Oklahoma Gazette September Issue

SEPT 2026

NOT QUITE BEDLAM The Sooners and Cowboys are gearing up for new SEC and Big 12 campaigns.

90 Years of Zoo Amp The Zoo Amphitheatre celebrates 90 years

GOP House Divided Runoff Results inside

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S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M

INSIDE

COVER OU quarterback John Mateer. Photo by Peyton Martin/OU Athletics. OSU quarterback Drew Mestemaker Photo by Oklahoma State Athletics. Design by Cindy Snow.

NEWS 4

OK GOP STINKS!

5

OKC’S DIGITAL DRAGNET

6

CHICKEN FRIED NEWS

7

NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT

10 RUNOFF RECAP

EAT & DRINK 11

THE MUSIC & MAGIC OF

ISTANBUL

13 GAZEDIBLES 15 DESIGN APPÉTIT

ARTS & CULTURE 17 MUSIC - RED SUN 18 90 YEARS OF THE ZOO AMP 19 SCREEN TIME 20 SPIN WHEEL SMARTART

SPORTS

With

24 RUSS RETIRES 25 OU OSU PREVIEW

@ATributeToABBA FUN 26 PUZZLES 27 ASTROLOGY

All Ages & Family Friendly!

Sat. Sep 26 - 7:30 PM

TOWER THEATRE - OKLAHOMA CITY

Tickets: (405) 708-6937 iLoveABBA.com

PRESENTED BY

O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6

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OP-ED

NEWS Goons on Parade: OK GOP Stinks!

By Drew Williamson

There’s an old rule in politics that needs to be explained to the Oklahoma GOP: Republican voters choose Republican nominees; the party doesn’t do it for us.

Yet days before Tuesday’s runoff election, the Oklahoma GOP State Committee decided to put their thumb squarely on the scale, formally endorsing Mike Mazzei for Governor, James Taylor for State Superintendent, Marty Quinn for Insurance Commissioner and Kevin West for Labor Commissioner. The party even sent TEXT MESSAGES telling Republican voters which candidates it wanted them to support. This is not building a political party; it’s building a political fiefdom.

Plenty of Republicans noticed.

Former Governor Mary Fallin, former State Treasurer and former State Auditor and GOP Chairman Gary Jones all publicly rebuked the move, saying OK GOP should stay out of primary elections.

Former GOP Chairman A.J Ferrante

called the decision “horribly poor” and harmful to the party. Gary Jones went even further, describing the faction controlling the party as a “small group of extremists.” When people like this are all sounding the alarm, perhaps somebody at GOP headquarters should listen.

This is not even the first warning. At a GOP event in June, Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell (a former OK GOP Chairman himself) criticized the practice of the party taking sides among Republicans during primaries. His message was common sense: The party’s job is to elect Republicans; not decide which Republicans voters are permitted to consider legitimate.

Apparently, nobody was taking notes.

OK GOP Chairwoman Charity Linch has instead pushed her bizarre “OK GOP Certified” program, requiring candidates to pass what amounts to a political purity test before receiving the party’s stamp of approval. The party

Charity Linch, Oklahoma GOP Chairwoman says the certification requires agreement with at least 80 percent of its platform. Republicans don’t need a hall monitor; they need a functioning political party. Linch had already demonstrated questionable judgment by personally endorsing Jackson Lahmeyer, just days before scandal engulfed his campaign and he ultimately dropped out.

Enough! Charity Linch should be recalled immediately, and the leadership responsible for turning the Oklahoma Republican Party into a private ideological club should be replaced. The organization has evolved from being considered somewhat irrelevant into the realm of disgraceful and harmful to the ideals of a functional political party.

The next Chairman should rebuild the party around a radically old-fashioned idea: Republicans. All of them.

Raise money. Recruit volunteers. Build county organizations. Vet and cultivate quality candidates. Register voters and educate them on issues. Develop young leaders. Then let Republicans decide Republican primaries. Afterward, unite behind the winners.

President Donald Trump already possesses an enormous megaphone capable of tipping Republican primaries.

Oklahoma certainly doesn’t need its own state party leadership piling on and attempting to manufacture an of-

ficially approved slate. Even Governor Stitt and Chip Keating agree on this point, both stating recently in different forums for President Trump to stay out of state and local elections. Stitt’s comments at the National Governors Association meeting were an outright rebuke. Keating’s comments on Clowns Left Jokers Right podcast were more an acknowledgment of the unfortunate circumstance.

This is why someone like Chip Keating or Charles McCall deserves serious consideration in the conversation. Both have the relationships, credibility and temperament to reunite Republicans, rather than continually dividing them into “real Republicans” versus RINOs and everyone else. If Chip or Charles won’t do this incredibly important work, I can think of no better leader than Gentner Drummond to unite the party, alongside a functional board.

So here is the message to the OK GOP State Committee: Fix This NOW! Recall Charity Linch. Replace the divisive leadership in its entirety.

Rebuild an inclusive and responsible Oklahoma Republican Party that welcomes conservatives, moderates, MAGA and everyone else who shares the party’s broad principles.

Otherwise, the nearly 50 percent of Republicans whose candidate lost on Tuesday have another option: We can stand together-and sit November out.

Drew Williamson is a Partner with Red Center Media-Oklahoma Gazette and served as Trustee of Teachers Retirement SystemOklahoma from 2019-2023.

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F E AT U R E

OKC’s Digital Dragnet Flock cameras are watching you.

By Kaile Hultner

You probably don’t even notice it most of the time, but you are constantly being watched. There are cameras and listening devices everywhere, affixed to street lights and set up at the entrances of businesses, a common feature of modern doorbells and silently watching neighborhood thoroughfares. There’s even a whole recording suite sitting in your pocket, waiting to log locations, faces, names, notable landmarks. Since the beginning of the 21st century, we have increasingly lived in an era of ubiquitous mass distributed surveillance, with our safety as its nominal goal.

But recently it seems like a line has been crossed. Citizens and privacy activists all over the U.S. are pushing back hard against one particular facet of the modern surveillance state: an Atlantabased tech startup called Flock Safety.

Founded in 2017 by three former Georgia Tech students, Flock sells a variety of devices to law enforcement agencies across the country, from Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) to AI-powered video cameras to deployable drones. Flock also sells cameras to basically anyone else, from neighbors to business owners, and all of those devices can be connected to a central database managed by the company.

But while other similar security companies have tried to blend in with their products, staying out of the public

Mayor David Holt view and doing everything they can to be as unassuming as possible, Flock has been loud, ostentatious and controversial. Its ALPRs and cameras have been at the center of constitutional rights violation cases; its database is a frequent site of alleged abuse by law enforcement; and its CEO has called critics of the company “domestic terrorists.” This is why activists and citi-

zens in cities all over the country, including Oklahoma City, have been pushing their municipal governments to “DeFlock.”

“Flock—and [its competitor] Axon, to be frank—are the problems. Not ALPRs, and not cameras, generally speaking,” said 38-year-old IT professional Jarrett Freeman, a northwest OKC resident who has been operating the “DeFlock OKC” website since March. “Where it gets to be a problem is scale, AI, questionable funding and wild valuation, and a company ethos that’s just ‘Lie to get the contract’ and ‘Get the cameras up faster than they [opponents] can keep up with.’”

Freeman is referring to instances when Flock has been caught reinstalling cameras that city governments deactivated and lying to citizens about what kind of information their cameras could and couldn’t collect, like heat maps of individuals’ movements throughout a city.

Freeman said he started noticing the cameras all over the OKC metro last year after reading up on the company’s “egregious vulnerabilities” and “problems with the system.” Seeing a relative lack of OKC-specific reporting being done on Flock, he decided to take matters into his own hands and file a set of Freedom of Information Act requests with the Oklahoma City Police Department.

What he found shocked him, and he promptly posted his findings to Reddit.

“When the city and OKCPD both responded that, essentially: anybody could use [the Flock database] (no access control), for any reason (no prohibited-use), without reprimand (no discipline standards for this platform), indefinitely (no audit procedure) and nobody even needs to know if the system works as intended (no transparency reporting) for three years,” he said via text message, “I shared those findings believing that I had done my part to get rid of them and some nebulous someone would see that they are voted out.”

Freeman was one of nearly 30 citizens who signed up to speak at the Aug. 18 Oklahoma City Council meeting where Flock’s contract was set to be renewed for a third time in as many years. No one who signed up to speak spoke in favor of Flock.

So what is Oklahoma City’s relationship with Flock? According to the

amended Master S e r v i c e s Agreement, OKCPD uses 90 ALPRs across the city as part of its Real Time Information Center, a program the police started in 2022 as a “support unit” that “leverages Around 90 Flock cameras placed throughout OKC. e x i s t i n g a nd renewal, as did council members emerging technology to increase Katrina Avers, Bradley Carter, Todd safety for the community and our ofStone and Matthew Hinkle, leaving the ficers while making us more efficient question of OKC’s “DeFlocking” up in in identifying and combatting crime,” the air for another year. But there is according to OKCPD’s website, while certainly more to be found in Oklahoma aiming “to improve situational awareCity’s surveillance dragnet. The ness for officers in the field in real time, Oklahoma Gazette has filed a FOIA improving officer and citizen safety request for information about the Real while respecting the individual rights Time Information Center, as well as of the public we serve.” These ALPRs the Connect Oklahoma City program, take photos of your rear bumper area, which according to OKCPD has regiscapturing your license plate, car make tered and integrated nearly 8,500 and model, and any other defining feaprivately-owned cameras into the RTIC tures back there like visible bumps and since its foundation. scratches or bumper stickers, and puts As for the citizens who came out to all that into a database for police to try to make their voices heard? look at later to see if a car matching “I was frustrated. I feel like our council that description was involved in a people did not listen to any of us that crime. spoke,” Freeman said in a text message As Ward 5 resident Mari Williams, after the meeting. “The fact that absoone of the first citizens to speak against lutely nobody has ever stepped up to the contract renewal, put it, “Flock inthat podium to speak in favor of the vestigates pre-crime, not crime.” platform speaks volumes in and of OKCPD Chief Ron Bacy, who delivered itself.

