Two
hospitals named the best for maternity care. One more reason to smile.
Oklahoma is our home, and we believe all our friends, families and communities deserve the best. This is why two of our hospitals have been named the best for maternity care.
Visit us at saintfrancis.com
Jordan James enjoys many things about life – namely being a husband and father to four children. He also gains immense satisfaction serving as the president and managing broker of JKJ Realty Company, an experienced local real estate company, where he has worked for 23 years.
Founded in 1985 by his father Bart James, JKJ Realty provides property listings and guidance for buyers, sellers, and investors. The company specializes in a variety of property types that include residential, commercial, investment and specialty properties.
“All of my siblings and I have the same initials, JKJ, and this is why my parents named the company what they did,” he says. Jordan and his father expanded the company in 2001 after Jordan moved back to Tulsa upon graduating from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in real estate and entrepreneurship. Today, Jordan is involved in all aspects of commercial real estate.
“I love meeting new people and helping them accomplish their goals, both personal and business. Every deal is different, and every person is different. Everyone has a unique story and history, and this keeps things really exciting,” Jordan says. “I have met some very interesting and talented people over
the past 23 years in this business. It’s fun and rewarding to work with people who are making a difference within the community through their investments and their businesses.”
Jordan also loves being a father. He and his wife, Emily, met at Baylor University. They have been married 23 years and have four children - Jackson, Bennett, Caroline, and Emma Kate.
“It’s a blast to get to experience life with my wife and kids. I think service starts at home…I want to be remembered as a guy who loves God and loves his family. I want to be faithful with what I have been given.
Their family is very involved in their church, First Baptist Jenks, and has been involved with Tulsa Influencers, a local men’s ministry, and Tulsa Metro Young Life, a ministry for teenagers.
“For me, any desire to give back and serve others comes from being grateful. I’m grateful for all God
has done for me and the grace and forgiveness he has given me. When we have gratitude, it’s natural to want to give back, serve, and help others succeed,” he says.
“I can’t say enough good things about Jordan. We have been friends for nearly 30 years. He is a man of strong character and solid convictions. Tulsa is a better community because of the work the James family does,” says Tom Bennett III, President and CEO of First Oklahoma Bank.
“First Oklahoma Bank has really kind and caring people involved with its organization, and one of the things I appreciate is they are very creative and are able to think outside the box to provide solutions,” Jordan says.
Some call it Green Country, but we know northeastern Oklahoma is really Orange Country.
Oklahoma State University impacts the lives of residents here in countless ways. With more than 52,000 proud and loyal alumni, partnerships with hundreds of companies and nonprofits, and more than 2,500 employees, OSU is a changemaker for Tulsa, Okmulgee, Tahlequah and beyond. We’re training future health care leaders for Oklahoma, helping working professionals advance their careers, educating tomorrow’s advanced technology workforce and building a world-class medical district downtown — all in our own backyard.
Discover why Orange is the Answer and partner with us to make a difference at orangecountry.okstate.edu.
Elote owner Libby Billings’ life is a variety show full of fun.
Paul Benjaman releases his first album in nine years.
8 nearby destinations for the perfect staycation, weekend getaway or summer celebration. BY ANNE BROCKMAN
41
Significant improvements being made at Tulsa International Airport through new Propel TUL campaign. BY SARA PLUMMER
Summer festival season is here. Here’s a roundup of some of the area’s best celebrations this season. BY MADISON WALTERS
48
JACKPOT!
Tulsa and regional casinos offer dining, entertainment and more.
Spend part of your summer vacation at one of these 6 destination music events.
SPECIAL SECTION
Tulsa’s Creek Council oak tree. Kids get cooking. Mothers, daughters and sons. Ad man and jingle maker.
New spot for longtime photo shop. Bouquet of art.
A new mother’s oasis.
Recent reflections from Connie.
35 Summer Travel ENJOY THE CONVENIENCE OF HOME DELIVERY.
The Spain Ranch Garden House is one of eight staycation ideas for a summer sojourn. Special thanks to Modern Cottage for the photoshoot wardrobe. PHOTO
New brewery opens this month. Elmer’s BBQ still brings the crowds. Isla’s serves Southern comfort.
3 places for margaritas.
Mental healthcare is more than simply a treatment plan. It’s about treating the whole person. Which is why we provide immediate access to personalized care. This means focusing on your mind, body, and emotional well-being. And it starts the minute you reach out to us.
Last week our part of the world came together for an hour or two to witness the celestial spectacle of the solar eclipse. With eclipse glasses in hand, I was one of many standing outside as the moon crept across the sun, casting its shadow on our speck of Earth. When not gazing up at the show, I looked at the other o ce workers in our part of downtown as they stood on balconies, rooftops and sidewalks to witness the event. It was nice to see everyone having fun in the middle of a workday.
It will be August 2045 when the next coast-to-coast eclipse will have Tulsa in its path of totality. As I stood out on our o ce parking lot, I couldn’t help but wonder where we will all be in 22 years.
I know it will be here before I know it. Like many others, the older I get the faster time seems to move. It’s already mid-April and my favorite time of year — spring — is nearly over. My work mind is already in summer mode, one of the hazards of the job. You’re always thinking about the future in the magazine business.
