected

Ma Der Lao, OKC; photo by Quit Nguyen

Nonesuch, OKC; photo by Rachel Minnick

Symmetry, OKC

Grey Sweater, OKC

DESSERT & LATE NIGHT BITES

Tulsa Society Burger

Thick juicy burgers. Enough said. But if not, let us tempt you with the variety. Classic, Theta (with a cheddar cheese skirt on top), Okie (onion), Turkey Verde (turkey patties with avocado ranch and roasted chiles), Everything (cream cheese, jalapeno, onions and mayo), Peanut butter and bacon, and two vegan burgers. Made -from-scratch sides, too.

Tina’s

Anthropologists studying hip trendy youth would do well to start here. It’s a popular bar open late. The thing to order here is the smashburger. Impossibly thin, bursting with flavor, and made by Alex Koch, formerly of Et Al. At least one of Tulsa’s finest chefs will secretly tell you that he can’t make a burger as good at this.

El Viejon

Colorful and bursting with energy, El Viejon specializes in enticing seafood specialties. The seafood is fresh and comes in so many varieties that the menu is ten pages. Seafood stack, seafood boil, seafood-stuffed pineapples and coconuts, even green spaghetti with seafood. (Yes, that is authentic Mexican, and hard to find.)

Country Bird Bakery

Cat Cox’s fabulous bread and pastries won her the James Beard Award given to the best pastry chef in the United States. Her confections take days to make. She works all week to make the baked goods that are sold out in about an hour Saturday morning. The bakery is open only Saturday morning (and sometimes Thursday morning, too).

Patisserie by Shelia Anne

After a full career in real estate and politics, Shelia Dills decided to become a baker. She went to Paris, studied, then came back to Jenks and opened a cafe that’s as close to Parisian as she can make it. Croissants take three days to make. There are also macarons, lemon meringue “tacos” and even savory crepes.

Oklahoma City

Harvey Bakeshop

Alyssa Ulrich fell in love with baking when, age 9, she watched her grandmother bake. Working at Hall’s Pizza Kitchen, where she developed a big following, she dreamed of starting a full-service bakery. Four years ago, she and the owner of Hall’s bought a big Chrysler showroom built in 1947. Ulrich bakes incredible pastries, as well as muffins, croissants and breads.

Jones Assembly

“If there’s one single space that exemplifies OKC’s unexpected coolness,” says travel writer Matt Kirouac, “it’s the Jones Assembly.” It sprawls past bars, overstuffed armchairs, dining room, dance floor and has what’s probably the highest ceiling in town. Dinner is up to fine dining standards (or you can get pizza, wings and burgers)

and the cocktails, with names like Electric Feel and Disco Nap, have a city-wide rep for creativity and taste.

R & J Lounge

Dimly lit and plushly upholstered, washed with crimson light, with retro (and delicious) drinks including a perfect Manhattan, the Lounge quite deliberately hearkens back to midcentury days. But the owner, Russ Johnson, was

the chef at OKC’s fine dining landmark Ludivine, so you can expect a 21st century sophistication in drinks, food and service.

Pie Junkie

Like the infamous pie shops of Kathmandu, Pie Junkie dazzles all comers with a huge selection of made-from-scratch pies. They mainly sell whole pies, both ready to eat and take and bake, and quiches too, but they also have an assortment of pie slices ready to serve the hungry.

Fait Maison

Olivier Bouzerand, born in France, worked at Michelin three-star restaurants in Paris. Later he won a star of his own. His newest venture, Fait Maison, is a temple to French fine dining. A meal there is an experience you’ll treasure forever. It might take four hours and feature four different preparations of foie gras — but certainly worth it.

Fait Maison, OKC

The Jones Assembly, OKC; photo courtesy Konjo Concepts

Pie Junkie, OKC

Country Bird Bakery, Tulsa; photo by Molly Thrasher

Harvey Bakery & Kitchen, OKC

SOCIETY

From the perfect sear on every patty to bold, house-made toppings, Society builds burgers worth gathering around. Classics sit alongside creative twists, each stacked high with flavor.

Classic American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and house sauce on a brioche bun.

societyburger.com

Hangover

Housemade sausage patty, beef patty, American cheese, chopped bacon, fried egg, & house sauce on an everything bun.

Onions grilled into both patties, American cheese, mayo, and haystack onions on a brioche bun.

Onions grilled into both patties,

Shroom

Swiss cheese, sautéed portobello mushrooms, caramelized onions, and mayo on a brioche bun.

Theta

Melted cheddar cheese skirt, fried pickles, BBQ sauce, and mayo on a brioche bun.

Okie

Spicy Okie

grilled jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, haystack onions, and spicy mayo on a brioche bun.

Bacon Cheeseburger

Cheeseburger

A Roaring Debut

The iconic Mayo Hotel finally has the one thing it was missing: a showstopping restaurant. Enter 1925, where chef Cameron Werry brings Roaring Twenties glamour back to life.

In 1925, F. Scott Fitzgerald published The Great Gatsby

It’s a complex tale, with elements of Faust and forbidden love, and that’s why it’s considered a great novel. But the reason it has such a great hold on our imagination — the reason people read and reread it one hundred years later — is the richly evoked ambiance of decadent, jaded elegance.

That same year, the Mayo Hotel opened. Back in the day, when Tulsa was the oil capital of the world, anyone who even dreamed of being anyone stayed there.

John F. Kennedy, Katherine Hepburn, Charlie Chaplin, Harry Truman, Elvis Presley, Eleanor Roosevelt Mae West — all that gilded, long-gone elite.

It became an oilman’s hangout. Frank Phillips and Bill Skelly had a drunken fistfight in the lobby. Pretty Boy Floyd never stayed there, but when he was on the Ten Most Wanted list, the FBI sent agents to check, reasoning that the hotel was so luxurious that he would risk arrest and certain conviction to enjoy it.

But by the time I got to Tulsa, the party was over. I used to walk by the abandoned downtown shell and try to peer through the boards that covered the entrance, hoping for a glimpse of the ghosts that surely haunted it, bygone shades dancing at long-forgotten balls, just like that old Kubrick flick The Shining

In 2001, Tulsa businessman John Snyder purchased the Mayo for $1. His friends told him he overpaid. In the next decades,

he and his family poured $40 million into a loving, careful, slow restoration, returning the Mayo to the glory of bygone days. The soaring, stunning lobby, gleaming with stark black and white decoration, still makes jaded visitors gasp in awe. But one thing was missing: a truly glamorous restaurant to fill the space of the original Mayo’s elegant dining room.

