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The Food & Drink Issue WITH AMY CU LLIFER O F AMY CAKES AN D M O RE O C TO B E R 2 02 6

Embracing growth. Celebrating progress.

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LIFESTYLE LETTER

Where the Best Meals Are I've been lucky at the table. San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, St. Louis, Oklahoma City — I've lived in all of them, and every one of those cities handed me a meal I still think about years later. Barbecue that ruined me for anyone else's. A plate of pasta in a room the size of a garage. Seafood on a coast where the fish came in that morning. So I'll admit I moved back to Cleveland County wondering what I'd be giving up. The answer, it turns out, is not much — as long as you know where to look. This issue is our attempt to show you where. Amy Cullifer is on our cover, and she earned it. What she's built at AmyCakes started the way the best food businesses start: one person, one recipe, an unreasonable standard, and a town and state that noticed. We also sat down with Anthony Compagni of Volare and Benvenuti's to talk about pizza — really talk about it. Dough, char, water, patience, and why doing it the certified Neapolitan way is harder than anybody watching would guess. If you think pizza is simple, this one will change your mind. In Coaches Corner, we visit with OU baseball coach Skip Johnson, who knows something about the long, unglamorous work that produces something people show up to watch. Sounds a lot like a kitchen, actually. And City Scene and City List are both back this month, full of the places our neighbors are eating, gathering, and recommending to each other. But here's the part I keep coming back to. For all the restaurants I've loved in all those cities, the meals I'd actually choose to eat again are the ones served at home. Molly's — Lesa's family cabbage rolls, ground beef and cinnamon and a few things she won't write down. My mom Gussie's turkey, which is renowned for good reason and which I have never seen anyone improve upon. Anything my stepmom Lynn cooks, which belongs in a restaurant and thankfully isn't. A steak on the grill on a Saturday evening with nowhere to be. Food is the excuse. The table is the point. So flip through, find somewhere new to try, and then — sometime this month — cook something for the people you love, and let it run long.

October 2026 PUBLISHER

Jeff Weber | jeff.weber@citylifestyle.com E D I TO R

Kylie Caldwell | kylie.caldwell@citylifestyle.com S O C I AL M E D I A C O O R D I N ATO R

Allie Miller CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jeff Weber C O N T R I B U T I N G P H OTO G R AP H E R S

Whitney Stilwell, Lauren Beauregard Photography

Corporate Team CEO Steven Schowengerdt President Matthew Perry CRO Jamie Pentz CoS Janeane Thompson AD DESIGNER Josh Govero LAYOUT DESIGNER Kirstan Lanier QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Megan Cagle

See you around town, JEFF WEBER, PUBLISHER @CITYLIFESTYLE_CLEVELANDCOUNTY

Learn how to start your own publication at citylifestyle.com//franchise. Proverbs 3:5-6 Cleveland County City Lifestyle® is published monthly by Lifestyle Publications LLC. It is distributed via the US Postal Service to some of the Cleveland County area’s most affluent neighborhoods. Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect Lifestyle

Visit our Instagram CITYLIFESTYLE.COM/CLEVELANDCOUNTY

L I F E ST Y LE LE T T E R

Publications’ opinions. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Lifestyle Publications does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. Information in Cleveland County City Lifestyle® is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed.

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inside the issue OC TOB E R 2 02 6 | FOOD & D R I N K

18 Featured

Print Prestige Meets Digital Power.

WHY CHOOSE BETWEEN PRESTIGE AND PLACEMENT?

Departments

The Backyard Pizza Oven Obsession Inside Cleveland County’s only certified Neopolitan pizzeria.

Amy Cakes

Coaches Corner: Skip Johnson

Amy Cakes: Behind One of Norman’s Longest-Running Bakeries

Lifestyle Letter

City Scene

City List

Culinary Creations FOOD + BEVERAGE

Hot Spot FOOD + BEVERAGE

Artist’s Palette FOOD + BEVERAGE

Athlete Life LIFE + CULTURE

Local Limelight PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Realty Report REAL ESTATE

Events

Financial Buzz FINANCE + LEGAL SERVICES

Skip Johnson talks college World Series, summer season and more.