I believe that the number of a presentation on some of the “guardpeople that reached out to their Council rails” his department would be impleperson was almost exclusively against menting on the Flock ALPR database, the platform.” told the gathered crowd that Oklahoma When the vote was cast and the City was a “crossroads for interstate decision locked in, Williams yelled out and cross-national crime,” invoking from the back of the room: “You should the foiled election day shooting plot in be ashamed of yourselves. How dare 2024, as well as a Moore crime spree you!

How dare you! How dare you!” in late 2025, as examples of situations Later on, she said via text, “I simply where Flock had been necessary. He hope that these elected officials realize assured the audience that OKCPD has that the entire city is watching their been working closely with the actions and remind them that their Municipal Counselor’s Office to ensure votes significantly impact the people. that the ALPR network doesn’t violate [Three] years ago virtually no one knew the Fourth Amendment, but said that what Flock was. But now people from according to recent court cases, namely all walks of life do and are outraged by the United States v. Acosta and the this mass surveillance and trampling United States v. Brown, people had no of the 4th amendment. I believe this is reasonable expectation of privacy retruly a tipping point in our country, garding their license plates, vehicle and Flock, as it connects to so many movements or what their car looked atrocities happening currently, might like on the outside. just be what breaks it.”

Mayor David Holt, following the overwhelming public testimony opposed to Flock, voted “yes” on the O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6

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Chicken McSanctuary Oklahoma Secretary of State Benjamin Lepak narrowly avoided a DUI charge Aug. 14 by taking sanctuary in that most sacred of late-night refuges: McDonald’s.

KFOR reported police never administered a breathalyzer or field sobriety test after Lepak was reported for apparent public intoxication—an omission one legal expert said likely spared him a DUI charge.

Lepak initially denied drinking and reportedly claimed the pickup outside wasn’t his. Spoiler: It was.

He eventually admitted drinking and said he drove to McDonald’s for food after church, prompting an officer to ask: “OK. A lot of communion?”

Give that officer a medal.

Lepak was arrested for public intoxication, proving the Golden Arches may offer sanctuary from a DUI charge, but apparently not diplomatic immunity.

73 Days and Counting Sara Polston is back in the news, but this time it’s not because she drunkenly ran people over.

Polston is fighting to remain in Oklahoma’s home-monitoring program as SB 137 takes effect Nov. 1. The new law prohibits DUI offenders who caused “great bodily harm” from participating in the program.

Polston reportedly served just 73 days behind bars on a 15-year sentence before landing on home monitoring—exactly the kind of head-scratching outcome the new law appears designed to prevent.

Whether it can legally be applied retroactively is another matter.

If Polston does return to prison, perhaps DOC can ease the transition with a golf cart and a milk jug of hooch.

Just hide the pedestrians.

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Linch & Wesson The Carter County GOP may have unveiled the official uniform for OKGOP Certified candidates.

Its Aug. 22 X post featured an AI-generated Charity Linch and Vice Chair Kendra Wesson standing back-to-back with rifles, blazers and sensible tops.

Linch & Wesson. Smith & Wesson. Get it?

The American-flag backdrop is sprinkled with “Faith * Family * Freedom” and “Conservative * Patriotic * Unapologetic,” while a bald eagle sits in the corner looking confused about how he got dragged into this.

Presumably, blazers are now standard issue for OKGOP Certified candidates. Male candidates should probably stick with button-down collars to avoid any uncomfortable questions about transclothing.

The rifles, apparently, go with everything.

F E AT U R E

NON-PROFIT FOCUS Opening Doors

For more than 20 years, the Homeless Alliance has brought Oklahoma City together around a deceptively simple belief: Everyone deserves a home.

By Julie Porter Scott

Homelessness is one of those problems that can seem impossibly large. Housing costs, mental health, employment, domestic violence, substance use, disability and poverty can all play a role, and the path into homelessness rarely looks the same for two people.

In 2004, a small group of community volunteers realized that while many agencies and groups provide resources for people experiencing homelessness, those groups were scattered across the city. The Homeless Alliance began with just one employee, working out of a borrowed office on Capitol Hill. Early work included bringing shelter directors together for regular meetings; developing a shared data system and better understanding homelessness in the community; and assessing and addressing service gaps.

More than 20 years later, collaboration remains central to the model.

The Homeless Alliance operates the WestTown Homeless Resource Campus near N.W. Fourth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, where nonprofit organizations, government agencies and service providers work alongside one another.

Instead of expecting someone experiencing homelessness to navigate a sprawling city from appointment to appointment, WestTown brings many of those resources to one place.

At WestTown, guests can access health care, mental health services, employment programs, veteran services, Legal Aid and DHS. Community-based housing navigators are also embedded at locations including the Metropolitan Library System, Oklahoma City Public Schools, Palomar Family Justice Center, RestoreOKC and the YWCA, meeting guests where they are to extend the organization’s reach.

The Homeless Alliance is best known for operating Oklahoma City’s low-barrier day shelter, open seven days a week and designed to meet the most basic needs of people experiencing homelessness while connecting them to longerterm assistance. Breakfast and lunch are provided each day; guests can also receive mail and messages. Pets are welcome, so those who need assistance don’t have to leave their animals behind to access the shelter.

The Homeless Alliance Day Shelter sees an average of 320 individuals each day. Along with meals, showers, and connections to services, guests can join programs like Fresh stART, where people create art in a supportive environment. Photo provided.

The scale of that work is considerable.

In 2025, the shelter averaged 321 guests each day and served 139,000 meals. The organization served 16,867 people across its housing, shelter, outreach and other practical needs: essenprograms. Most significantly—and most tials, pet deposits, closely aligned with the mission—the utility deposits and nonprofit helped house 783 people, in- rental assistance for cluding families with children, transi- someone moving into housing. As temperation-aged youth and single adults.

Those numbers come as Oklahoma tures begin to drop, the City may be seeing the beginning of a shelter typically sees increased need, so fall shift.

“When you look at the numbers, you and winter are critical times to support see both the scale of the need and the this work.

Sometimes, when I try to distill comprogress that’s possible. Thousands of plicated issues for my children, I realize people came through our doors last year, the most basic answer is the only one I and nearly 800 people moved into housing,” said Meghan Mueller, presi- need: These people are our neighbors. dent and CEO of the Homeless Alliance. Sometimes our neighbors need a little “At the same time, for the first time in help. We’re in a position to help, but we several years, we’re beginning to see the could very easily be the ones who need overall number of people experiencing help. Since we can help, we should. It’s homelessness in Oklahoma City move in the right direction. That tells us the work is making a difference, but it also reminds us how much work remains.”

Housing remains the ultimate goal.

The Homeless Alliance operates housing programs serving people with a wide range of circumstances, including families with children, veterans, survivors of domestic violence, people leaving the justice system and people who have experienced chronic homelessness. Its street outreach team also works throughout Oklahoma City to connect people living outside with services and housing resources.

The organization itself continues to evolve. In 2026, Curbside Enterprises became an independent nonprofit after 13 years of incubation within the Homeless Alliance. Its social enterprises—including Curbside Chronicle, Curbside Flowers, Sasquatch Shaved Ice and Curbside Apparel—continue to provide employment and income opportunities while partnering closely with the Homeless Alliance.

There are many ways to plug in and help end homelessness in Oklahoma City.

There is always volunteer work to be done on campus, and supply drives are common. Local businesses can sign on to serve as a community partner. Monetary donations can directly meet the

really no more complicated than that.

After more than two decades of building systems, partnerships and pathways home, the Homeless Alliance continues to remind Oklahoma City that ending homelessness is not the work of one organization.

It’s community work.

For current organizational information, visit HomelessAlliance.org.

O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6

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S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M

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F E AT U R E

NEWS Runoff Recap

By Andy Moore and Jennifer Monies for KOSU Edited by Gazette Staff

The following is an edited transcript of portions of the August 27 This Week in Oklahoma Politics podcast on KOSU with host Michael Cross talking to Andy Moore of Let’s Fix This and Jennifer Monies, the senior advisor to the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. We edited the transcript for clarity and readability, and to focus on specific election results.

Jennifer Monies began the conversation with an assessment of the August runoff results. “I think the overall word of the day from the election to me was just weird, and I’ll explain.” After noting that the big question headed into the election was the impact of President Trump’s endorsement of Mike Mazzei in his campaign versus

Jasmine Thomas. Credit: Aimee Tietze Adams, Campaign Facebook page for N’Kiyla ‘Jasmine’ Thomas

Gentner Drummond, as well as on other less high-profile races, like state superintendent. “I think we can say that it was absolutely mixed across the board,” Monies said. “I think the big surprise from the (governor’s) race was how close it actually was, because if any other candidate had been endorsed by Trump, by Markwayne Mullin, by Kevin Hearn – all these big, heavy hitter Republicans in Oklahoma, a deep red state, they would have won by seventy percent.”

Monies goes on to note that the MAGA candidate did not win the state superintendent race, and that the election was “all over the place in insurance and labor, and so there wasn’t a clear ‘MAGA swept everything’ result. The Senate saw some Freedom Caucus member incumbents lose, so I 10

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M

don’t think there’s a big takeaway from the election, other than it was weird.”

For Moore, the results came down to who turns out in a lowturnout election. “I think the people (who vote in these elections) have very opinionated thoughts on the races,” Moore said. He goes on to liken the pre-election polling map to a weather map with a cold front line drawn diagonally across the state from northeast to southwest.

“NonDoc’s map was a gradient with the strongest support for Mazzei in southeastern Oklahoma and Drummond won the northwest part of the state, which makes sense with his ranching background.”