Now, after years of work by John Snyder and his daughter, Macy Snyder-Amatucci, the work is complete. Dimly lit, high ceilinged, with lots of gilt work and chandeliers, the new restaurant awaits any passing Gatsbys. Its name: 1925. Its main attraction: the food.

The Snyders picked Cameron Werry to be executive chef, responsible for overseeing the food of the entire hotel (including room service) and wisely gave him great creative latitude. Werry was born in Banff, a resort town in the province of Alberta, Canada, and grew up in the kitchens of his restaurateur father’s many kitchens. He never considered any career other than chef.

The porcini rubbed beef striploin is 14 ounces of prime beef, with horseradish parsnip purée, artichokes and black garlic rosemary butter. Photos by Stephanie Phillips

The baby gem salad offers pistachio seeded crumble, radish, feta and buttermilk herb dressing.

“I always felt at home in the kitchen,” Werry says. “I love the camaraderie, culture and teamwork.”

Werry’s worked just about everywhere, from a Michelin two-star restaurant in San Francisco to the Chalkboard to the Tulsa Zoo, where he brought fine dining touches to every concession stand. Werry designed this menu to be different.

“I don’t want to be like the guy next door,” he says. “I’ll leave the shrimp cocktail and hummus dip to him.”

What sets the dishes apart is their creativity and the skill and time it takes to execute them.

Only the best ingredients are found at 1925. Beef is USDA prime. Halibut was swimming in the ocean 48 hours before.

“And I have a guy in Skiatook who’s growing special varieties of lettuce just for me,” Werry says.

That halibut comes in a rich, silky smooth classic French beurre blanc with salmon roe on top. Other dishes were being prepared while that fish was still in the ocean. There’s a decadently rich slice of unctuously smooth pork belly that takes three days to cure and slowly cook. It’s served with honey dijon glaze, a piquant peach chow chow, and a tasty corn purée. There’s fried chicken too. It is slowly cooked sous vide for four hours, then lightly fried. It’s spectacular.

“I wanted to have a dish that, when they bring it to the table, people say ‘wow,’” Werry remarks.

Actually, all those dishes have that ‘wow’ factor. The careful, colorful presentation and plating will thrill any foodie. Service, from that consummate gentleman Evan Pigford who runs the bar, to every server who guides you through your meal, is impeccable. The first thing Werry tells every interviewer is, “it’s not fine dining.” And yet, it is.

BRIAN SCHWARTZ

Notes of Marrakesh

If you’re looking to step outside your culinary comfort zone, Notes of Marrakesh on Tulsa’s Studio Row should be your next go-to destination.

Described as a Moroccan bistro and bar, the restaurant welcomes diners with its stylish digs, warm ambiance and authentic eats not found elsewhere in the metro. The restaurant is open at 9 a.m. daily except for Sundays, offering early morning options including the Moroccan and Turkish breakfast plates. The former comes with scrambled eggs, lamb sausage, cumin, cream cheese and black olives, and the latter offers fried eggs with Turkish-style beef sausage.

Lunch/dinner entrées are appealing. Try the beef pastila — crispy phyllo dough stuffed with beef stew, alongside almond paste topped with honey. Another highlight is the meatball tajine, with Moroccan-style meatballs, homemade tomato sauce, fried egg and cumin. Other options include the Royal Burger, a lamb burger with goat and cheddar cheese, fig jam, tomato, avocado, blackberry glaze and Marrakesh sauce, and the Kabsa – a traditional Saudi Arabian dish consisting of goat and rice, slow cooked with raisins and Middle Eastern spices.

Notes of Marrakesh also offers a full bar, with craft cocktails like the fig pomegranate martini and Moroccan mule, alongside ample beers and wines.

Frankie’s Italian Restaurant

Nestled upon West Britton Road in OKC, Frankie’s Italian Restaurant is ideal for a cozy date night or a group outing with friends and family.

Start with classic appetizers like bruschetta, garlic bread, a caprese salad or buffalo wings. If you want to stay on the light side, try the Caesar or Greek salad.

Baked pastas are sure to tempt – with offerings including lasagna, manicotta, eggplant Parmigiana or baked penne. If you just can’t choose, indulge in the Pasta Sampler with manicotta, cannelloni and lasagna. House specialties shine, too; try the chicken piccata, marsala or cremora. If you’d prefer the build-your-own option, you can choose your pasta, sauce and add-ons for a specialty creation.

Looking to veer away from pasta? Frankie’s also has a handful of subs, including the Italian sausage, the meatball and the chicken Parmigiana.

Don’t forget to end the night with dessert. The Italian creme cake, tiramisu or cannoli are can’t-miss.

MARY WILLA ALLEN

To end the evening, 1925 diners can indulge in the cheesecake, replete with fig and walnut jam, plus burnt orange sauce.

Cameron Werry says that as the leader of 1925, he doesn’t “want to be like the guy next door. I’ll leave the shrimp cocktail and hummus dip to him.”

Photo courtesy Frankie’s Italian Restaurant

Photo courtesy Notes of Marrakesh

A Delicious Celebration

OKC’s newest southern restaurant, Lorena, helmed by Cally Johnson, brings people together through the joy of food.

Modern southern cuisine is at the heart of

OKC’s newest restaurant, Lorena Southern Twist, which opened its doors to diners in April 2025. In September, owner Lori Burson signed Bakersfield, Calif., transplant Cally Johnson on as head chef.

A former singer-songwriter who spent time in Nashville, Johnson also enjoyed cooking – and her globetrotting in 17 countries only grew her passion for cuisine.

Then, she says, “when I arrived in Oklahoma City in 1998, I ended up working with an aspiring chef, Leonard Novak, who was part of Kurt Fleischfresser’s apprenticeship program at The Coach House. I worked at the little coffee shop inside the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City.”

Johnson followed Novak during his move to Deep Fork Grill, and after his departure, she gained the top spot in the kitchen.

“During my time there, I realized this

very beautiful correlation between how I wrote music and how I created menus, cooked and plated food,” she says. “I worked really closely with Kurt and he provided me a lot of really amazing learning opportunities and mentorship.”

In 2002, Johnson moved on as the executive chef at Boulevard Steakhouse. A personal hiatus followed before she circled back to Burson and OKC.

With a lot of research into southern cuisine’s history and culture under her belt, Johnson took the mission of Lorena’s unique food goals seriously.

Of the menu, she says, “I hope it brings honor to Lori and her mother and grandmother, Lorena, after whom the restaurant takes its name. We have worked hard at making sure we take a very respectful approach to this cultural cuisine and that we share deliciously the food and recipes of Lorena that are at the foundation of what we do.