On the Cover INSIDE: Taste the County • Amy Cakes’ 20-Year Legacy • OU Baseball Coach Skip Johnson Talks Strategy • Plus More Photography: Lauren Beauregard Photo, provided by Amy Cakes

With City Lifestyle’s co-branded print + digital packages, your business captures attention wherever our community is looking. Build unmatched local credibility on the page, and drive immediate action online. Ready to double your local reach? Contact your local publisher by scanning below.

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OCTOBER 2026

city scene WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN

7 6

1-7: Boots and Bling with the Norman Chamber on August 27, 2026.

C I T Y SC E N E

Want to be seen in the magazine? TA G Y O U R I N S TA G R A M P H O T O S W I T H @ C I T Y L I F E S T Y L E _ C L E V E L A N D C O U N T Y

8-13: Boots and Bling with the Norman Chamber on August 27, 2026.

OCTOB ER 2 0 2 6 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/C L E V E L A N D C O UN T Y

PICKS FO

ER’S TOP B U

We have such amazing, innovative business leaders in our community who are proud to serve you, our residents, with class and quality. We’ve compiled some of our top company picks for the services that might be on your mind this month in an effort to make your lives a little easier.

O OB

CITY LIST

the

R OU

Best Pizzeria Volare volarepizzeria.com | 405.310.3615 Pryor's Pizza pryorspizza.com | 405.267.4992 Eagle One Pizza eagleonepizza.com Bellas Pizzeria bellaspizzeriaofmoore.com | 405.676.8436 Pizza Shuttle pizzashuttle.net | 405.364.4440

Best Bakery Apple Tree Chocolate appletreechocolate.com | 405.310.3959 Leko Pâtisserie 580.808.5288

Want to suggest a monthly pick? G E T I N T O U C H AT CIT YLIFEST YLE .COM/ CLEVELANDCOUNTY

C I T Y LIST

Byrdie's Bakery byrdiesok.com | 405.857.8565 Slice Sweet Shop slicesweetshop.com Amy Cakes amycakesok.com

Happy Hour The Winston thewinston.com | 405.561.7616 Blu 405.360.4258 Sooner Daiquiri soonerdaiquiri.com | 405.857.2646 The Mont themont.com The Lokal Moore thelokalrestaurant.com

Steakhouse Juliette Oyster Bar and Steakhouse julietteoystersteak.com | 405.217.2059 Ranch Steakhouse ranchsteakhouse.com | 405.857.2899 Benvenuti's Ristorante benvenutisristorante.com | 405.310.5271 Cattlemens Steakhouse cattlemensrestaurant.com | 405.236.0416 Mahogany Prime Steakhouse mahoganyprimesteakhouse.com/locations/mahogany-oklahoma-city | 405.208.8800

Mexican Restaurant Rosa Mezcal rosamezcalnorman.com | 405.857.2056 Mama Roja mamaroja.com/locations/norman Tarahumara's Méxican Cafe & Cantina tarahumarasmexicancafe.com | 405.237.4589 Tacologia tacologiaok.com | 405.735.7525 The Lazy Donkey 405.300.9300

OCTOB ER 2 0 2 6 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/C L E V E L A N D C O UN T Y

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FRESH FLOWERS, WEDDING FLORALS, PLANTS, SYMPATHY AND GIFTS

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THE BACKYARD PIZZA OVEN OBSESSION CLASSIC MARGHERITA

Serves 2 to 3 | Makes one 12-inch pizza INGREDIENTS • 1 ball pizza dough, room temperature • 3 tablespoons tomato sauce • 4 to 5 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into pieces • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved • A handful of fresh basil leaves • Olive oil • Flaky salt