Moore also compared this race to the Kevin Stitt vs Mick Cornett election of 2018, noting that Mazzei was more of an outsider this time than Stitt was then, but the east-

west divide was present in that race too. “We had more votes cast in this race, but the population of the state has grown, so we still only saw 29 percent turnout for Republicans,” Moore said. “The number of Republican voters has increased by 36 percent statewide since 2018, a substantial increase, and so even if not all of them show up, you still have a lot of Republican voters show up for a race where we expected 10 to 12 percent turnout.”

Host Michael Cross asked Monies and Moore what they thought about the number of people who said they would have voted in the race if Oklahoma had open primaries, which drew a bit of disagreement from the panelists.

“Mazzei won by just 2000 votes,” Moore said. “This from someone who had the endorsement of one of the most powerful people

in the world, right? He also loaned his own campaign something like $12 million. He put in everything he had, got all these endorsements, and he barely squeaked out a win.

Had anything not gone his way (including Democrats and Independents voting), I think we might be looking at Drummond as the nominee.”

Monies pointed out that it’s a runoff for the Republican nomination, so “...my opinion is Republicans should be the ones who ultimately decide, and they had their vote on Tuesday; they were very divided. Of course I’ve heard all the Republicans for (Democratic candidate) Munson talk and everything coming out, but I don’t know if that will actually play out over time. Will Mazzei be able to bring the Drummond voters alongside?

It got very ugly, and so we will see if Mazzei can actually build a bridge back to the Drummond voters, or whether a number will defect to Munson in the general election.”

In terms of strategy, Moore said he thinks Munson should target a bloc of Republican voters more than Democratic voters, since there is little likelihood Democrats will vote for Mazzei. “I think she should target the Republicans who didn’t show up because they didn’t think

either candidate represented them,” Moore said.

In the Democratic runoff for the U.S. Senate seat, newcomer, nurse, and self-described Democratic Socialist N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas defeated multiple-attempt candidate Jim Priest by a comfortable margin. Moore predicted a steep, uphill battle for Thomas in the general election.

“Congratulations to them on their campaign, because it was nice to hear about actual issues, which is a refreshing change for how campaigns typically go,” he said.

Monies agrees that a campaign against Republican candidate Kevin Hearn would be an “incredibly harder challenge” than the runoff election. “He’s very popular, and the field was cleared for the congressman on the Republican side thanks to Trump’s endorsement. And I think if Democrats in Oklahoma think that the way to win is by electing a Democratic Socialist, I think they’re going in the wrong direction.”

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F E AT U R E

EAT & DRINK

Beyond Mediterranean Istanbul Grill House & Cafe offers Edmond diners a delicious introduction to Turkey’s distinctive flavors.

By Julie Porter Scott

In Oklahoma, “Mediterranean” has become a catch-all for everything from hummus and gyros to falafel and kebabs. Istanbul Grill House & Cafe gets considerably more specific, with a Turkish menu built around wood-fired breads, halal kebabs, vibrant meze, haydari, Turkish pide, lahmacun and several versions of künefe for dessert.

Those unfamiliar with the Edmond dining scene would be positively shooketh to know the embarrassment of riches that is the suburb’s Mediterranean food scene. From OOZIE to Turkish Delight and from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, Edmond might as well be a Blue Zone. As I watched young families and cute couples filter in early on a recent Friday evening, it became clear that there was room for one more.

Since opening in January, Istanbul Grill House & Cafe has wowed reviewers and influencers with its traditional Turkish fare. The outside raised my expectations, as unassuming exteriors often lead to the best food in any ZIP Code. The interior was more upscale than I had imagined. With high-end, comfortable seating, the space moves easily from a casual lunch spot to a dinner destination.

As a certified hummus snob, I had to try the classic, house-made hummus and wood-fired bread. The texture here was thicker than I’m

used to, and that thickness seemed to hold a preternatural amount of flavor.

The wood-fired bread also departed from the standard-issue pita. Golden brown on the outside and crusted with sesame seeds, it was much more interesting, and the sesame complemented the hummus beautifully.

I haven’t had nearly as much zucchini as I would have liked this summer, so I knew it would be on my docket long before I opened the menu. The warm vegetable pancakes paired nicely with the cold, garlicky haydari. The pancakes’ spongy texture might appeal to some, but I think I prefer a more traditional mücver.

Moving on to mains, I loved the veggie moussaka. Thin slices of eggplant, zucchini and potato are layered with marinara, béchamel, mozzarella and Parmesan for an indulgent, satisfying dish. The veggies still had enough bite—something I’ve never quite figured out how to do when making moussaka at home. I’m sure it has something to do with getting all the water out of the eggplant and zucchini, and Istanbul has it down pat. The béchamel was truly the star here, perhaps a result of Chef Hakan’s years of experience in Michelinstarred restaurants.

The grilled branzino is beautifully simple: tender, flaky fish beneath crisp skin, with lemon, thyme and olive oil enhancing its clean, subtly sweet flavor rather than overwhelm-

Photo by Julie Porter Scott .

ing it. The accouterments were on point, as all the flavors and textures worked well together.

The menu offers plenty of reasons to return, especially for diners who want more distinctly Turkish dishes. Pide, sometimes described as Turkish pizza, is a boatshaped flatbread baked in the wood-fired oven. Istanbul Grill House offers several versions, including ground lamb and beef, cheese, Turkish pepperoni, mushroom and egg, and vegetable.

Lahmacun takes a thinner approach, with crisp flatbread topped with minced lamb and beef, vegetables, herbs, tomato paste and pepper paste.

The grill side of the menu includes döner, köfte and Adana kebabs. Döner—seasoned meat cooked vertically and shaved into thin slices—is offered here in both chicken and a lamb-and-beef version. Adana kebab takes its name from the southern Turkish city and traditionally features seasoned ground meat formed around

a skewer. All that to say, I’ll be back to explore more of the menu, which piqued my interest and is reasonably priced for feeding my family.

I happened to be sitting near a family with young children. The kids were incredulous as their parents read from the menu, pointing out items they thought the kids would like. There were crossed arms, and there was eye-rolling.

They could be forgiven their quiet grumpiness on a sweltering Friday, early in the infernally hot start to the school year.

A few minutes after the appetizers arrived, I noticed their table had grown very quiet, save for a few surprised murmurs. By the time the entrées appeared, the kids had stopped asking what everything was. They happily, almost greedily, snapped up the proffered bites and nodded approvingly.

A manager, hands clasped behind his back, stopped to ask how their meal was. With her hunger now handled, the more gregarious of the two rattled off her favorite bites like a good little food critic. Turning to her brother, she said, “And Louie … he liked EVERYTHING!” I think Louie and I would get along famously.

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GAZEDIBLES

EAT & DRINK

Gone Noodlin’

By Gazette Staff

Yes, it’s been a scorcher, and no, it’s not over, but we’re not giving up our noodles just because it’s hot (nor our red wine). Instead, we thought we would scour the metro for a selection of the best cold noodle bowls at some of our favorite spots. A few are spicy, and a few are not, so choose accordingly. Either way, you still get to enjoy noods in the heat of summer’s end.

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Bar Sen

Photo by Quit Nguyen

Bulgogi Korean Bistro

Chuanyu Fusion

Glass Noodle Salad

Mul Naengmyeon

Spicy Szechuan Cold Noodles

Chef Jeff Chanchaleune is a soup and noodle bowl master, and this Lao indulgence is packed with enough flavor to fill the entire bartop. No, it’s not really a salad, but you will find veggies among the mung bean noodles, salsa macha, shrimp and the punchy, amazing jaew som dressing.

This Edmond joint is a sleeper, and they have a great mix of approachable and adventurous on the menu, including mul naengmyeon, a beef soup served super cold with a boiled egg and spicy sauce on the side to choose your own adventure. For a drier version, go with the bibim naengmyeon, which is the same buckwheat noodle preparation tossed in a spicy, tangy, red pepper sauce.

This northwest-side Szechuan spot still doesn’t get the love it deserves, and one taste of their spicy, cold noodles will make a fan of you. It’s a traditional preparation, so expect Szechuan peppercorns, black garlic, and chili oil over wheat noodles.

Formosa Street Food & Bar

Goro Ramen

Jimmy B’s

Yu Xiang Yuan

Chilled Ramen

Spicy Cold Noodles

Every summer, Goro adds this summer standout to their menu, and it’s remained pretty much the same since they started serving it in 2018.

It’s a variation on a traditional dish, and instead of broth, the noodles are tossed in neri goma, a paste made from well-toasted sesame seeds, and served with plump shrimp, surimi (imitation crab), fried shallots, and veggies. A tofu variation is available.

Thai Steak and Noodle Salad

Spicy Szechuan Cold Noodles with Peanuts

Feel free to put salad in quotation marks for this one, but at least you can tell everyone you had a salad.

If you didn’t know, the noodle dishes at Jimmy B’s are sneaky delicious, and this one has tenderloin, spicy Thai dressing, toasted coconut, baby kale (It’s a salad!), assorted veggies, and peanuts.

If there was a Super Bowl of OKC Chinese cuisine, this Del City restaurant would be a safe bet to be a contender. Their specialty is traditional Szechuan cuisine, and it’s stellar, including their spicy cold noodles.

It’s a Szechuan staple for very good reasons.

Ivan Wong’s Uptown 23rd restaurant is the rare place in the metro to find Taiwanese food, and the spicy cold noodles are a great start. The dish is made with lo mein noodles in a house-made garlic-ginger sauce, tossed with cucumber, cilantro, scallions, and crushed peanuts.

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F E AT U R E

EAT & DRINK

Good Taste

Design Appétit brings chefs and designers together for a colorful celebration of food, creativity and home.

By Julie Porter Scott

Now in its 10th year, Design Appétit has become as much about the food as it is about interior design. The annual fundraiser pairs designers and chefs to create unforgettable dining environments and extraordinary culinary moments through tastings, curated menus and intimate dining experiences. Chefs share equal billing with designers, and the talent on display in these immersive installations has made this one of Oklahoma City’s most coveted tickets.