“We source our grits and grains from Marsh Hen Mill of Edisto Island, South Carolina,” she continues. “Our smoked ham comes from Benton’s Country Hams in Tennessee. Our beans and legumes

are from Camellia in Louisiana, and we use Conecuh sausage from Evergreen, Alabama. Our oysters are from the east coast and Louisiana, and we use domestic white shrimp. We also bring in White Lily flour.”

Lorena’s offers southern food “with a few twists and a whole 'lotta hospitality,” Johnson says. Billed on the web as harboring a “warm, welcoming atmosphere where tradition meets innovation” and offering “a taste of the south reimagined,” Lorena’s menu options are vast.

Fried green tomatoes, chicken and dumplings, fried oyster salad, clam chowder, fried catfish, pot roast, grilled veggies, fried bologna sandwiches with pimento cheese spread, chicken fried chicken with mashed potatoes, gravy and cole slaw – there’s something for everyone at Lorena’s.

“The menu is all developed from stories, and is very intentional in that every component plays a vital role,” says Johnson. “I think the food you experience at Lorena’s is filled with a lot of love and care, and I truly think people feel that in all aspects when they share a meal with us.”

Never stagnant, the menu reflects seasonal changes, as well.

“We are always in the process of designing menus and events that give us different opportunities to celebrate and enjoy the food and atmosphere that joyfully bring people together to celebrate life in general,” she says.

CAROL MOWDY BOND

California transplant Cally Johnson (above right) gained meaningful mentorship with Leonard Novak before taking the helm at Lorena’s. Pictured here is the arctic char on maque choux. Photos courtesy Lorena Southern Twist

Where & When

GREAT THINGS TO DO IN OKLAHOMA

EVENTS LISTED ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. CHECK INDIVIDUAL WEBSITES FOR UPDATES.

IN TULSA Performances

Tulsa Pembroke Players

present: Romeo & Juliet

Forever Nov. 1-2 Tulsa PAC This is a bold and innovative twist by setting the classic tale aboard a lavish cruise ship, where the sun-soaked decks and the gentle sway of the ocean serve as a backdrop for a modern family drama. tulsapac.com

Tulsa Spotlight Theater presents: The Drunkard and the Olio Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Tulsa Spotlight Theater It began on Nov. 14, 1953, and has never stopped! That's how The Drunkard became America's longest-running play. More than 3,000 Tulsans have participated on or offstage. tulsaspotlighttheater.

com

Tulsa Ballet presents:

Giselle Through Nov. 2 Tulsa PAC Giselle, with its ethereal atmosphere, dramatic pas de deux and mix of romanticism and supernatural elements have made it a beloved masterpiece that continues to captivate audiences worldwide. tulsaballet.org

TPAC Imagination Series presents: Channeling Our Ancestors Nov. 4-7 Tulsa PAC Channeling Our Ancestors is an original production from the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, created by Indigenous Oklahoman artists. tulsapac.com

David Spade Nov. 7 Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa Lauded comedian David Spade brings the laughs. hardrockcasinotulsa.com

Tulsa Symphony Orchestra presents: Holst's The Planets Nov. 8 Tulsa PAC Enjoy Ron Spigelman as guest conductor, with the Tulsa Chorale Women's Chorus. tulsasymphony.org

Straight No Chaser Holiday Road Tour Nov. 13 Tulsa PAC RIAA-certified Gold and holiday favorites a cappella group Straight No Chaser are back for another festive fall with their Holiday Road Tour tulsapac.com

Theatre Tulsa presents:

Rent Nov. 14-16 Tulsa PAC La Vie Boheme! Enjoy Jonathan Larson's iconic Pulitzer Prize-winning musical that shaped a generation of audiences and taught us all to measure our life in love. theatretulsa.org

Tulsa Opera presents: The Sound of Music Nov.

PERFORMANCE

Curtains Up

In Tulsa, don’t miss the tail end of Giselle, presented by Tulsa Ballet, running through Nov. 2 at the PAC. Other performances at the venue include Channeling Our Ancestors, Nov. 4-7, created by Indigenous Oklahoma artists, as well as Tulsa Symphony Orchestra’s Holst’s The Planets on Nov. 8. Stick around for Theatre Tulsa’s Rent from Nov. 14-16; Celebrity Attraction’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas from Nov. 18-23; and Chamber Music Tulsa’s Maxwell Quartet on Nov. 23. Other Tulsa highlights include comedian David Spade at the Hard Rock on Nov. 7, Tulsa Opera’s The Sound of Music on Nov. 15 at the VanTrease Performing Arts Center, and comedian Sherri Shepherd on Nov. 15 at the Osage Casino Hotel.

OKC brings the heat. At the Civic Center, the OKC Philharmonic offers three performances this month: Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony, Nov. 7-8; Joel Levine Conducts Tchaikovsky, Nov. 15; and Jurassic Park in Concert, Nov. 29. OKC Broadway welcomes Elf the Musical, spreading Christmas cheer at the Civic from Nov. 18-23. Other highlights include Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park’s Jane Austen’s Christmas Cracker, Nov. 4-21 at their black box venue; Edgar Meyer, Tessa Lark and Joshua Roman on Nov. 20 at Edmond’s Armstrong Auditorium; and Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma’s A Christmas Carol, Nov. 28-Dec. 28 at Lyric at the Plaza.

Around the state, enjoy a performance from Jazz at the Lincoln Center Orchestra on Nov. 9 at Stillwater’s McKnight Center for the Performing Arts, as well as Cirque Dreams Holidaze on Nov. 20 at Bartlesville Community Center and A Territorial Christmas Carol on Nov. 29-Dec. 21 at Guthrie’s Pollard Theater.

15 VanTrease Performing Arts Center for Education The Austrian Alps come to the rolling hills of Tulsa when the most beloved musical of all time do-re-mis its way onto the Tulsa Opera stage. tulsaopera.com

Sherri Shepherd Nov. 15 Osage Casino Hotel Beloved talk show host, comedian, actor and best-selling author Sherri Shepherd is coming to Skyline Event Center. celebrityattractions.com

Celebrity Attractions presents: How the Grinch

Stole Christmas Nov. 1823 Tulsa PAC Max the Dog narrates as the mean and scheming Grinch, whose heart is “two sizes too small,” decides to steal Christmas away from the Holiday loving Whos. celebrityattractions.com

TPAC presents: Sam Harris

– Beyond the Rainbow Nov. 22 Tulsa PAC Sam Harris returns to his Oklahoma roots with his new show, a nod to his legendary rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" that put him on the map on Star Search at age 22. tulsapac. com

Chamber Music Tulsa presents: Maxwell Quartet Nov. 23 Tulsa PAC See the legendary Maxwell Quartet for one night only. chambermusictulsa. org