Not long ago, an outdoor pizza oven in someone’s backyard was rare, and the kind of purchase that hinted at a serious devotion to entertaining. What was once a niche indulgence has become a fixture on patios and terraces across the country, and the appeal is easy to understand once you’ve stood next to one. These ovens climb past 900 degrees, hot enough to turn out a proper Neapolitan crust in under two minutes, with the same char and blistered edge you’d find at a well-regarded pizzeria. What’s driven the shift is accessibility without any real compromise on quality. The newer generation of countertop ovens, running on gas or wood pellets, has made that level of heat achievable without a masonry install or a small fortune. The result is

a dinner party that essentially hosts itself: guests gather around the oven the way they once gathered around a fire pit, the dough gets stretched and topped in full view, and the meal becomes entertainment rather than a meal quietly assembled in a kitchen. Part of the appeal of a pizza oven is how quickly it rewards experimentation. With a cook time measured in minutes rather than hours, there’s little downside to trying an unexpected topping or a pairing you wouldn’t normally think to combine. Fig and prosciutto, hot honey and pepperoni, nothing is really off limits once the oven is hot. That said, it helps to start from a solid foundation. Below are tried and true recipes that are guaranteed to be crowd pleasers no matter who’s on the guest list.

Whichever you make first, go easy on the toppings. A hot pizza oven cooks a pie in under two minutes, and a heavy pie won’t cook through in time. Keep it light and let the oven do the work.

C ULIN A RY C R E AT ION S | F OOD + BE VE RAGE

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Stretch the dough into a round. 2. Spread the tomato sauce over the top, leaving the edge bare. 3. Scatter the cherry tomatoes over the sauce, then add the mozzarella in a few big clusters. 4. Bake until the crust is puffed and golden with dark spots. In an outdoor oven this takes about 90 seconds. In a home oven, bake at 500 degrees on a hot pizza stone for 8 to 10 minutes. 5. Top with fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of flaky salt.

CHICKEN PESTO WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO Serves 2 to 3 | Makes one 12-inch pizza INGREDIENTS • 1 ball pizza dough, room temperature • 1/3 cup basil pesto, plus extra for serving • 1 cup shredded mozzarella • 1 cup cooked chicken breast, diced • 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped • Fresh parsley, chopped • Salt and pepper INSTRUCTIONS 1. Stretch the dough and spread the pesto over the top in place of tomato sauce. 2. Top with mozzarella, chicken, and sun-dried tomatoes. 3. Bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is charred in spots. This one cooks a little faster since there’s no wet sauce, so keep an eye on it. 4. Top with parsley and serve with extra pesto on the side for dipping.

I N S I D E VO L A R E , A N A PL E S -BU I LT OV E N , 9 0 0 -D E G R E E H E AT, A N D 9 0 -S E C O N D BA K ES E A R N A N I N T E R N AT IO N A L D E S I G N AT I O N .

ARTICLE BY JEFF WEBER PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY VOLARE

CLEVELAND COUNTY’S ONLY CERTIFIED NEAPOLITAN PIZZERIA Anthony Compagni flew to California to learn a pizza he already knew how to make. He spent a week with a master pizzaiolo who had taken second at the pizza Olympics in Italy, and by the fourth day he had stopped studying and started producing — pie after pie, stacked one on the next, until the motion became muscle memory. He came home certified. That credential, Vera Pizza Napoletana, is issued by the Naples association that decides what may be called a true Neapolitan pizza. It makes Volare, the Campus Corner pizzeria Compagni co-owns along with Benvenuti's, the only certified Neapolitan pizzeria in Cleveland County. The rules leave little room to negotiate. The oven must be wood-fired and built in Naples. Its dome sits low, so a fire banked to one side curls across the ceiling and pushes heat back down onto the stone. The floor holds around 800 degrees, the dome

above 900, and a pizza is finished in 90 seconds. Compagni burns dried oak for its steady heat and pecan for the aroma. The dough is four things: Tipo 00 flour, water, sea salt, yeast. It starts as a biga, cold ferments 48 hours in bulk, then gets cut, weighed, shaped and chilled again. That slow fermentation is where the flavor lives. San Marzano tomatoes, hand-pulled fresh mozzarella, basil, Parmigiano-Reggiano — each one is specified. What comes out is not the pizza most of us grew up on. New York, Detroit, the drive-thru chains — all of it evolved here after the war. A Neapolitan pie didn't. No oil, no sugar, no crunch. It's soft in the center, one pie per person, easier to digest. "It's meant to be eaten right away," Compagni says. A true gem here in Cleveland County. Volare, 315 White Street, Norman. OCTOB ER 2 0 2 6 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/C L E V E L A N D C O UN T Y

Taste of Cleveland County ARTICLE BY KYLIE CALDWELL

going back over a century, The Diner is now run by fourth-generation owner Bonnie Amspacher. Her chicken fried steak, built on the family’s award-winning chili recipe, is a certified Norman classic — one that earned a visit from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives back in 2009.