Joli Sanders was an interior designer before founding Focus on Home, a local nonprofit that supplies families in need with essential items to create comfortable, functional homes. Design Appétit supports the mission as a fundraiser.

Ten years ago, she knew she wanted that fundraiser to bring in local designers to showcase the home’s emotional power. When she realized they needed to feed everyone, Sanders rejected the standard banquet dinner. Instead, she asked local chefs to cook intimate meals for eight to 10 guests inside each designer-created vignette. The answer was essentially: Absolutely.

Each year, event organizers choose a different theme and pair local chefs with designers. Once matched, the teams begin working together to figure out how food and environment can speak to each other. “One year, VanStavern Design Group did trees and kind of a forest setting with grass. They had these trees that ringed the area, and it was just kind of like an enchanted nook out of this little forest,” Sanders said.

“And Kurt Fleischfresser made rabbit and all the vegetables. Everything just looked like you would show up and have this kind of woodsy meal in this setting.”

“This year, the theme is ‘In Full Spectrum: The Color of Home,’ so color is our theme,” Sanders said.

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Designers will work within a specific color, and menus will be built to match that vision.

For Fleischfresser, those constraints are part of the appeal.

“The designer component is fantastic,” he said. “There’s nothing more that a chef likes than to have a parameter to create within. That’s how you come up with new stuff.”

This year’s gala is Thursday, Oct 22.

With the rooms set, the chefs will set to work to prepare intimate dinners for guests seated within the installations. Every guest can enjoy a cocktail hour and can explore all 20 design installations before dinner. The private designer dining tables are reserved exclusively for event sponsors, but guests don’t have to be sponsors to enjoy the handcrafted fare or the fun.

The Community Table sits in the middle of the exhibit hall, with tickets priced at $250 per person.

Each participating chef prepares a few additional meals, which are served at the Community Table. “A lot of people at the Community Table last year were just like, ‘This was the best time,’ because everybody was passing plates and just having fun, just eating a lot of different things,” Sanders said.

When I asked Jonas Favela, Executive Chef at VAST, why he keeps coming back, he said, “It’s really the highlight of the year. It’s such a unique opportunity to be paired with a design team and then pair the food to the chosen theme.”

“I love that we’re doing a good thing, but also I do so many events that are not focused enough on the art of the chef,” said Fleischfresser.

“With this event, of course, the best part is that we are helping the families, but there is also this camaraderie—between the chefs, between the designers. We get to be so creative, engage with a small group of people, and have ownership of the food.”

Chef Kurt Fleischfresser returns to the event every year and has been part of the fundraiser since its inception. Photo provided.

The money raised from these events powers the organization’s work, which has several layers.

First, they work with partner agencies to identify families in need.

Once a family is selected, the team at Focus on Home interviews them to assess their specific needs. They then create a furniture and decor package specifically for the family using donated items from their warehouse. Finally, staff and volunteers help with move-in day and all the finishing touches.

Sanders says the organization’s work isn’t simply about putting furniture into a house.

“At Focus on Home, we know the importance of home, of environments—what it does for your

psyche, what it does for you getting up in the morning, what it does for your kids performing well at school, what it does for you going to work because you know your kids did have a good night’s sleep. There’s just so much around a home environment. It’s easy to think of it as furniture, but it’s so much more than furniture.”

Design Appétit turns that idea into a dinner: Designers create the place, chefs create the meal and people gather around a table to build happier homes and stronger families.

To learn more about Focus on Home or Design Appétit, visit focusonhome.org.

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MUSIC

ARTS & CULTURE Set List

Red Sun shapes its debut, then looks to the horizon.

By Jory Blaney

Red Sun spent years growing together as friends and musicians before releasing its debut album, At Their Very Best. Now, as the band members enter new stages of their lives, they are figuring out what comes next for the group.

“The local music community has been integral to Red Sun,” Quinn said.

Long before the formation of Red Sun, its members shared a love for music. They spent years listening to local artists, going to shows and getting acquainted with musicians in Oklahoma. For Quinn, Ben Quad was one band that had a significant influence on Red Sun and its connection to the local music scene.

Quinn said the band’s rise helped bring more attention to OKC’s underground emo scene. Red Sun eventually played alongside Ben Quad at its EP release show in February 2025 at the 89th Street Collective in Oklahoma City. For Quinn, the show was a full circle moment: He had attended one of Ben Quad’s album release shows at the same venue years earlier. Now, he was performing on the same stage with the band in front of hundreds of fans.

During those years in the local emo music scene, Red Sun refined its sound and deepened its love of music. That eventually led to the release of At Their Very Best. They

recorded the songs for the album in summer 2025 and narrowed the project to 10 tracks. The debut single “Slayce” came out in December 2025 as Red Sun prepared for the album’s January 2026 release. The band took inspiration from late 2000s poppunk music and “tried to write songs as catchy as the era while staying true to the Red Sun feel,” Quinn said.

One of the songs on that project was written before Red Sun was even formed: Quinn wrote “God Bless Luke Wittrock” when he was 17, and said he performed it for years until it finally landed a place on their album when he was 23.

“I wrote that song while on vacation in Colorado with my first band before we all went to college. It is a beautiful song, and the one I am most proud of writing,” Quinn said.

The song has followed Red Sun through years of change. Quinn said the track explores the “feeling of never feeling like you change.

“You never want to feel like you are not growing and staying in your old ways,” Quinn said. He believes the feeling of staying stuck in old ways is something many people can relate to.

For new listeners, the lead single “Slayce” offers a glimpse into some of the influences that shape Red Sun’s sound. Quinn compared the song to Fall Out Boy and said the

Dylan on drums performing with Red Sun. Photo by Quinn.

goal was to create a catchy sound.

As part of the rollout, the band traveled to Cobblestone Creek in Norman, to film a music video that was heavily inspired by the movie Caddyshack. The song also features a sample from the video game League of Legends, a detail Quinn described as “pretty cool.”

“Red Sun is, first and foremost, a group of friends making music,” Quinn said.

Jokes and onstage fun are part of its live shows. Each member comes from a different background, bringing their own personality to the group and helping shape the music they hold close to their hearts.

Reflecting on the album’s release, Quinn said he is proud of what Red Sun had accomplished.

“I am forever proud and grateful that we got to put one out and to have had such a positive reception.

I would encourage anyone who has had the thought to do so, to just give it a try,” Quinn said.

As the members finish school, get engaged and become homeowners,

Quinn said they does not have the same drive to “get in a van and travel the Midwest” like they once did.

Although another album remains uncertain, he said the band will continue to play music and that he is sure there will be new songs. For Quinn, creating another album would take time, preparation and care to ensure the project reflects where the band is in its next stage.

Quinn performs with Red Sun to an enthusiactic crow. Photo by Quinn.

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F E AT U R E

ARTS & CULTURE

90 Years of Zoo Amp

The Zoo Amphitheatre celebrates 90 years by looking forward to its next act.

By James Biscone

If you haven’t been to the Zoo Amphitheatre in a while, you may not recognize everything.

The terraced lawn can now accommodate thousands of additional reserved seats. There are new concessions, paved walkways, improved lighting and climate-controlled restrooms. Backstage, artists now have renovated green rooms, production offices, a new catering kitchen and even a basketball court.

But look closely and the old sandstone is still there.

That’s the balance the Oklahoma City Zoo Amphitheatre has struck as it celebrates its 90th year: modernizing one of Oklahoma City’s most storied entertainment venues without losing what made generations of Oklahomans fall in love with it.

“It’s a huge milestone to be an active amphitheater in the state of Oklahoma for almost a century,” Regional Marketing Director Shelley Rowan said. “Our whole venue staff has been really excited to celebrate.”

A New Zoo Amp

The renovations weren’t simply cosmetic. In some ways, they had become necessary to the future of the venue.

“It was in disrepair,” Rowan said.

Some touring acts were even bringing their own catering setups because the facilities no longer met the needs of modern productions. To continue attracting major artists, Rowan said,

the Zoo Amp needed to be able to compete with amphitheaters in markets such as Kansas City and Bentonville.

So, for the first time since the 1970s, the venue underwent major renovations.

The terraced lawn was reworked and can now accommodate up to 4,000 additional reserved seats. Entry points increased from one to as many as four, while concessions and restrooms were upgraded throughout the property. A new sound system better serves the venue while reducing noise bleed into the surrounding neighborhood.

Behind the stage, green rooms were renovated, tour-bus parking was paved and modern production offices and new catering facilities were added. A free tram now transports guests from the Zoo and Science Museum parking lots, while the VIP “Glampground” features an Airstream bar, seating, yard games and private restrooms.

Most of the work was completed for the 2025 season, with new reserved boxes added this year.

But throughout the overhaul, preserving the character of the Zoo Amp remained important. Original stonework was unearthed along the lawn, with damaged stones replaced using similar material. The work brought the terraced lawn back closer to its original design.

“There are certain things that will

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Taken in 1936 as the Zoo Amphitheatre began construction. Photo from okczooamp.com

always remain the same with the Zoo Amphitheater,” Rowan said. “We are all quite partial to our memories and nostalgia.”

Ninety Years in Oklahoma City There is plenty of history to preserve.

The Zoo Amphitheatre was established in 1935 as a Works Progress Administration project during the Great Depression, and constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps using native sandstone. Approximately 400 CCC workers lived nearby in tents and wooden barracks while helping build Lincoln Park, the Oklahoma City Zoo, Zoo Lake and the Amphitheatre.

Its first audience came to see something called “The Circus of 21 DeathDefying Acts.”

The names that followed became considerably more recognizable: Willie Nelson, Joni Mitchell, the Grateful Dead, Alice Cooper, ZZ Top, The Eurythmics and Oklahoma’s own Flaming Lips are among the artists who have performed there.

Yet the venue’s history isn’t just a list of famous performers. It’s also generations of Oklahomans who can remember their first show—or that show—at the Zoo Amp. “When you’ve been operating for 90 years, you’ve been a part of generations of people’s concert-going and live-music experience,” Rowan said.