Concerts

Joe Nichols Nov. 6 River

Spirit Casino Resort Country music Joe Nichols visits the Cove. riverspirittulsa.com

Clint Black Nov. 6 Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa An icon in the country music space, Clint Black visits Hard Rock. hardrockcasinotulsa.com

Brandon Lake Nov. 8 BOK Center Brandon Lake is coming to BOK Center with special guests Franni Cash and Pat Barrett. bokcenter.com

Billie Eilish Nov. 10-11 BOK Center Billie Eilish is bringing her Hit Me Hard And Soft: The Tour to BOK Center. bokcenter.com

Joe Bonamassa Nov. 13 River Spirit Casino Resort See the Grammy-nominated blues rock singer, guitarist and songwriter. riverspirittulsa.com

Blues Traveler Nov. 13 Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa The iconic group is known for creative segues during live performances and pioneering the H.O.R.D.E. touring music festival. hardrockcasinotulsa. com

A Day to Remember and Yellowcard Nov. 20 BOK Center A Day To Remember and Yellowcard are coming to BOK Center with special guests The Wonder Years and Dinosaur Pile-Up. bokcenter.com

Three Dog Night Nov. 20 River Spirit Casino Resort The classic rockers of Three Dog Night visit

Tulsa. riverspirittulsa.com

The Roots Nov. 29 River Spirit Casino Resort American hip-hop band The Roots is in town for one night only. riverspirittulsa.com

Art

Clayton Keyes: Subterfuge Through Nov. 22 108 Contemporary 108 Contemporary is excited to showcase the work of ceramicist Clayton Keyes; the exhibition is a celebration of nature and the human form. 108contemporary.org

Sacred Land Through Dec.

31 Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art Enjoy a unique photographic exhibition and publication that captures the soul of Israel, both ancient and contemporary by legendary American photographer Ralph Gibson and producer Martin Cohen. philbrook.org

Eduardo Sarabia: Ceiba Sagrada Through Dec. 28

Philbrook Los Angeles-born, Mexico-based Eduardo Sarabia has become one of the better-known artistic voices of his generation for using materials and imagery associated with street culture, craft and folk history to draw connections between his personal story and the narrative of Mexico. philbrook.org

Earth Embodied Through Dec. 28 Philbrook New acquisitions by artists including Starr Hardridge, Kay WalkingStick and Emmi

Whitehorse join old favorites such as Alexandre Hogue’s Mother Earth Laid Bare (1936) and Felice Schiavoni’s Madonna and Child with the Young Saint John (1850) to explore the range of ways artists envision the concept of the earth embodied. philbrook.org

Temple Israel Songbook

Illustrations Through Dec.

31 Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art Ready for a trip down memory lane? Revisit the charm of Sunday school at Temple Israel with these delightful, vibrant illustrations by Tulsa native Carmelita Avery. Created in 1945, these pieces capture the playful spirit of the era. jewishmuseumtulsa.org

Wall Flowers: Patrick Gordon Paintings Through Jan.

3 Philbrook Philbrook Museum of Art presents Patrick Gordon’s first museum retrospective, which features over fifty paintings that span a career of more than fifty years. philbrook.org

Metamorphosis! Butterflies and Botanicals by Maria Sibylla Merian Through Jan.

3 Philbrook Before artist-scientist Maria Sibylla Merian, Europeans believed insects spontaneously generated from mud. Her revolutionary practices of observing living insects and documenting their many life stages demonstrated that they were actually born from eggs and often changed form, or metamorphosized, many times

through their life cycles. philbrook. org

Interwoven: Cherokee, Muscogee & Yuchi

Baskets Through Feb.

8 Philbrook Learn about Tulsa’s interwoven history with the Muscogee (Creek), Yuchi and Cherokee people, who share the ancestral art of basketry. philbrook. org

Still Life 101 Through Feb.

8 Philbrook Images of flowers, food, and other inanimate objects, called still lifes, have been popular across cultures and far back into prehistory, including in ancient Egypt and Rome. philbrook.org

Slumgullion: The Venerate Outpost

Ongoing Philbrook Philbrook is proud to partner with award-winning artist Karl Unnasch to present Slumgullion, a full-scale log cabin built from the skeleton of a late1800s pioneer home. philbrook.org

Sports

Simulcast Horse

Racing Through Nov. 1 Virtual horse races can be caught all fall. exposquare.com

Tulsa Oilers Hockey Nov. 2, 7, 9, 21-22 BOK Center The Oilers take the ice this month. bokcenter.com

Color Breed Congress Through Nov. 8 Expo Square Enjoy this equine showcase that highlights

Photo by Jeremy Daniel

Appaloosa, Palomino, Buckskin and Pinto horses. exposquare.com

National Duals Invitational Nov. 15-16 BOK Center The National Duals Invitational welcomes some of the top collegiate wrestling talent to BOK Center. bokcenter.com

University of Tulsa Football Nov. 15, 29 H.A. Chapman Stadium TU plays at home once this month. tulsahurricane.com

Hunter Jumper Exhibitors of Oklahoma Fall Finale Nov.

18-23 Enjoy an equine event like no other at this exciting competition. hjeo.com

USA BMX Grand Nationals Nov.

26-30 USA BMX Headquarters/ Expo Square The USA BMX Grand Nationals is the most significant event in the USA BMX racing season, where racers from across the country and the world compete for national titles. usabmx.com

Community

Tulsa Foundation for Architecture Tours Nov. 1-2, 15 Downtown Tulsa Take a fun and educational walking tour through downtown Tulsa and other historical local sites during Saturday Architecture Tours, hosted by the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture. tulsaarchitecture.org

Fall Home Expo Through Nov.

2 Expo Square Prepare your home for the colder months at this informative expo. exposquare.com

First Friday Art Crawl Nov. 7 Downtown On the first Friday of every month, guests will be able to see a new exhibit opening and enjoy live music, a cash bar and snacks. humanities.utulsa.edu

McNellie's Pub Run Nov. 8 418 E. 2nd St. The annual Tulsa McNellie's Pub Run is a downtown Tulsa tradition that combines running (or walking) with beer drinking. mcnellies.com

Tulsa Town Hall presents: Peter McBride and Kevin Fedarko Nov. 14 Tulsa PAC Pete McBride is a Sony Artisan of Imagery who traveled to 75 countries documenting remote expeditions from Everest to Antarctica before turning his attention to is backyard jewel, the Colorado River. Kevin Fedarko spent 20 years writing about conservation and exploration for National Geographic, the New York Times, and Esquire. tulsatownhall. com

Williams Route 66 Marathon and Half Marathon Nov. 22-23 Downtown Tulsa The Williams Route 66 Marathon & Half Marathon in Tulsa is a top annual sporting event in the region. travelok.com

Rhema Christmas Lights Nov.