COCKTAIL Sooner Swirl at The Mont: A Norman tradition since 1976, the Sooner Swirl mixes a frozen margarita together with frozen sangria into one glass. It’s been The Mont’s signature order for decades and is widely regarded as the county’s most iconic drink. A handful of dishes and drinks in the county have earned their place as certifiable local institutions. Here’s a taste of what makes Cleveland County’s food scene one of a kind.

DESSERT Butter Rum Bundt Cake at Legend’s Restaurant: Legend’s has been serving Norman for more than 50 years, and come fall, its warm gooey cake, topped with vanilla bean ice cream, is the dish regulars plan their visits around.

APPETIZER Graze Craze: The shop builds customizable grazing boards and boxes — meats, cheeses, fresh produce, and house-made dips and jams — assembled by staff the company calls “grazologists.”

RAW BAR Hokkaido Scallops at Juliette Oyster Bar & Steakhouse: Housed in a former Main Street pub, Juliette is chef Theron Jessop’s homegrown project with his wife, LeRhonda — named after their daughter. Jessop, a two-decade kitchen veteran of spots like The Skirvin, pan-sears Hokkaido scallops with pancetta and serves them over silken white cheddar grits.

ENTRÉE Chicken Fried Steak at The Diner: Housed in a downtown Main Street building with a chili-parlor lineage

H OT SP OT | FO O D + BEVERAGE

SIDE DISH Oklahoma Caviar: At this downtown spot known for seasonal, local ingredients, Oklahoma Caviar puts a Southern spin on the black-eyed pea, turning a humble pantry staple into one of the more memorable sides on any Norman menu. Put together, these five dishes tell the story of Cleveland County’s food identity: part college-town institution, part family legacy, part small-town pride. None of these places set out to be landmarks. They just kept showing up until regulars stopped thinking of them as restaurants and started thinking of them as fixtures. That’s the throughline: Cleveland County’s food scene isn’t built on what’s new, it’s built on what’s stuck around. And there’s plenty of room left on this list for whatever earns its spot next.

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OCTOB ER 2 0 2 6 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/C L E V E L A N D C O UN T Y

ARTICLE BY KYLIE CALDWELL PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAUREN BEAUREGARD PHOTOGRAPHY

Amy Cakes: Behind One of Norman’s Longest-Running Bakeries

Amy Cakes Amy Cullifer started decorating cakes at 19, working part-time at a grocery store bakery. It wasn't the plan — art and interior design was the original plan — but the job became something else entirely. "This is my creative outlet," she said in discovery of that early job. "And then the passion for baking came with it." She and her husband, Mike, later moved to Norman, where Cullifer was a stay-athome mom. Word of mouth turned into a business almost by accident.

A RT IST ’S PA LE T T E | FO OD + BE VE RAGE

"I'm able to spend all my time in the kitchen creating," she said. Everyone works together on each order, including Amy’s judgment on each. "It's a team," she said. "If there's one person gone... it's kind of tricky, so we all have to work together to create each cake, for sure." Cullifer estimates she averages around 300 wedding cakes a year, plus roughly 10 to 15 birthday cakes a week. Weddings are her favorite. "I think, you know, it’s the most important day of someone's life" she said, describing her passion of celebratory moments and the creative process with brides and other customers. "By the time they get to me, I'm one of the last things that people plan in a wedding... it's fun to talk about all those elements and create a cake for someone." CONTINUED >

"I had mentioned I made cakes to some people in Norman. They said, well, make me a cake. And then it just kind of snowballed. Everybody was calling, wanting cakes. I was like, oh, my gosh, I'm just a mom at home, and it just grew organically." I remember thinking, “Wow, people really want my cakes,” she said. Amy Cakes became an official business through an LLC and a written business plan in 2005. She moved into her current Norman storefront in 2009. Since then, Amy has traveled through life with several families in the county. The day of the interview, Amy completed an order from a customer that has celebrated practically every occasion in their life - baby showers, kids into teenager birthdays, weddings and funerals - all celebrated with Amy Cakes. “This is why I do it,” she said. The Team Amy Cakes is a four-person operation: Cullifer, who does all the design work; a baker she's trained over the past 11 years; an office manager who handles orders and calls; and a cake designer who assists with sugar work. It is a well-oiled baking machine. OCTOB ER 2 0 2 6 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/C L E V E L A N D C O UN T Y