As part of this year’s celebration, fans have been submitting old concert photographs, some dating back decades. The venue has also partnered with OKC’s Lively Beerworks on a special 90th anniversary beer.

The Next Act

At roughly 9,000 capacity, the Zoo Amp

also occupies an increasingly valuable place in Oklahoma City’s live-music landscape.

“The size is incredible, because you can get an artist like a Benson Boone or Ella Langley and see them in a relatively small venue compared to some of the really, really large arenas,” Rowan said. “You can get up close.

There’s really not a bad seat in the house.”

That combination—major artists in a setting that still feels intimate— is part of what Rowan believes separates the venue from larger arenas.

The Zoo Amp also introduced a season lawn pass this year, allowing passholders to attend every show during its inaugural season. The program is expected to return next year.

There are no additional major renovations currently announced, but Rowan said smaller improvements continue as the venue settles into its next chapter.

For those who remember the Zoo Amp before the overhaul, her message is simple: come back.

“It’s definitely an upgraded experience,” she said. “It’s still the Zoo. You’re still going to be out on the lawn enjoying the evening.”

In the 90 years since hundreds of workers helped lay the sandstone that created the Zoo Amphitheatre, much about Oklahoma City has changed.

So has the Zoo Amp. But the old stone is still there.

And the memorable music isn’t going anywhere.

James Biscone is a native Oklahoman, attorney and author. He is a contributing writer to the Oklahoma Gazette.

FILM

ARTS & CULTURE

Screen Time Oklahoma-made films and filmmakers storm the multiplex.

By Laron Chapman

Never Stop Chasing If there’s one thing synonymous with Oklahoma, it’s earth-shattering tornadoes. The extreme phobia for most became a lifelong passion for another man: Reed Timmer. Timmer is a world-renowned storm chaser, a former OU graduate and the primary subject of Director Ken Cole’s pulsepounding documentary. Cole (also an OU alum) and Timmer are lifelong collaborators whose previous work, Tornado Glory and Tornado Chasers, cemented their reputation as experts in their field. Their latest film, Never Stop Chasing, is action-packed, sobering and moving.

The Rivals of Amziah King your food order and local musicians

Have you ever heard of a neo-West- that serenade the customers with a ern crime thriller, comedy, musical? spontaneous live performance.

Well, you are in luck. This best de- Amziah King (Matthew McCoscribes Oklahoma-native director naughey), the loquacious band leader, Andrew Patterson’s sprawling, is a beloved community figure who genre-bending slice of Americana. spends most of his time beekeeping Not since the early work of Robert at his thriving local honey-making Altman and Sam Peckinpah has a operation. His sage advice and infifilm gripped me with its rich sense nite wisdom are characterized by his of place, strong characterization checkered past and hard-lived life.

Just as his life takes a turn for the and unpredictable narrative.

Set in rural Oklahoma, the film’s better—following a serendipitous opening titles transport us to a reunion with his estranged foster scrappy, small town drive-in diner daughter Kateri (Angelina Lookingcomplete with spirited townsfolk, Glass)—rival businessmen attempt a wait staff that has memorized to lay waste to his newfound freedom.

Nimrods If you are a Millennial or Gen Xer of a certain age, chances are your adolescence was at least partially soundtracked by the hit tracks of Green Day. Their 2004 rock opera masterwork American Idiot consumed my high school and college years. Their emphasis on political/ suburban malaise, righteous rage and teenage angst ignited an entire generation. For all these reasons, Director Lee Kirk’s Oklahoma-filmed comedy—described as a “comingof-age Green Day road trip movie”— excited the emo teenager suppressed inside me.

The film chronicles a two-decadespanning commitment to the courageous efforts of storm chasing, as we are brought face-to-face with the depths of Mother Nature’s wrath.

Through stunning archival footage, we witness Timmer and Cole navigate triumphant highs and devastating lows—be it the historic 2013 El Reno tornado resulting in the passing of storm chaser icons Tim Samaras, Paul Samaras and Carl Young or the subsequent loss of Joel Taylor, Timmer’s former Storm Chasers partner, in 2018. The film revels in the majesty of the storms while also illustrating the real-life stakes and devastating

human toll involved.

The film’s true power derives from the quieter, more confessional human observations. Being immersed in the intricate day-to-day process of the job and the people who sacrifice everything to do it is awe-inspiring. While they lead extraordinary lives, they hope, fear, dream and grieve just as we do. The jaw-dropping visuals are wondrous, but the humanity at the eye of the storm is what makes this a force of nature.

This is a one-of-a-kind moviegoing experience—full of life, vibrancy, texture, whimsy and atmosphere. The film envelops you in its mystical universe, shifting between various tones and genres while remaining rooted in emotional truth.

The brilliant supporting cast—Oklahoma-native Bruce Davis, Kurt Russell, Tony Revolori and Cole Sprouse—color Patterson’s vivid world with intellect, menace and humor. McConaughey delivers his best work in years. Newcomer LookingGlass turns in a magnetic, star-making performance. There is magic in it.

Mason Thames, Kylr Coffman and Ryan Foust star as Tommy, Fred and Chad—a Green Day-obsessed, ragtag trio of misfits. They are all members of Analog Dogs, the grungy garage band they hope will lead toward the successful path of their idols. Following a botched attempt at sneaking into a local Green Day concert, Tommy cooks up a wicked scheme.

He convinces Fred and Chad to join him on a cross-country trip to Los Angeles under the false pretense that Analog Dogs is opening for Green Day’s New Year’s Eve show. The trio hits the road with a faulty alibi, no driver’s license and a stolen car. Their

friendship is put to the test, one elaborate obstacle and shady motel clerk (Fred Armisen) at a time.

This film knows its target audience and spoils them rotten with shameless fan service and fist-pumping needle drops. Of the talented trio, Oklahoma-native Coffman steals the whole show. His portrayal as the unpredictable, neon-green haired Fred is comic gold. The film strikes the right balance of heart and earnestness without jeopardizing its punk-rock spirit.

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F E AT U R E

ARTS & CULTURE

Spin, Wheel!

A vintage art form gets a modern revolution.

By Brian Hearn

Step right up and take a spin of the amazing zoetrope that simulates actual human and animal locomotion. That was a huge deal in 1834 and set pulses racing. Without these novel spinning wheels filled with small sequential images (think galloping horse), our species wouldn’t have invented animation or the movies. Unthinkable. Here we are, nearly two centuries later, back to spinning small images, now endlessly, with talk and text!

What began as a Victorian Era novelty toy once known as a zoetrope, or Wheel of Life, is the subject of a top-tier exhibition of eight international artists who reimagine the nearly forgotten form in delightful new ways. SPIN! The Art of the Modern Zoetrope is the latest and most interactive ex-

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hibition yet presented at the wellappointed smART Space gallery overlooking the atrium of Science Museum Oklahoma.

“We recognize the evolving overlap between science and contemporary art, so smART Space is dedicated to exploring those connections in really accessible ways,” commented Alyson Atchison, Museum Director of Galleries and Collections. SMO also brings to the table a robust fabrication team that supports and collaborates with the artists, several of whom are showing in a museum for the first time.

Atchison and Assistant Curator Dustin Hamby had been thinking about zoetropes for years after seeing one daily as part of the Museum’s main science galleries.

Ryterski Wonders’s “Magic Canopies.” Photo provided.

Hamby explained, “I became fascinated by their history as philosophical toys. If the zoetrope was the precursor of animation and film, we wanted to see how artists were using the zoetrope in the 21st century.”

Even if the technology has changed, the same 19th-century

hand-brain-eye science that dazzles us with moving pictures has not.

Hamby’s spent two years curating a global roster of artists engaged with the zoetrope in wildly different iterations. One of the strengths of SPIN! is the quality and diversity of artists who manage to deconstruct the analog technology in fun ways while revealing something new about it with digital tools.

Eric Dyer’s “Girona Octopi” is emblematic of this by inviting the viewer to walk inside a large circular vinyl floor print. At the center, a simple mounted hand crank puts us in the middle of the action. When we turn the crank, the floor spins around us, activating the cutest darting octopi, but the action is only visible in the digital projected image on the wall.

The instant wonder is in the interactive play of the crank on the wheel: forward, backward, fast, slow. Woo, we’re the ones making it move! Still a thrill.

Graphic designer Drew Tetz approaches the same idea with a different, slightly younger spinning technology—the phonograph turntable.

His meticulous vinyl record designs bring to life figures, flowers or text choreographed at precise record speeds of 33, 45 and 78 revolutions per minute.

With origins in an epic Burning Man installation called “Charon,” we can admire San Francisco artist Hudzo’s working scale miniature of what looks like a Ferris wheel of skel-

etons piloting a boat. At the correct speed, a strobe light activates the animation of the skeleton ferryman, and our brains want to believe.

Japanese artist Akinoro Goto returns to the philosophical roots of the zoetrope as he considers our human perception of time and movement.

“Crossing #02” consists of light-filled figures captured in a profoundly simple rotating ring of 3D printed nylon mesh. Differently wonderful are thoughtful works by Christine Veras and Elliot Schultz that transform the magic of hand-brain-eye science into beautiful sculptural art objects.

The father-daughter team called Ryterski Wonders applies their engineering talents toward their carnivalesque “Magic Canopies.” Using digital 3D character design and printing, their undersea theme was styled after early cartoon characters enhanced by eye-popping colors and clever motion. Knowing their audience, the work contains two speeds; one for eyes and one for phones.

If an untitled work can steal the show, it is Gregory Barsamian’s tour de force.

The Brooklyn-based artist’s kinetic sculpture features a series of small three-sided rooms mounted to a large round mechanical armature. As the rooms spin in a hypnotizing strobe light, the artist appears seated at his drawing table in a framed photo hanging on the wall. He looks directly at us and throws a wadded ball of paper out of his two-dimensional plane into the apparently three-di-

mensional room where it somehow splats against the wall. Mind blown.