27-Jan. 1 Rhema Bible Church Join thousands of annual visitors at the Rhema Christmas Lights and witness over three million shimmering lights synchronized to Christmas music across 110 acres. rhemalights.org

Tulsa Turkey Trot Nov. 28 BOK Center Hosted on Black Friday, this all-ages event in downtown Tulsa includes a 5K and one-mile fun run or walk that begins and ends at the giant Christmas Tree near the BOK Center. travelok.com

Botanic Garden of Lights Nov.

28-Dec. 28 Tulsa Botanic Garden Add your wish to the Wishing Tree, take photos at the holiday selfie photo booth, grab a warm drink from the holiday bar and roast marshmallows over fire pits to make

s'mores. tulsabotanic.org

Charitable Events

All Souls Love and Light

Gala Nov. 1 Southern Hills Country Club Enjoy a beautiful evening with friends while supporting All Souls’ mission and its Justice Teams. The night includes a full dinner, drinks, auction, dancing, and plenty of celebration. allsoulschurch.org

Fall Fest Nov. 6 Little Light House Enjoy a petting zoo, bounce houses, dunk tank, cookie decorating, food, hay rides, and more, all to support the mission of the Little Light House. littlelighthouse.org

Dinner with Friends Nov. 6 Meals on Wheels of Metro Tulsa Join Meals on Wheels for an event bringing together wine, food, conversation and friends. littlelighthouse.org

Lager Land Festival Nov.

8 Philbrook Enjoy an afternoon of one-of-a-kind lagers from a selection of Oklahoma’s top breweries, featuring music and a local market in the beautiful Philbrook Gardens. philbrook.org

Oklahoma Hall of Fame

Induction Ceremony Nov.

13 Cox Business Convention Center The Oklahoma Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is held each November to celebrate and honor the current class of Honorees. oklahomahof.com

Movers and Shakers Gala Nov.

14 Mayo Hotel Indulge in a world of upscale dining, incredible entertainment, and a celebration of the leaders fighting food insecurity in Tulsa, hosted by Food on the Move. fotmgala.com

Dinner of Reconciliation Nov.

20 The Vista at 21 In the spirit of Dr. John Hope Franklin, the Center promotes reconciliation and

generates trust through scholarly work and constructive community engagement. jhfcenter.org

IN OKC Performances

Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park presents: Jane Austen's Christmas Cracker Nov.

4-21 Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park Oklahoma Shakespeare presents the interactive holiday classic, Jane Austen's Christmas Cracker! Dance, sing, eat & make merry this holiday! Now in its eight year! okshakes.org

Spotlight Acting Academy presents: Curtains School

Edition Nov. 7-8 Civic Center

Music Hall Boston's Colonial Theatre is host to the opening night performance of a brand new, highly anticipated new musical, when the leading lady mysteriously dies on stage and the entire cast and crew become suspects. okcciviccenter. com

OKC Phil presents: Dolly Parton's Threads: My Songs in Symphony Nov. 7-8 Civic Center

Music Hall Experience the heart and soul of an American icon like never before in this one-of-a-kind symphonic celebration of the legendary Dolly Parton. okcphil.org

The LOL Podcast Presents: Laugh Out Loud World Tour Nov. 8 Rose State Performing Arts Center, Midwest City Experience the show like never before with interactive games, hilarious moments, and topics you will only hear in person. okcciviccenter.com

OKC Phil presents: Joel Levine Conducts Tchaikovsky Nov. 15 Civic Center Music Hall Former Music Director Joel Levine returns to guest conduct the OKC

The Game Day Line-Up

November is a mixed bag of sporting events.

Philharmonic, joined by cellist Carter Brey for Dvořák’s Cello Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. okcphil.org

Spotlight Acting Academy presents: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, The Musical, Jr. Nov. 15-16 Civic Center Music Hall All of your favorite characters are here singing the songs that have become holiday classics. “Silver and Gold”, “Holly Jolly Christmas”, and “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” among other favorites. okcciviccenter.com

OKC Broadway presents: Elf the Musical Nov. 18-23 Civic Center Music Hall Elf The Musical, inspired by the hit film, is the hilarious and heartwarming tale of Buddy, a young orphan child whose life is changed forever when he mistakenly crawls into Santa’s sack of toys one Christmas Eve.. okcbroadway.com

Beatles vs. Stones: A Musical Showdown Nov. 20 Civic Center Music Hall Two of the greatest bands of all time face off in a high-energy, adrenaline-pumping musical showdown. okccivicenter. com

Edgar Meyer, Tessa Lark, Joshua Roman Nov. 20 Armstrong Auditorium Bassfiddle legend Edgar Meyer is collaborating with our hometown hero Joshua Roman on cello and GRAMMY-nominated and renowned violinist Tessa Lark! armstrongauditorium.org

Emery Entertainment presents: Christmas with C.S. Lewis Nov. 20-23 Civic Center Music Hall In the early years of his young adult life C S Lewis believed the story of Christ's birth was nothing more than feel-good myth. That all changed after a particular encounter with his great friend and fellow author, J R R

Tolkien. okcciviccenter.com

Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma presents: Lyric's A Christmas Carol Nov. 28-Dec. 28 Everyone’s favorite holiday tradition returns in Lyric’s 2025 edition of Charles Dickens’ magical tale. lyrictheatreokc.com

OKC Phil presents: Jurassic Park in Concert Nov. 29 Civic Center Music Hall Featuring visually stunning imagery and groundbreaking special effects, the action-packed adventure of Jurassic Park pits man against prehistoric predators in the ultimate battle for survival. okcphil.org

Rose State College Performing Arts Center presents: Vienna Light Orchestra Christmas Tour Nov. 30 6000 Prosper Rd., Midwest City Worldrenowned musicians and stunning sopranos will perform some of your favorite holiday classics. viennalightorchestra.com

Concerts

NBA YoungBoy Nov. 1 Paycom

Center Billboard-charting rapper

NBA YoungBoy is coming to Oklahoma City with special guests Offset, NoCap, DeeBaby, Mellow Rackz, Baby Mel, Lil Dump, and k3. paycomcenter.com

The Infamous Stringdusters Nov. 7 Tower Theatre Don't miss this celebrated American progressive bluegrass band known for their virtuosic musicianship, innovative arrangements, and genre-blending style. towertheatreokc.com

Bert Kreischer: Permission to Party Nov. 9 Paycom Center Bert Kreischer is bringing the party back to Oklahoma City for a night of outrageous comedy and high-energy fun! paycomcenter.com