REFLECTING ON THE MILESTONES SHE’S BEEN PART OF IN THE COUNTY — DECADES OF WEDDINGS, BIRTHDAYS, AND A FEW CELEBRITY ORDERS ALONG THE WAY — CULLIFER KEPT COMING BACK TO ONE SENTIMENT, “I FEEL EXTREMELY LUCKY.”

A RT IST ’S PA LE T T E | FO OD + BE VE RAGE

She emphasized that sculptural, non-traditional cakes are a specialty- at the time of the interview she was working on a life-size deer cake with internal structural support. Past projects have included a nine-foot python cake and a hanging, chandelier-style cake. Cakes aren't the only thing Amy Cakes makes, despite the very clear title. She is open to essentially any recipe as her priority is her place in baking something special for a meaningful, special day.

TRENDS SHE'S WATCHING

Cullifer said cake styles shift every couple of years, largely driven by Instagram and Pinterest. More recently, smaller "cutting cakes" have become popular, often paired with dessert bars. The current trend, she said, is a detailed buttercream style called Lambeth piping, which happens to be close to what she originally trained in decades ago.

A BAKER WHO ISN'T BIG ON SWEETS

Cullifer said plainly that she doesn't eat much cake or icing herself. "I do not eat sweets," she said. "I do not like icing." She said she'll try new desserts when traveling — "research and development," in her words — but it isn't really a preference for sugar that drives her. That devotion runs both ways. When her older son got married, he skipped the groom's cake — some may consider a given for an Amy Cakes kid. He didn't want his mother working the reception; he wanted her there as a guest.

A SWEET FAMILY

Cullifer and Mike have been married 29 years as of this past April. They have two sons, about a year apart in age — Dylan and Jake. For her own wedding, she made her own cake. "It was just white. White with fresh flowers. Just simple," she said. Cullifer named a few clients on the record: she made the wedding cake for country singer Parker McCollum, and said The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, hired her for her daughter Alex's wedding and returned for a second family wedding after that.

BAKING FOR THE COUNTY

Cullifer described Norman as central to why she still loves the work. "I love Norman's sense of community," she said. "I feel like everybody's family." She and a handful of other local bakers — she estimated five or six — consider themselves a close-knit group who help each other out. CONTINUED >

OCTOB ER 2 0 2 6 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/C L E V E L A N D C O UN T Y

ADVICE FOR FIRST-TIME CUSTOM CAKE CLIENTS

Cullifer's advice for someone ordering a custom cake for the first time: call or stop by the shop, be ready to discuss budget, and book early. She said the shop is typically booked out a couple of months, and further out during busy wedding stretches. Tastings are part of the process, and quotes are given up front. Her passion and pride are obvious to anyone in her studio.

“I LET THEM TELL ME WHAT THEY’RE WANTING,” SHE SAID. “I’M WILLING TO CREATE ANYTHING.”

OKLAHOMA CUSTOM CAKE DESIGNER Wedding Cakes | Celebration Cakes | Desserts

www.amycakesok.com | 405-360-1131 22

A RT IST ’S PA LE T T E | FO OD + BE VE RAGE

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Read the Book Join the Conversation OCTOB ER 2 0 2 6 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/C L E V E L A N D C O UN T Y

COACHES CORNER: Skip Johnson ARTICLE BY KYLIE CALDWELL PHOTOGRAPHY BY WHITNEY STILWELL

It's been a big summer for OU baseball coach Skip Johnson, fresh off leading the Sooners to the College World Series title. A national title, a grandbaby, a sandwich named in his honorthe coach's summer had a little bit of everything. At Midway Deli near campus, there's a sandwich called the Skip. It's been official since the summer, the same month Oklahoma baseball won its first national title in over thirty years, and the same month Johnson became a grandfather.

