Don’t Take life too Seriously

Here in Chickasaw Country we celebrate special moments, big and small, and hope you will join us at some of our annual festivals scattered across the months and in every corner of the northwest.

Let your feet fly at the Footloose Festival in Elmore City! The 1984 blockbuster, Footloose, is based on real events that occurred in Oklahoma when the city reversed its ban on dancing so the local high school could throw its first prom. The ban was lifted decades ago, and the good people of Elmore City have been boogying ever since. Wear your best retro 80’s outfit and get your groove on at the huge street dance held each April. Vendors for shopping, arts and crafts line the street, and the festival always serves up chicken fried steaks, Indian tacos and a delicious pancake breakfast. This year the city celebrates a big anniversary - it’s been 40 years since that infamous school board meeting where a 2-3 vote lifted the dancing ban. Join in the fun and make this year’s Footloose Festival extra memorable.

May your holidays be merry and bright at the Festival of Light in Chickasha. A 172-foot-high Christmas tree beacons visitors from miles away and more than 3.5 million twinkling bulbs light up all of Shannon Springs Park. Light shows are synchronized with Christmas music playing throughout the park or your car radio. Decorations light up more than four miles of paths and roadways with special features including a live nativity scene and a nativity animal petting zoo! Santa Claus never misses the Festival of Lights so make sure the kiddos’ wish lists are ready and stop to snap a photo with him!

Since 1948, Rush Springs has shown off their bountiful harvest at the annual Watermelon Festival. Nearly 50,000 pounds of watermelon is served up on the second Saturday of August, so you’ll have ample opportunity to try several varieties of the locally grown melons. Grab a bite from the festival’s food and drink vendors and compete to take home the trophy at the popular watermelon seed spitting contest. Check out live music performances, browse the classic car show. Be sure to meet the Watermelon Queen; crowned every year at this festival, reigning for the next full year.

Howdy, travelers! Mosey on down to Duncan for the National Day of the Cowboy. Held the fourth Saturday in July, this celebration commemorates the grizzled and tough cowboys who forged the Chisolm Trail right through the heart of northwest Chickasaw Country. See what it was like to pack into a covered wagon and cook over an open fire under the stars. Saddle up and learn how to rope a calf and feast on traditional cowboy food, like bison jerky. Join local artists in their cowboy singalongs and listen to poetry written by cattle drivers along the trail.

There’s a festival for every reason and every season here in Chickasaw Country.

Whether you dream of a lavish wedding with a crowd or an intimate ceremony with your closest family and friends, northwest Chickasaw Country offers dreamy venues making any bride’s wedding wishes come true.

• The Springs Event Center

• Blessed Oak Farm

• Kendall’s View

The Springs Event Center [1 ]

Blessed Oak Farm [2]

Dakota’s Restaurant [3]

Ken’s Steak & Ribs [4]

Althea’s Vault Cafe [5]

For more venue information, see listings at end of section.