Blue October Nov. 16 The

Criterion Blue October is an American rock band known for their emotive sound and introspective lyrics. criterionokc.com

Riley Green Nov. 21 Paycom Center Riley Green is bringing his Damn Country Music Tour to Oklahoma City with special guests Jamey Johnson, Drake White, and Hannah McFarland. paycomcenter. com

Parliament Funkadelic feat. George Clinton Nov. 26 Come see these legendary funk masters live on the most historic stage in OKC. towertheatreokc.com

The Cowboy: An Immersive Journey November National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum This one-of-a-kind experience combines videos, projections, art, sound, music and movies to tell the story of the cowboy in the American West. nationalcowboymuseum.org

Jakian Parks: The Black Land Nov. 6-June 1 Oklahoma Contemporary The Black Land envisions a pyramiding structure, layering the historical phases from Black captivity to contemporary Black equestrianism. oklahomacontemporary.org

Paul Reed: A Retrospective Nov. 22-April 12 OKCMOA This major retrospective, the first devoted to the artist, will present a survey of Paul Reed’s art and accomplishments from his early days as a graphic designer to his success as one of the founding artists of the Washington Color School in the 1960s. okcmoa.com

ArtNow 2025: Materials and Boundaries Through Feb. 16 Oklahoma Contemporary Organized by guest curator Alexa Goetzinger and guest curatorial assistant

In Tulsa, the BOK Center plays host to the Tulsa Oilers, who take the ice multiple times this month. Venture back around for collegiate wrestling during the National Duals Invitational on Nov. 15-16. Expo Square is a hub of activity in November, as well. Enjoy the Color Breed Congress through Nov. 8, alongside the Hunter Jumper Exhibitors of Oklahoma Fall Finale, Nov. 18-23, and the USA BMX Grand Nationals, running Nov. 26-30. Lastly, you don’t want to miss football: TU plays at home, the H.A. Chapman Stadium, on Nov. 15 and 29.

In OKC, you can get in on the action with fall foliage kayak excursions at Lake Overholser, hosted by RiverSport OKC, running Nov. 1, 8 and 15, and equine lovers should head to the NRHA Futurity Show, Nov. 24-Dec. 6 at OKC Fair Park. Basketball is back and better than ever, too. Reigning champs the OKC Thunder take the Paycom Center court throughout the month, alongside the G-league OKC Blue, who play at home several times this month, too.

In Stillwater, OSU football continues on Nov. 15 and 29 at Boone Pickens Stadium, and Norman’s Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium hosts OU football on Nov. 22 and 29.

Photo by Zach Beeker/OKC Thunder/Getty Images

Where & When | Entertainment

Virginia Sitzes, Materials and Boundaries is the 2025 edition of the Oklahoma Contemporary ArtNow biennial exhibition, highlighting new and recent art from a selection of artists active in the state. oklahomacontemporary.org

Chihuly Then and Now: The Collection at Twenty Ongoing OKCMOA Redesigned in collaboration with Chihuly Studio, Chihuly Then and Now: The Collection at Twenty incorporates a unique design, featuring five decades of glass and painting and tells a comprehensive story of Chihuly’s groundbreaking career. okcmoa.com

Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds: Neufs for Oklahoma Autumn Ongoing Campbell Art Park/Oklahoma Contemporary Oklahoma Contemporary is honored to present Neufs for Oklahoma Autumn, a basketball court installation commissioned as a public art iteration of the Neuf painting series by renowned artist Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds. oklahomacontemporary.org

Cynthia Daignault: Oklahoma Ongoing OKCMOA

This exhibition features one painting, Oklahoma by Cynthia Daignault, as a tribute to the history of the Oklahoma City bombing from 1995. okcmoa.com

Sports

Fall Foliage Kayak Excursion at Lake Overholser Nov. 1, 8, 15, Riversport OKC Enjoy the beauty of Oklahoma’s fall foliage during this special kayak excursion at Lake Overholser. Includes kayak rental and a guide who leads the group. riversportokc.org

OKC Thunder Basketball Nov. 2, 11, 12, 19, 23, 26, 28 Paycom Center Enjoy pre-season games with the NBA champs, the OKC Thunder. paycomcenter.com

OKC Blue Basketball Nov.

COMMUNITY

11, 13, 25 Paycom Center Enjoy games with the OKC Blue. paycomcenter.com

WWE Monday Night Raw Nov. 24 Paycom Center Catch your favorite WWE Superstars LIVE in the 405 as they go head-to-head in nonstop action. paycomcenter. com

2025 NRHA Futurity

Show Nov. 24-Dec. 6 OKC Fair

Park You won't want to miss this equine extravaganza. okcfairpark. com

CommunityArt

Fright Fest Through Nov.

1 Frontier City This Halloween season, visit Frontier City during Fright Fest, featuring thrilling rides and fun activities for the whole family on select weekends during spooky season. sixflags.com/ frontiercity

First Friday Gallery Walk Nov.

7 Paseo Arts District Make your way to the First Friday Gallery Walk in Oklahoma City's Paseo Arts District to enjoy art gallery openings, wine tastings, live music and more. thepaseo.org

Edmond Ice Rink Nov. 7-Feb.

1 Mitch Park, Edmond Enjoy holiday ice skating in Mitch Park at the Edmond Outdoor Ice Rink. edmondicerink.com

OKC Renaissance and Scottish Festival Nov. 8-9 OKC Fairgrounds Celebrate culture and entertainment at this annual festival. okcfairpark.com

Red Coyote Half Marathon Nov. 9 Scissortail Park Lace-up your sneakers and get ready to run in downtown Oklahoma City during the Red Coyote Half Marathon. redcoyoterunning.com

Oklahoma City Tree Lighting Festival Nov. 13 Mickey Mantle Plaza Kick off the holiday season at the Oklahoma City Tree Lighting Festival, one of the most anticipated

events during Downtown in December. downtownindecember. com

Red Earth TreeFest Nov. 13Dec. 31 BancFirst Tower Celebrate the holiday season by viewing Christmas trees created and decorated by Oklahoma Native Tribes. redearth.org

2nd Friday Norman Art

Walk Nov. 14 Norman

Arts District The 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk, a monthly celebration of the arts in Norman, connects the downtown arts district with outlying galleries, performance halls and Campus Corner. 2ndfridaynorman.com

OKC Train Show Nov. 15 OKC Fair Park Train lovers won't want to miss this family-friendly event. paycomcenter.com

Second OHOF Saturdays Nov. 15 Oklahoma Hall of Fame Second Oklahoma Hall of Fame Saturdays invite families to learn about an Oklahoma Hall of Fame member with crafts and activities. oklahomahof.com

Turkey Tracks 5K Nov. 27 305 NW 5th St. The 5K course runs along Hudson and Broadway giving runners some lovely views of some city's most stunning historic buildings. travelok.com

Edmond Turkey Trot Nov.