CAREER ACROSS THE RED RIVER

Johnson grew up in Denton, Texas, and played baseball at Ranger College, then at the University of North Texas — until North Texas dropped the baseball program entirely. "I had something taken away," he says. He finished playing at UT-Pan American, then spent thirteen years building the program at Navarro College and a decade as an assistant at Texas before Oklahoma hired him in 2017. He describes the difference between the two programs simply: "Texas is like a corporation. Oklahoma is like a family business." At OU, he says, people ask how you're doing before they ask about the scoreboard. “I plan to retire at the University of Oklahoma,” he said, “Hopefully we can make that happen.

AT H LE T E LIF E | L I FE + C U LT U RE

REIGNING CHAMPIONS

Oklahoma lost its last four regular-season series and its first SEC Tournament game. Nobody had them ranked heading into the postseason. Then they made it to Omaha, and beat North Carolina 13-2 for the title for the program's first since 1994. Johnson gives the credit to players who didn't get to play much all year and remained exemplary teammates anyway. He said what made this team special was them setting their differences aside and putting it all out on the field. CONTINUED >

OCTOB ER 2 0 2 6 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/C L E V E L A N D C O UN T Y

"I thought the heartbeat of our team was our dugout," he says. "The guys that didn't play." Johnson's staff runs the program on an acronym they lean on daily: COMPETE. Championship standard. Oklahoma before you. Mentality. Process. Engage. Toughness. Energy. He says it shows up in small, everyday questions — 'did you go to class, did you show up tired and practice anyway, were you an “energy giver” or an “energy taker” that day?' He said the program is also here for these athletes to build a foundation- better fathers, better husbands and better men. He said that even over the national title, he’s most proud of his team when they proudly represent the values that he coaches with. What he carries from his day is his approach in toughness: outwork, outthink, intimidate. What most might not know about Coach Johnson is he is a “bowler by trade.”

THE JOHNSON FAMILY

He and his wife, Cathy, don't talk baseball at home. He said he has the best coach’s wife of anyone. His older son, Tyler, coached at a junior college and recruited at Dallas Baptist before joining Johnson's staff at Oklahoma this summer, where he now works with the catchers. His younger son, Garrett, is an agronomist in South Texas. "That gives me the best of both worlds," Johnson says. He says that's part of why it means something to have three generations of his own family living a few miles apart now in Cleveland County — a granddaughter down the street, a son at the ballpark every day.

AROUND THE COUNTY

Johnson hunts most weekends from November through mid-January. He and former major leaguer Chris Davis, keep a ranch south of Altus on the Red River. For dinner, he'll point you to San Marcos in Newcastle, or Midway Deli — for the obvious pick, the Skip. For Johnson, that's the whole point — the accolades are nice, but it's the people, community and the county that make it home.

AT H LE T E LIF E | L I FE + C U LT U RE

Looking Ahead The team is currently in their packed offseason for the fall. Conditioning, evaluating and getting to know the players is all under that umbrella before the Spring season starts. He said he’s excited for what’s ahead for this program and watching the community grow to care and love the game. The staff is focused on getting to know players before they get on the field. “If I never won a national championship, I wouldn’t bother,” he says. “I know I’ve changed people’s lives. That’s what this is about.”

Every hero has an origin story. Start yours here.

High school applications open this fall for classes starting in August 2027!

mntc.edu 405.801.5000 OCTOB ER 2 0 2 6 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/C L E V E L A N D C O UN T Y

In a Norman private studio, families spend twenty minutes in true Christmas spirit.

ROCKWELL HOLIDAYS ON MAIN STREET ARTICLE BY JEFF WEBER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WHITNEY STILWELL

For the past seven years, photographer Whitney Stilwell has run The Santa Experience out of Red Stiletto Studios in downtown Norman: a private, “storybook-style” take on the traditional Santa photo session. She traces the idea to Norman Rockwell, and to his habit of finding the meaningful thing inside the ordinary one. There is an obvious joke available here about doing Rockwell in Norman, Oklahoma, and we will leave it alone. What matters is that the sessions are built to make those moments possible rather than to arrange them: one family at a time, no line behind them, no other children waiting their turn in the corner. Santa Greg and Mrs. Claus have been making the trip to Central Oklahoma for about twelve years now, ahead of each Christmas season, partly for the work and partly, he admits, for the weather and the people. He went to the International School for Santa in 2014 and has taken the training seriously since — conventions with the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas in Branson and in Denver.