While SPIN! stands on its own as a contemporary art exhibition, another strength is the didactic display of brief process-oriented videos giving insight into each work, as well as bilingual English-Spanish labels throughout. The zoetrope still has some life in it. These works simply must be experienced to be believed.

Eric Dyer’s “Girona Octopi.” Photo provided.

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SPORTS

SPORTS Russ is Retiring

By David Brandon

Few athletes have had a career as unique as Russell Westbrook III. The Thunder legend announced his retirement on August 12, 2026, after 18 years in the NBA. He ends his career as one of the most important figures in Oklahoma sports history.

Westbrook Joins The Thunder

Westbrook was drafted fourth in the 2008 NBA draft by the Seattle Supersonics; later that week, they became the OKC Thunder, making him the first blue-chip rookie to play for the newly rebranded team.

He was a raw, defense-first athlete and offensive slasher

Lakers and Spurs before falling to LeBron James’s Miami Heat.

Injuries, bad luck, and personnel changes (including James Harden’s trade to Houston) plagued the Thunder through several playoff runs with only one speed, and many before Kevin Durant’s shockobservers thought the young ing exodus to the Golden State and unproven Sam Presti Warriors in 2016. KD’s deparmight have drafted him too ture was a blow to the fanbase high. Many questioned wheth- and franchise; many expected er he could actually play point Westbrook to follow. guard.

Instead, Westbrook reHe would soon have his signed in OKC and had one of chance. the greatest individual seasons Westbrook began his career in league history. on the bench, but when head In that 2016-17 season, coach P.J. Carlesimo was fired, he led countless improbable new coach Scott Brooks made comebacks, slashing to the bashim starting point guard a few ket, zipping passes and splashgames later. Along with young ing reckless three-pointers with teammates Kevin Durant, a seemingly endless reserve of James Harden, Serge Ibaka and energy. Westbrook became the Jeff Green, Westbrook became first player since Oscar Roberta pillar of the “Thunder U” son to average a triple double era, culminating in a 2012 NBA for the entire season, winning Finals run that saw the Thunthe NBA MVP. der take down the Mavericks, But the Thunder never quite reached the heights they did in 2012. After several tough playoff losses, the Thunder and Westbrook agreed on a trade to the Houston Rockets. He had played in Oklahoma City for 11 seasons.

In the years after the trade, Westbrook played for the Rockets, the Washington Wizards, the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers, the Denver Nuggets, and the Sacramento Kings. Age, cumulative injuries and shooting woes slowed him down in his later career, but he remained an impactful player. He was a key part of Denver’s run in 2025; his last playoff game was in Oklahoma City, where the Thunder beat the Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals on the way to their first championship. It was the closest he had come to a ring since 2016. Sadly, there were no more chances.

Westbrook retired as one of only a handful of league MVPs without a championship, joining Karl Malone, Steve Nash, Charles Barkley, Derrick Rose and Allen Iverson. But despite the lack of a ring, his accomRussell Westbrook. Photo from @honorthegift.

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S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M

plishments speak for themselves.

There’s no arguing with Westbrook’s NBA resume.

League MVP. Most seasons averaging a triple double in league history. Most triple doubles in league history. Most career rebounds by a guard.

Nine All-Star nominations; nine All-NBA nominations; two scoring titles. No one else has ever done what he’s done on a basketball court.

He’s also contributed off the court. Westbrook gave much to charitable initiatives throughout his career, particularly in Oklahoma City and his hometown Los Angeles. His perfectionism and work ethic laid the foundation for the Thunder team culture that still exists today. Young athletes across the league have publicly praised his mentorship; despite his prickly reputation with some media and fans, he was beloved by many of the next generation of players.

No one knows what the future holds for Russell Westbrook, but two things are certain. He will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame soon. And more importantly for OKC residents, the Thunder will retire his jersey as one of their all-time greats.

To the sports world, he’s Russell Westbrook III. But to us, he was Russ.

Few of Oklahoma’s residents have raised its profile more than Russ, and few sports franchises have been able to claim a player of his stature as one of their own. He was only here for 11 years, but he left an indelible mark — one that, like his Hall of Fame career, speaks for itself.

Thanks for everything, Russ.

okgazette.com

SPORTS

SPORTS Not Quite Bedlam The Sooners and Cowboys are gearing up for new SEC and Big 12 campaigns.

By David Brandon

For Oklahomans, fall means college football season is here again.

Whether your blood runs crimson and cream or burnt orange, it’s time to start paying attention to what’s coming on the field. Here’s your primer for OU and OSU football this season.

University of Oklahoma Key personnel: John Mateer, Kip Lewis, Owen Heinecke, Rocky Beers, Hayden Hansen, Trell Harris Key matchups: Sept. 12 @ Michigan, Sept. 26 @ Georgia, Oct. 10 vs. Texas (in Dallas)

year’s defense was extremely good, ranking first in the SEC in points allowed (15.23 per game) and first in sacks (45 for the season). This year’s defense is slightly less deep than last year’s, but with most of the players having been together for multiple years now, continuity should help the team as it looks to cement its brick-wall reputation.

John Mateer’s solid play was hampered by injury, offensive line issues and a lack of weapons last year; this year will be a key showcase for the 22-year-old

OSU quarterback Drew Mestemaker. Photo by Oklahoma State Athletics.

Eddy Pierre-Louis have remained, and new transfers like Maikkula and new right tackle E’Marion Harris should achieve better results this year.

OU’s schedule in the early season is brutal, with three key matchups in the first five games — Michigan, Georgia and Texas. This team will be thrown into the fire straight away; it will be obvious what kind of team they are and whether the changes have been enough within the first few games of the season.

Oklahoma State University

OU quarterback John Mateer. Photo by Peyton Martin/OU Athletics.

OU this year is looking to build on last season’s successes and shore up areas of weakness. A stellar defense last year was undermined by inconsistent offensive performance from game to game; this year the Sooners rebuilt the tight end room from scratch and added key personnel to the offensive line. The team also re-signed coach Brent Venables to a new six-year contract, committing to him as the long-term solution in the locker room.

Senior linebackers Kip Lewis and Owen Heinecke anchor a smothering defensive line. Last

quarterback. In practice, Mateer has connected well with new wide receiver Trell Harris, who transferred from Virginia in the offseason. The revamped tight end group is headlined by newly transferred Sooners Rocky Beers and Hayden Hansen.

The offensive line will suffer slightly to start the season from the absence of injured center Jake Maikkula, but Ryan Fodje, Caleb Nitta or Noah Best should be able to step into his spot. O-line has been a weakness for the Sooners in previous years, but key personnel like Fodje, Michael Fasusi and

Key personnel: Drew Mestemaker, Caleb Hawkins, Chris Barnes, Malik Charles, Ethan Wesloski Key matchups: Sept. 12 vs. Oregon, Oct. 17 @ Houston, Oct. 24 vs.

Colorado, Nov. 14 vs. Texas Tech After a horrific 1-11 season last year, OSU cleaned house and hired head coach Eric Morris, previously head coach of the University of North Texas. Morris brought a huge chunk of his staff and players to OSU, including several of last year’s key contributors for UNT. The biggest name to watch is Drew Mestemaker, who was a breakout star last year for the Mean Green. Cam Ward, Baker Mayfield and Patrick Mahomes were all previous Eric Morris finds, and Mestemaker is looking to continue the lineage of often underthe-radar quarterback prospects who found success with Morris.

Many defensive personnel have

been changed, including newcomers to OSU Ethan Wesloski and Isaiah Chisom anchoring the line.

Wesloski was an all-conference selection at UNT in 2025, and Chisom had nearly 90 tackles for UCLA last season. Jaleel Johnson and James Williams are both likely to start at defensive end, but the returning Malik Charles has been the talk of training camp and may put pressure on the starters.

On offense, running back Caleb Hawkins had a massive season last year. He rushed for more than 1,400 yards and was named American Conference Freshman of the Year. As a sophomore, his run game should help relieve pressure for Mestemaker and open up OSU’s offense. Speedy wide receiver Chris Barnes, newly transferred from Wake Forest, will be a versatile option at both receiver and kick returner.

OSU’s schedule has a few important matchups, but one set to watch is the back-to-back weekends of Houston and Colorado.

Those two teams will be a key test for the new and improved Cowboys.

O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6

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PICKS

CALENDAR - SEPTEMBER

FESTIVALS & FAIRS Paseo First Friday Gallery Walk Sept. 4, 6-9pm The Paseo Arts District thepaseo.org Oklahoma City Vintage Expo Sept. 5 -OKC Convention Center timetravelersexpo.com Bandwagon: Bricktown Music Fest Sept. 12, Bricktown welcometobricktown.com/ bandwagon Comic Arts Festival and Second Saturday Sept. 12, 10am-6pm Oklahoma Contemporary okcontemp.org Oklahoma State Fair Sept. 17-27, 10am-11pm OKC Fair Park okstatefair.com OKC Tap Fest Masters & Friends Showcase Sept. 19, 6:30pm Civic Center Music Hall okcciviccenter.com India Food & Art Festival (IFAF) Sept. 20, Scissortail Park scissortailpark.org Fourth Fridays in West Village OKC: Slamtober Fest Sept. 25, 6-10pm westvillageokc.com ZOObrew Sept. 26 - OKC Zoo okczoo.com

FARMERS MARKETS Farmers Market at Scissortail Park Saturdays, 9am-1pm scissortailpark.org

OKC Public Farmers Market Saturdays, 9am-2pm okcfarmersmarket.com/weeklyfarmers-markets/ Wheeler District Farmers Market Sept. 26, 6-9pm Last Saturday of the month through October. wheelerdistrict.com Farmers Market at OAK Saturday, Sept. 26, 9am-1pm Every last Saturday through Oct. oakokc.com/events

FUNDRAISERS Luxe Affair: Psychedelic Elegance Sept. 24, 7-10pm Oklahoma Contemporary okcontemp.org

FILM Oklahoma City Museum of Art SEPTEMBER • National Theatre Live: Hamlet, Sept. 3 - 5 The Invite, Sept. 4 - 6 • The Rivals of Amziah King, Sept. 5 - 6 • Franz, Sept. 10 - 12 • Film Society Presents: Alfred Hitchcock’s “Shadow of a Doubt”, Sept. 24, 6:30-9:30pm Myriad Botanical Gardens myriadgardens.org Oklahoma’s Credit Union Moonlight Movies: • 10 Things I Hate About You, Sept. 9, 6:30-10pm Legally Blonde, Sept. 16, 6:3010pm • The Wedding Singer, Sept. 23, 6:30-10pm

COMEDY Tig Notaro: Out of Nowhere Sept. 12, 7pm - The Criterion criterionokc.com

Bricktown Comedy Club SEPTEMBER bricktowncomedyclub.com • Sept. 6: Yakov Smirnoff • Sept. 10: Damon Darling • Sept. 11-12: Corey B. • Sept. 13: Christian Johnson • Sept. 15: Heather Shaw • Sept. 18-19: Joe Gatto • Sept. 19: Bad Indian • Sept. 25-26: Earthquake • Sept. 27: Zac Townsend Gabriel Iglesias Sept. 18, Riverwind Casino riverwind.com Zak Mirz Live: Live Magic. Big Laughs. Unforgettable Memories.