27 Russell Dougherty Elementary School, Edmond This 5K run and one-mile family wobble is a great way to kick off your morning. travelok.com

Thanksgiving Fest Nov.

29 OKC Fair Park Get into the spirit of the season at this one day festival. okcfairpark.com

Charitable Events

21st Annual Red Feather Gala Nov. 1 Oklahoma City Convention Center Red Feather Gala is an evening of fun, fundraising, Native American culture - dancing, live music and

Communities Coming Together

There’s much to see and do for community members in Oklahoma.

live art exhibitions. All funds raised support the patients at Oklahoma City Indian Clinic redfeathergala. com

Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum's Day One Luncheon Nov. 3 The luncheon marks the beginning of 168 Days of Remembrance leading up to 31st Anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 2026. memorialmuseum.com

Friend of the Free Press Nov. 6 Will Rogers Theatre Special Event Venue Co-fundraiser for Oklahoma Media Center/ Indigenous Journalists Association will include a screening of the award-winning “Bad Press” doc, followed by a panel discussion with the film’s star, Angel Ellis of Mvskoke Media. oklahomamediacenter.com

Masquerade Soiree Nov.

8 Fordson Hotel Enjoy dinner, drinks, and the thrill of live, silent, and dessert auctions—all while dressed in your best cocktail attire to raise critical funds to strengthen foster and adoptive families across Oklahoma and helping out the mission of Foster Care Association of Oklahoma. fcao.org

THE STATE Peformances

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis Nov. 9 McKnight Center for the Performing Arts, Stillwater Founded in 1988, the world-renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra spans genres and generations, touring the world to bring their vast repertoire to people of all ages. mcknightcenter.org

Bartlesville Community Center presents: Cirque Dreams Holidaze Nov. 20 Bartlesville Community Center This November, kick

off the holiday season with the gravity-defying "Cirque Dreams Holidaze" show at the Bartlesville Community Center. bartlesvillecenter.com

Pollard Theatre presents: A Territorial Christmas

Carol Nov. 28-Dec. 21 120 W. Harrison Ave., Guthrie Watch this beloved adaptation of the Charles Dickens' classic come to life on the Pollard stage in the heart of Guthrie. Bring the whole family to enjoy this festive holiday production. thepollard.org

Concerts

Keith Sweat Nov. 7 Winstar World Casino and Resort, Thackerville An R&B and rap legend visitrs Winstar. winstar. com

Cole Swindell Nov. 21 Winstar World Casino and Resort, Thackerville You won't want to miss this lauded country music singer. winstar.com

Lynyrd Skynyrd Nov. 22 Choctaw Casino and Resort, Durant These titans of rock come to Durant for one night only. choctawcasinos.com

Sports

Oklahoma State University Football Nov. 15, 29 Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater See the Cowboys play at home this month. okstate.com

University of Oklahoma Football Nov. 22, 29 Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Football season continues in Norman. soonersports.com

Community

Red Autumn Art Festival Through Nov. 1 200 N. Oak St., Sallisaw Shop local artists and vendors in downtown Sallisaw at the Red Autumn Art Festival. redautumn.art

Enjoy documentarian and conservationist Peter McBride and Kevin Fedarko, coming to the Tulsa PAC on Nov. 14 courtesy Tulsa Town Hall. For those who love to stay active, the Williams Route 66 Marathon and Half Marathon takes place Nov. 22-23 in Downtown Tulsa. And for a taste of the holiday season a bit early, venture to Rhema Bible Church for the Rhema Christmas Lights, starting Nov 27, or Tulsa Botanic’s Garden of Lights, beginning Nov. 28. In OKC, the Edmond Ice Rink at Mitch Park opens Nov. 7 for those looking to get outside and feel the festive vibes. Other goodies include the OKC Renaissance and Scottish Festival, Nov. 8-9 at the OKC Fairgrounds, as well as the Oklahoma City Tree Lighting Festival, Nov. 13 at Mickey Mantle Plaza. You won’t want to miss the Red Earth TreeFest, running Nov. 13-Dec. 31 at BancFirst Tower, or the Turkey Tracks 5K, happening Nov. 27 and starting at 305 NW 5th St.

Around the state, you’ll get a little bit of everything. Try the Oklahoma Pelican Festival, Nov. 8 at 251 E. Main St. in Ardmore, or the Eufaula Veterans Day Parade, Nov. 11 on Main Street. Holiday events abound; visit the Chickasha Festival of Light, Nov. 20-Dec. 31 at Shannon Springs Park; Castle Christmas, Nov. 27-Dec. 31 at the Castle of Muskogee; or the Woolaroc Wonderland of Lights, Nov. 28-Dec. 31 in Bartlesville.

Oklahoma Pelican Festival Nov. 8 251 E. Main St., Ardmore Celebrate pecan harvest season this November at the Oklahoma Pecan Festival in Ardmore. ardmoremainstreet.com

Veterans Day Parade Nov. 11 Main St., Eufaula Spend the morning honoring our nation's veterans during Eufaula's Veterans Day Parade. eufaulachamberofcommerce.com

Rockfest Nov. 19-23 4550 Dolese Rd., Davis Motorcyclists are invited to join the Oklahoma Adventure Riders at Cross Bar Ranch for RockFest this November. okadvriders.com

Chickasha Festival of Light Nov. 20-Dec. 31 Shannon Springs Park, Chickasha Recognized as one of the top holiday light shows in the nation, the Chickasha Festival of Light features over 3.5 million twinkling lights in Shannon Springs Park. chickashafestivaloflight.org

Oklahoma Senior Games Through Nov. 22 Various locations Held in various locations throughout the state, this fun activity welcomes seniors 50+ to compete in various games including archery, badminton, basketball, bowling, cycling, tennis and other competitions. okseniorgames. com

Festival of Angels Nov. 26-Nov. 30 Various locations, Ponca City Enjoy lighted displays, colorful exhibits and animated shows throughout Ponca City at Festival of Angels, the city's annual holiday lights celebration. visitponcacity.com

Castle Christmas Nov. 27-Dec. 31 Castle of Muskogee Experience one of the world's largest collections of holiday inflatables and Christmas lights during Castle Christmas hosted at the Castle of Muskogee. okcastle.com

Garden of Lights Nov. 27-Jan. 1 Honor Heights Park, Muskogee Drive through Honor Heights Park and view 130 acres of trees, bushes and water areas decorated for the holiday season. muskogeeparks.org

Woolaroc Wondreland of Lights Nov. 28-Dec. 31 Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve Visitors to this much-loved event are invited to ride a wagon or stroll the grounds to enjoy a spectacular display of more than 750,000 glistening lights decorating the Woolaroc grounds and facilities, creating an illuminating atmosphere of magical holiday wonder. woolaroc.org

Polar Express Pajama Party Nov. 29 Roxy Theater, Muskogee See the magic of Christmas come alive with a trip to the Polar Express Pajama Party in Muskogee. muskogeeok.gov

WILLIAMS ROUTE 66 MARATHON

Photo courtesy Williams Route 66 Marathon

Now Showing

November’s cinematic offerings are varied.