LOCA L LIM E LIGH T | P ROF E SSION AL SE RVICE S

A session holds up to five children, so that no one is a background figure in someone else's picture; larger families book a second slot. Parents can send in a wrapped gift for Santa to hand over during the visit, or bring the blanket or the stuffed animal that makes a nervous four-year-old brave. The studio sits on the ground floor, and sensory needs, mobility, and other accommodations are worked out in advance rather than improvised at the door. Families come back. That is the part Stilwell seems proudest of — the same children turning up year over year, growing several inches between frames, until a shelf of prints becomes an accidental record of a childhood. The Santa Experience runs a handful of days each season at 226 E. Main St. in downtown Norman. Sessions start at $149; photo collections start at $499. Details at oklahomasanta.com.

Summer Starts at Home: Refresh Your Space with WunderHaus!

Beth Ketchum

Custom upholstery, window treatments, and outdoor cushions in performance fabrics Designed for the rooms and spaces you live in every day.

1228 N Interstate Dr 405-831-5908

Set your schedule. Make an impact. Build a life you’re proud of. Behind each of our 200+ City Lifestyle magazines is someone who cares deeply about their community. Someone who connects people, celebrates businesses, and shares the stories that matter most. What if that someone was you? Or maybe it’s someone you know. If this isn’t the right time for you, but you know someone who could be the perfect fit, we’d love an intro.

Markets available nationwide. Learn more at future.citylifestyle.com

OCTOB ER 2 0 2 6 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/C L E V E L A N D C O UN T Y

realty report A S A M P L E O F R E C E N T LY S O L D P R O P E R T I E S I N C L E V E L A N D C O U N T Y. NEIGHBORHOOD

ORIGINAL PRICE

SOLD PRICE

%SOLD/ORIG

DOM

BDRMS

B AT H S

Parsons, Norman

1,285,400

1,200,000

3.1

Mahogany Estates 1, Moore

1,089,900

1,040,000

4.1

Joshuas Landing, Moore

949,900

900,000

3.1

Olde Stonebridge 4, Moore

765,000

100

Lakewood Park, Norman

715,000

700,000

3.1

Montoro Ridge 1, Norman

730,000

629,000

306

Park Glenn Acres II, Moore

589,900

585,000

2.1

Gentry Crossing Ph 2, SW OKC

531,700

100

250

Lakeridge 2, SW OKC

560,000

515,000

111

3.1

Hidden Lake, Moore

510,000

460,000

Calistoga Crossing 1, SW OKC

479,000

460,000

2.1

Cinnamon Run, Norman

449,900

100

2.1

Fountains, SW OKC

440,000

100

3.1

Broadmoore Heights, Moore

406,265

100

Summit Lakes 3, Norman

405,000

365,000

117

3.1

Carriage Park 3, Moore

329,900

328,000

2.1

Lee Crest, Norman

325,000

100

Ranchwood Manor 10, SW OKC

310,000

313,000

101

2.1

Cypress Creek, Moore

301,015

308,515

102

Southern Hills, Norman

469,900

300,000

This data is a sampling of sold properties from last month. Source: OKC/Norman Multiple Listing System.

Without integrity, nothing else matters.

Leslie Switzer, SRES Senior Real Estate Specialist

580-421-1075 30

R EA LT Y R E P ORT | REAL ESTAT E

1530 SW 89th St. Oklahoma City 73159 PrimeRealtyLuxuryHomes.com

Grab Your Game Day Gear Now!

OU & OSU are available in store & on our website! 405.378.2452 shoppinkattitude.com 10617 S Western Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73170

UNLOCK 10% OFF

The Sooner Theatre Presents

Book by Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg Music by Claude-Michel Schönberg Lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer

October 23-25 & October 30 - November 1 Tickets on sale NOW!

soonertheatre.org | 405.321.9600 OCTOB ER 2 0 2 6 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/C L E V E L A N D C O UN T Y

OCTOBER 2026

events A SELECTION OF UPCOMING LO C A L E V E N T S

OCTOBER 3 R D

Annual Aviation Festival Max Westheimer Airport, Norman 9:00 AM Open house with aircraft displays and control tower tours. Admission and parking are completely free.