Sept. 25, 7:30pm - OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center Theater occc.edu/community

VISUAL ARTS

Formless Matter and Its Devastating Gestures Sept. 3 - Oct. 4 Oklahoma Contemporary okcontemp.org Open Mic Night at Factory Obscura Sept. 3 - Oct. 1, 7-9:30pm factoryobscura.com Opening Celebration | Clever, Quick, Magnetic: The Art of Witty Banter Sept. 3, Oklahoma Contemporary okcontemp.org

Painted Sky Opera presents The Pirate Project Sept. 12 - Little Theater at Civic Center Music Hall okcciviccenter.com

America The Beautiful: A 250 Celebration Sept. 19 - Civic Center Music Hall okcphil.org Abra Cadabra Sept. 26, 7:30pm Tower Theatre towertheatre.com The Sound of Music Sept. 22-27, 7:30pm Civic Center Music Hall okcciviccenter.com

SPORTS OU Sooners, Norman Memorial Stadium soonersports.com/sports/football • Sept. 4: UTEP • Sept. 19: New Mexico

Our Journeys: 50 Years After the Fall exhibit opens Sept. 12 - Oklahoma History Center okhistory.org/historycenter

OSU Cowboys, Stillwater okstate.com/sports/football • Sept. 12: Oregon • Sept. 19: Murray State

Access for All at OKCMOA Sept. 13, 12-5pm OKC Museum of Art okcmoa.com

Sugar Land Space Cowboys at Oklahoma City Comets milb.com/oklahoma-city • Sept. 8-13 - Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark

The Shanks Portrait Family Tradition Sept 10-26 1515 Lincoln Gallery 1515lg.com

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M

King James by Rajiv Joseph Sept. 11 - 27, 7:30-10pm Carpenter Square Theatre carpentersquare.com

Tony Thunder Solo Art Show Sept. 10, 6-9pm DNA Galleries, Plaza District dnagalleries.com

Traditional Cowboy Arts Association Exhibition & Sale Sept. 26, 10am National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum nationalcowboymuseum.org

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Ballet Under the Stars Sept. 11, Scissortail Park okcballet.org

Come From Away Sept. 16-Oct. 4 LyricCity Theatre PlazaAugust 7-9 CatVideoFest is BACK at the Oklahoma Museumat of the Art meow! lyrictheatreokc.org & 13. Photo provided by OKCMOA.

Noche de Sueños Sept. 25, 6-9pm Oklahoma Contemporary okcontemp.org

Cutter Elliott to perform at Bandwagon: Bricktown Music Fest Sept. 12. Photo by Nathan Poppe.

THEATER/ PERFORMING ARTS

Ultimate Bullfighters Sept. 24, 7:30pm -OG&E Coliseum Oklahoma State Fair okstatefair.com Wildcatters vs. The World presented by Auris Sept. 25 - 26 OG&E Coliseum, Oklahoma State Fair okstatefair.com

LIVE MUSIC & CONCERTS DirtySnatcha Take Me To Your Leader Tour Sept. 4, 7pm - Beam Live beamlive.club Summer Concert Series: OKC Philharmonic Sept. 6, 8:30-10pm Scissortail Park scissortailpark.org The Blue Note SEPTEMBER okcbluenote.com • Sept. 4: Redd & The Paper Flowers | Sorry Darlin | Bottom of the Barrell • Sept. 12: Tenkiller • Sept. 17: Sam Morrow | Chebon Tiger • Sept. 25: Option Ego Parker McCollum: Concert Sept. 25 Paycom Center paycomcenter.com Hidden Brain: On Stage with Shankar Vedantam | The Perceptions Tour Sept. 26, 6pm - OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center Theater occc.edu/community Tower Theatre SEPTEMBER • Live Mario Kart: Badwagon Sept. 4 • GoldFord: Space of the Heart Tour Sept. 5 • Minus the Bear: Menos El Oso 20th Anniversary Tour Sept. 7 • Peaches: No Lube So Rude Tour Sept. 8 • Madison Ryann Ward: The Standing Tall Tour Sept. 9 • Ray Wylie Hubbard Sept. 10 • Molchat Doma: Tour 2026 Sept. 11 • Chat Pile: Who Loves The Sun Tour 2026 Sept. 12 • Sleep Sept. 14 • Jake Shimabukuro Sept. 17 • A Man Named Cash: A Johnny Cash Tribute Sept. 18 • Liverpool Legends: Beatles Experience Sept. 24 • Kidd G Sept. 27

The State Fair of Oklahoma runs September 17-27. Photo provided.

American Aquarium Sept. 13 - Diamond Ballroom diamondballroom.com CU in the Park presented by Local Credit Unions starring Russell Dickerson Sept. 26, 7pm, Scissortail Park Scissortailpark.org The Criterion SEPTEMBER criterionokc.com • Sept. 11: BachAmor Presents: Salsa Dance Night • Sept. 15: Shaboozey: Outlaws Never Die Tour • Sept. 20: Amy Grant • Sept. 23: Dan And Phil: Hard Launch World Tour • Sept. 26: Artemas: OVERCORE

Beer City Music Hall beercitymusichall.com • Sept. 9: The Record Company • Sept. 10: Briscoe • Sept. 12: Bear Ghost • Sept. 15: Thousand Below • Sept. 16: Twin Temple • Sept. 19: Stiff Bizkit & Testify • Sept. 23: Kylie Morgan • Sept. 24: In Her Own Words x Every Avenue • Sept. 25: Grungefest: Pearl Gem / Nervana • Sept. 26: Emo Night Brooklyn • Sept. 27: Bayonne • Sept. 30: Gable Price and Friends THE KEHLANI WORLD TOUR Sept. 18, 5pm Zoo Amphitheatre

okczooamp.com Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas Sept. 25, 7:30pm Riverwind Casino riverwind.com Phil Wickham Ticket + Hotel Deals Sept. 27, 7pm, Paycom Center paycomcenter.com

For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

Add your event at okgazette.com/community

The Blue Door SEPTEMBER bluedoorokc.com • Sept. 4: Bread & Roses With Guest Mama Pearl • Sept. 5: Kat Lock • Sept. 10: Amy Speace with Guest John Calvin Abney • Sept. 18: Sara Hickman • Sept. 25: Chris Knight • Sept. 26: The Brothers In Law Ride Again: Gregg Standridge And Mike Stewart

Alison Krauss and the Union Station to perform Sept. 25 at Riverwind Casino. Photo from facebook.com/OfficialAlisonKrauss.

O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6

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PUZZLES NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE CROSSWORD PUZZLE

TAKE THE EDGE OFF

BY SAM BRODY / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ AC R OSS 1 Work parodied by Umberto Eco’s ‘‘Granita’’ 7 Subject of Hawthorne’s ‘‘The Scarlet Letter’’ 10 One’s opponents 14 Uncool 18 Untold 19 Down Under runners 21 Caramel-filled candy 22 Word following bear or honey 23 _ATSO_ and _EKYL_ 27 Astonished, informally 28 With 45-Across, many a correspondent 29 Do business 30 Uncle, in Uruguay 31 Water nymph of Greek myth 33 Poet’s Muse 34 Memorial ____ Kettering (New York City medical facility) 36 _RAVES 41 It may be petrified 42 Acknowledge 43 El ____, Tex. 44 Sass 45 See 28-Across 47 Eggy quaff 48 Trudge 50 Approaching 54 Some funerary selections 56 SAG_ 60 Stands for speakers 62 Preserver of freshness 63 Sent 64 Place for a sailor’s anchor, informally 67 Hunk 70 Disapproving syllables 72 It may be mental 73 Out, in a way 75 ‘‘That’s cool, man’’ 77 Words that may open doors 79 _NIGHT 83 Learning method 87 Guard, as a goal 88 Get rid of 89 ‘‘Yadda, yadda’’ 90 Squeaker . . . or squealer 92 Home improvement initials 93 Italian wine city 95 Fiber also known as viscose 97 Toddler’s jumping spot on a rainy day

99 FRAN_ 104 More reasonable 105 Interprets 106 Suspended musical instruments 107 Vein contents 108 Calm 111 Title that becomes loftier when an E is added 112 Escort to a penthouse, say 116 _IALO_ 120 Even 121 Carry on 122 Tender cut 123 Pie portions, shapewise 124 Crones 125 Gas brand that sounds like two letters of the alphabet 126 Invention originally developed as a yellow dye 127 Refuse to budge

PUBLISHER Red Center Media EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Greg Horton ghorton@okgazette.com PRODUCTION + BUSINESS Angela Clark Little aclarklittle@okgazette.com COMMUNICATIONS + SOCIAL MEDIA Leslie Spears lspears@okgazette.com PRODUCTION + DESIGN ASSISTANT Emily Comstock ecomstock@okgazette.com DISTRIBUTION distribution@okgazette.com

DOWN

1 Striplings 2 Texter’s ‘‘Then again . . . ’’ 3 Bananas 4 Chants 5 Briefly swam 6 Home to more than 1,500 languages: Abbr.