November is here and it brings with it cold weather, Thanksgiving and the perfect escape from the extended family – more excellent movies to see!

Starting off strong, we have Predator: Badlands. The seventh film in the mainline Predator franchise, the movie’s plot follows a young Predator on a remote planet that teams up with an unlikely ally, an android named Thia, as they search for the ultimate adversary.

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, this film will be his third outing in the Predator world after Prey and Predator: Killer of Killers, both of which were well-received. He seems poised for another win here when it releases on Nov. 7.

For a dystopian thriller, look no further than The Running Man. Based on the 1982 novel by Stephen King, the story follows the eponymous game show where one “runner” must stay alive for 30 days while a group of hunters try to track him down and kill him. The film boasts a stacked cast including Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick), Josh Brolin (No Country

for Old Men), Coleman Domingo (Sing Sing) and William H. Macy (Shameless). Directed by Edgar Wright, known for his cinematic flair with films like Shaun of the Dead and Baby Driver, this adaptation is shaping up to be one of the best of the year. It releases on Nov. 14.

If you want a coming-of-age comedy, don’t miss Jay Kelly. Famous actor Jay Kelly (George Clooney) begins a trip through Europe with his manager, Ron (Adam Sandler), which winds up having a profound impact on both men. Directed by Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story), the film looks to have a lot of charm from both of the leading men, and it’s always a joy to see Sandler stepping outside his acting comfort zone. It releases on Nov. 14 in limited theaters before coming to Netflix in December.

For a comedy-drama with an interesting premise, check out Rental Family. The film stars Brendan Fraser (The Whale) as a lonely American actor living in Tokyo who starts working at a rental

family service, which provides stand-in roles for people’s lives. As he continues the new job, he finds unexpected joy from interacting with his new family. The trailer looks to have a lot of laughs and heartfelt moments to spare. It releases on Nov. 21.

If you need more action, Sisu: Road to Revenge should have you covered. A sequel to the 2022 film Sisu, the movie’s plot follows the unkillable Finish Army commando Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila) as he tries to rebuild his family’s home in 1946 to honor their deaths during World War II. The Red Army discovers this and vows to kill him. If this is anything like the first film, which consisted of one man absolutely dismantling a German platoon with some of the most cathartic kills put to screen, then this sequel should hopefully be just as magnificent to watch when it releases on Nov. 21.

DREW JOSEPH ALLEN

Rental Family; photo courtesy Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Lance Cheney, A.S.I.D.

RICHARD NEEL INTERIORS

Krystal Reyes

Krystal Reyes, Tulsa’s Deputy Mayor, oversees education, youth and resilience initiatives, and also helped establish the City’s first Office of Children, Youth and Families. Reyes was formerly Tulsa’s Chief Resilience Officer, where she led major equity and community initiatives, including the Resilient Tulsa Strategy and the City’s Financial Empowerment Center. A longtime public servant with city leadership and nonprofit experience in New York City and Tulsa, Reyes has also made history as the City’s first Latina Deputy Mayor. We caught up with Reyes and got her thoughts on ...

... what drew her away from New York to Tulsa.

It is an interesting story that intertwines both my personal and professional interests — but bottom line is that Tulsa was on my radar because of Bob Dylan.

I have been a fan of Dylan’s music since I was about 13 years old, and several years ago I was following the news that Tulsa had acquired his archives. I reached out to a former colleague who I worked with in city government in New York who had moved to Tulsa a couple years prior, and she shared that I really should check out Tulsa. I found myself visiting Tulsa for a day. In that short trip I met some amazing people working in city government and the nonprofit sector doing great work and I thought to myself, “Something interesting is happening in Tulsa.” A few months later, former Mayor G.T. Bynum reached out to me, letting me know he was looking for a new Chief Resilience Officer (CRO) to lead his office’s Resilient Tulsa Strategy and the City’s racial equity and resilience work.

Everything in that strategy touched on something I had done in my career in city government and in the nonprofit sector in New York. I had an interview, another visit to Tulsa, and within a few months of that email from the Mayor, I had moved to Tulsa.

... the new Office of Children, Youth, and Families.

Mayor Nichols campaigned on several priorities – one of which was improving student outcomes. To advance this priority, he called for the creation of an office that would oversee a citywide strategy to coordinate resources and recommend policies and programs to improve outcomes along the ‘cradle to career’ continuum for children and youth in Tulsa. We also have launched a policy and decision-making body, called the Tulsa Children’s Cabinet.

For the first time, the City is bringing together the leaders of institutions and systems that impact the conditions

in which Tulsa youth are living and learning, to work together to achieve a goal of putting an additional 15,000 youth on a path to economic mobility. That goal means that children starting from birth until they launch their careers, are healthy, meeting educational milestones, accessing and participating in opportunities that will help them in the future, and navigating the transition to adulthood via higher education or career training, and ultimately obtaining a great job.

The first year of this initiative will involve forming the children’s cabinet and creating the civic infrastructure of the office. We hope to implement small-scale pilot interventions and policies that data show will improve outcomes across housing, attendance and educational milestones.

... her historic appointment and how it will impact the next generation of Latino leaders. Latinos are still underrepresented in city government, in commissions and other key sectors. And this is true at all levels of government, from state legislatures, county governments all the way up to Congress and the White House. That isn’t something that can be fixed overnight, but I feel it is up to me and those in positions of leadership to help others see themselves in positions like this. I know how important representation is, because I didn’t see anyone who looked like me in positions of power growing up. It never crossed my mind that I could be a leader in city government. But it was through leadership programs in college and subsequent internship and mentorship programs that I was able to connect with other Latinos in public service doing public service work across the country.

Those opportunities helped me have the confidence to keep going and see myself working in government or leading an organization. It is my hope that more under-represented communities see themselves having successful careers in government.

Photo courtesy the City of Tulsa

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