OCTOBER 3 R D

Norman Brewtoberfest Reaves Park 2501 Jenkins Ave Norman, OK 73072 | 4:00 PM This free event in Reaves Park will feature specialty beers from local breweries. Pair your drink of choice with something to eat from one of the onsite food trucks.

OCTOBER 4 TH

Farm Girl Fair Sandy River Ranch, 3500 NW 72nd Avenue, Norman, OK | 11:00 AM Inspired by the county fair described in the children’s book “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White, The Farm Girl Fair celebrates community and good causes.

EVE N TS

A DESIGN + BUILD STUDIO KITCHENS | BATHS | CABINETRY

urban kitchens

OC TOBE R 1 1 T H

OU Volleyball vs. Texas McCasland Field House, Norman Home conference match for OU Volleyball for those in the county, while the Cotton bowl takes place in Dallas.

OC TOBE R 1 7 T H

OU Football vs. Kentucky Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman First home SEC game, the Dr Pepper 'Fansville' water tower expected to open, Sooners to be in attendance.

OC TOBE R 2 4 T H

Norman Farm Market The Well, 210 S. James Garner Ave., Norman | 10:00 AM Celebrate Saturdays in Norman with a weekly local produce and goods market with local business owners.

Urban Kitchens

Want to be featured? G E T I N T O U C H AT CIT YLIFEST YLE .COM/ CLEVELANDCOUNTY

Neila Crank-Clements Owner | Project Lead Megan Crowe Partner | Lead Designer

405-702-7747

4205 N Western Avenue Oklahoma City, OK 73118 Visit urbankitchensok.com

OCTOB ER 2 0 2 6 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/C L E V E L A N D C O UN T Y

Built and Bred Cleveland County is thinking bigger and better about its future.

You can see it in new investment and construction, but the bigger story isn’t any single project. It’s the growing recognition that the communities of Cleveland County share an economy — and that our greatest opportunities increasingly cross city limits. Then the region made a quiet decision that is beginning to reshape everything. That decision has a name. The Norman Economic Development Coalition became the Cleveland County Economic Development Coalition — a rebrand that is really a complete rethink. The new charter reaches across the entire county, from south Oklahoma City to Lexington, uniting municipalities, private investors, and the county commission behind a single strategy and a single pitch. “We aren’t trying to replace the work being done in our communities,” said Lawrence McKinney, President & CEO. “We’re trying to add capacity to it. When Cleveland County can bring together our communities, employers, education partners, entrepreneurs, and private-sector leadership, we can compete for opportunities that are difficult for any one organization or community to pursue alone.” The results are already showing on the ground. Major private investment is occurring in Moore. Norman is experiencing significant new development. Entrepreneurs throughout Cleveland County are gaining new access to workspace, expertise, and capital through Startup 405. Employers are

ARTICLE BY JEFF WEBER

F IN A N CIA L BU Z Z | FI NANCE + LE GAL SE RVICE S

confronting rapidly changing workforce and technology needs. And communities throughout the county are thinking about what the next generation of growth should look like. “This is about keeping opportunity close to home — good jobs, local wealth, and young people who don't have to leave to build a career or start a business," McKinney says. "The next decade of this county is being decided right now, and residents deserve a seat at that table.” Economic development is ultimately about creating the conditions that allow people and businesses to succeed; good jobs, successful local companies, a prepared workforce, strong communities, and opportunities for the next generation to build a future here. Over the coming months, this page will introduce some of them. We’ll explain how communities compete for investment, why infrastructure matters, where new industries are headed and what all of it means for the people who call Cleveland County home. It will be written by the people who live, work, invest, learn, and build here.

www.montecristoironworks.com

405.787.0111 5609 NW 4th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73127

Diamonds Are Our Passion We are heading to Antwerp, Belgium to select diamonds for you! Each diamond is unique. Each has its own story.

Order yours by October 30th!

2201 W Main, Norman, OK

405.360.2515

mitchells-jewelry.com

@mitchellsjewelry