7 Affixed, as a patch 8 ‘‘Let’s do this!’’

9 Macadamia, for one 10 Closely following 11 Racing vehicle 12 Napoleon exile site 13 No longer relevant 14 Inc., abroad 15 Childish comeback 16 Maid of Sherwood Forest 17 Many a printer 20 Consequences of supplychain problems 24 Cross 25 Dizzying gallery works 26 Pauses while playing 32 Treasure or desert follower 33 Ewoks’ home moon 35 Job that may involve jumping through hoops 36 Form of detective fiction 37 Channel for gaming enthusiasts?

38 Actress Skye 39 Words after check, follow or catch

ADVERTISING advertising@okgazette.com

(405) 528-6000 MEDIA EXECUTIVE Gina Nichols gnichols@okgazette.com

40 Bum 41 Reason to take a shot 46 Some odoriferous gifts 48 Smartphone predecessors, for short 49 Female rapper with a longtime feud with Foxy Brown 51 ‘‘Diminutive’’ Greek letter 52 Nickname that omits ‘‘-ory’’ 53 London park 55 Chemistry test?

57 Travel bag 58 Bag 59 Not very favorable, as some 84-Down 61 Car with a stylized lightning bolt logo 64 Thai money 65 ‘‘Gotcha’’ 66 Group with a tartan 68 It may drive one to distraction, in brief 69 Thumbnail, maybe

71 A-lister 74 Sauce traditionally made in a mortar 76 Steal 78 Attach with a click 80 Carpenter’s spacer 81 Ophthalmology concerns 82 Green sci.

84 2 to 5, say 85 Infraction at an arcade 86 ____ of Horus (Egyptian symbol of healing) 91 Element used in bulb filaments 94 ‘‘Shoo!’’

95 Display some emotion, perhaps 96 Member of the N.F.L.’s ‘‘Big Blue,’’ in brief 98 Prepares to purée, perhaps, as papayas 99 Fantasy realm ruled by King Caspian

100 Feature of Anthony Robles, a 2011 N.C.A.A. national champion wrestler 101 Shows pride in one’s appearance, in a way 102 Result in 103 Producer of a call to arms 104 Go ____ (fail) 109 Poop 110 School grps.

111 Hide 113 Vet 114 Western Indians 115 Subtle summons 117 Fingers 118 Park place?

119 Road recklessness of a sort, for short

SUDOKU °1161676833 MEDIUM Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3-by-3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9. printmysudoku.com

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS

Looking for the August Crossword?

The New York Times crossword was inadvertently omitted from our August print issue. We apologize for the error. We were glad to here from you though!

Scan the QR code to access the August puzzle online.

CONTRIBUTORS WRITERS James Biscone Jory Blaney David Brandon Laron Chapman Kaile Hultner Brian Hearn Julie Porter Scott EDITORIAL INTERN Jory Blaney jblaney@okgazette.com

Oklahoma Gazette is circulated at its designated distribution points free of charge to readers for their individual use and by mail to subscribers. The cash value of this copy is $1. Persons taking copies of the Oklahoma Gazette from its distribution points for any reason other than their or others’ individual use for reading purposes are subject to prosecution.

Please address all unsolicited news items (non-returnable) to the editor. editor@okgazette.com 3701 N. Shartel Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73118-7102 PHONE (405) 528-6000

www.okgazette.com Copyright © 2026 Red Center Media, LLC All rights reserved.

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S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY: SEPTEMBER ARIES (March 21-April 19) In the sci‑fi TV show Stargate SG‑1, benevolent aliens known as the Asgard visit Earth to seek assistance from a secret US government team. The ultraadvanced, hyper-intelligent Asgard have been unable to defeat their great nemesis, another alien species called the Replicators. Their hope is that their primitive partners, the humans, might stumble onto some basic, straightforward answer that their own sophisticated minds can’t see. The gamble pays off. One of Earth’s leading physicists, who’s a naive amateur by Asgard standards, devises a rough, unsophisticated strategy that works wonderfully. Treat this as your parable, Aries: Put your faith in simple, uncluttered approaches, and don’t underestimate “beginner-level” fixes.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) During one of my visits to the annual Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert, I encountered a prankster named Mother Very Superior. This nonbinary performer was dressed like a nun and wore a prominent chastity belt. Wielding a toy whip, they gently lashed me on my shoulders and prayed over me, saying, “I absolve you of all your sins. Therefore, you are now free to commit a raucous slew of new sins.” I hope you get a similar dispensation, Taurus. To be fully available for the rollicking delights you’re eligible for, it would be wise to reduce your karmic debt.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Archaeologists studying ancient Roman shipwrecks found that sailors deliberately made their vessels heavier by stowing rocks in the hull. This reduced the profitability of their voyages, since it reduced their cargo capacity. On the other hand, it meant they wouldn’t capsize during storms. An excellent trade-off! Let’s use this scenario as a metaphor for your life right now, Gemini. I’m going to suggest that you will benefit from adding more ballast. Seemingly burdensome elements could keep you steady if conditions become unruly. Consider this: Not everything heavy is holding you back. Some of it’s keeping you strong and stable.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) During the Baroque era, Cancerian artist Artemisia Gentileschi painted powerful biblical and historical women who killed tyrants and delivered their people from violent domination. By channeling her creative passion into figures of righteous fury, she transformed her personal trauma into psychological power. I invite you to be inspired

by Gentileschi as you reconfigure your own story in the coming weeks, Cancerian. Wouldn’t it be fun and potent to transform the way you imagine both the past and future plot threads of your destiny?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) In traditional sourdough baking, a small portion of fermented dough called a starter is saved and refreshed regularly.

Some bakeries maintain the same lineage for years. The starter is a living culture of wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria that feed on flour and water, producing acids and gases that leaven the dough and create bread with complex flavor, aroma, and texture. Let’s use this as a metaphor for your life, Leo. What long-running resource can you use to help create situations that will empower you to thrive in interesting ways during the coming months?

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) The coming months could be a legendary turning point you will celebrate in the future: a pivotal time when you finally outsmart an old adversary and untangle a knotted inheritance, clearing the way to pursue your true calling with undiluted devotion. Or, on the other hand, the days ahead could be another round in the long saga of “almost”: a decisive phase when you avoid a challenge that has been begging for your full brilliance, leaving your future without shining clues for how to further decode the ancient riddle. Which destiny will you accomplish, dear Virgo? Will you answer the call to adventure? Or ignore it until it fades away?

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Some of my most useful revelations arrive in the dark. Once, while hiking in a wooded canyon at dusk, I lost the trail and had to feel my way forward by the sound of the creek. In that blind descent, an insight about a personal riddle I’d been pondering for months appeared unbidden, as if it had been waiting in the shadows for me. As I followed the stream bank to safety, I celebrated by singing Leonard Cohen’s song “Hallelujah.” The moral of the story is that some lessons can be best learned by going down: into the body, into confusing feelings, into the rich compost of mysteries we may be hesitant to explore. How about you, Libra? In my professional opinion, your next pivotal breakthroughs are lurking in the fertile darkness rather than the brilliant heights. I hope you’re brave enough to descend. The treasure is buried, as treasure often is.

© Copyright 2026 Rob Brezsny freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) In 1912, Scorpio meteorologist Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of continental drift. It’s the idea that Earth’s continents were once joined in a single supercontinent and have gradually drifted apart to their present positions over millions of years.

Most scientists initially rejected his hypothesis because he couldn’t explain how the movement occurred. He didn’t live long enough to receive vindication, but decades later, his novel hypothesis was fully accepted. I’m pleased to report that your wait will be far shorter, Scorpio.

Please keep your faith in the novel ideas and perceptions that others don’t understand yet.

The world’s almost ready for your innovations.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) There is a kind of lightning called a “sprite.” It’s a ghostly red discharge that blossoms high above thunderstorms. I suspect you may soon experience your own personal versions of this wonder. Fleeting insights may appear in unexpected places. Emotionally rich revelations could arrive out of nowhere. Because the moments could pass quickly, it will be crucial to notice them when they arrive. They could stimulate major shifts in your understanding.

Keep your perceptive powers highly attuned.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Fertility clinics store frozen human embryos. Numbering in the hundreds of thousands, they are suspended in a long, chilly pause, awaiting instructions from the people who created them. This accumulation of potential life on hold makes me think of you. If you would thaw and reclaim the neglected, untouched regions of your own imagination, you would become an even more formidable generator of focused creative power. The encouraging news is that the coming weeks will be an unusually favorable phase to expedite this process.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Some earthquakes unleash energy in violent bursts, but others are incremental commotions that unfold gradually over days or even weeks. The way they reorganize the Earth’s crust is kinder and gentler. Let’s regard these slow quakes as an apt metaphor for the initially disruptive but ultimately constructive transformations underway in your beautiful life, Aquarius. You may not see spectacular evidence that change is percolating, but I guarantee that it is. Old structures are in a transitional phase of subtle disarray, creating conditions for new dispensations you can’t imagine yet. My prediction: The rearrangement of your landscape will be healing.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) The Sargasso Sea is the only sea on Earth without a land boundary.

It’s defined entirely by four strong Atlantic Ocean currents that circle it. Its edges aren’t solid walls but slowly shifting rivers of water. I think this anomalous body of water is always a vivid symbol of your world, Pisces, and even more so these days. Your boundaries are currents, not coastlines. You hold your shape through movement, not through rigid definition.

This is more challenging to maintain than solid borders, but it’s also a great potential strength.

Use it with aplomb!

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