Soon I’ll be turning to the pages of our Summer Fun Guide (starting on p. 35) to gure out just how to plan the perfect balance of adventure and excitement with relaxation and restoration.
ere’s a lot packed into this issue: summer festivals, travel destinations both near and far, new and longtime favorite restaurants of the local dining scene, shopping, the Tulsa Zoo, Tulsans enriching the community and so much more.
ere are must-see musicians like Tea Rush (p. 18) who turned her Mi Tea Lounge into a venue for wellness and soulful rejuvenation.
Tulsa Sound torchbearer
Paul Benjaman will release a new album this month. It’s been nine years since “Sneaker,” but the bearded bard never stayed still and has remained a constant of this city’s live music scene. Every time I see this man perform I end up smiling as big as he does as he’s playing. Benjaman radiates his love of music to those in the audience. You just know he loves what he does for a living. Get up to speed with Benjaman in Features Editor Tim Landes ’ musician’s pro le on p. 32.
Another excellent pro le in this month’s issue catches up with restaurateur Libby Billings as she preps to host another Cinco de Mayo Festival in front of Elote (p. 28). She’s also stacking the miles on her bicycle as she trains for Tulsa Tough. I raise my margarita glass to her as I know just how “tough” a gran fondo ride can be (my road bike is collecting dust in the garage after many years in the saddle for those rides). Shout-out to writer Lacey Taylor for her rst feature pro le assignment with this one. Great job!
As I tuck away my eclipse glasses in hopes to nd them again in 22 years, I hope this issue brings you plenty of ideas to celebrate summer. Whatever you do, I wish you joy, laughs and a swimming pool full of memories. Just remember your sunscreen! tp
Anne Brockman EDITOR
EDITOR’S NOTE: Sho Vue, who appeared on the April cover, and her husband Xai Lee of Green Farm were misidentified in last month’s issue. We regret the error.
Tulsa Zoo’s giraffe herd grew last year with the birth of Mi-Na, the first female calf born to mother, Zoe, and father, Hekaya, through the zoo’s ongoing participation in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Giraffe Species Survival Plan. Tulsa Zoo has reinstated its giraffe feedings, where for $5-$6 guests can have a face-to-face encounter with four of the zoo’s five giraffes on the Mary K. Chapman Giraffe Experience deck.
Giraffe feedings are between 11 a.m.-1p.m., Fridays-Sundays, as weather permits. tp
LEARN MORE
ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING AT TULSA ZOO THIS SUMMER ON P. 24.
Tulsa’s new Veterans Hospital is under construction and, in addition to being a much-needed resource, an eye-catching piece of art will also greet hospital visitors when it opens next year.
In April the board announced David J. Holland was tapped to create a piece of art for permanent display in the hospital’s entrance.
Holland, based in Oklahoma City and known for his dramatic cloudscape works, was chosen from a competitive pool of local and national artists to create a 9-by-16-foot piece to complement the hospital’s overarching theme, “Oklahoma Land and Sky.” The large artwork will be visible from the highway in the entrance’s large glass curtain wall.
“The team wanted the quality and importance of this artwork to emphasize the thoughtful planning behind the facility as a whole,” stated Michael Hall of GH2 Architects and selection committee member. “My own father is a veteran so I know that many of these veterans are coming home to Oklahoma, and this art should reflect that welcome. It should look like what they might have been homesick for when they were stationed far away — the beautiful Oklahoma landscape of their most cherished memories.”
Holland is no stranger to military life. He was born in Lawton and raised in an Army family.
This month the building will be at 30% completion. The $176.2 million construction project is expected to reach completion in 2025, bringing with it 58 hospital beds, therapy suites and 273,000 square feet of space to care for an expected 66,000 patients annually. — ANNE BROCKMAN
Soon the Tulsa metro will have a memorial to honor Gold Star Families, those who lost an immediate family member while on active duty. At 2 p.m. on May 27, members of Tulsa All Veterans Association, which funded the project, along with representatives from the Woody Williams Foundation, Owasso VFW Post 7180 and other local dignitaries will celebrate the unveiling of the new memorial in Owasso’s Veterans Park, 10320 E. 116th St. N.
To date, there are 126 Gold Star Families Monuments across the country, which includes memorials in Lawton and Shawnee. The program was started by the late Hershel “Woody” Williams, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service in World War II. He died in June 2022. — TIM LANDES
Rosa Hoots, seen in the left-hand corner of the photo, holds the Kentucky Derby Trophy after her horse, Black Gold, won the 1924 race.
At the 50th running of the Kentucky Derby in May 1924, a Tulsa woman and her racehorse made history.
Rosa Captain Hoots (Osage) was the widow of Alfred Hoots, a rancher who died in 1917 and also owned a filly named U-See-It, which won more than 30 races.
U-See-It was bred with Black Toney, producing Black Gold, which was owned by Hoots and raced in the 1924 Derby, winning by half a length. The jet-black foal was known as “The Indian Horse.” That victory secured Hoots a place in history as the first woman to have bred and owned a Kentucky Derby winner.
Hoots was born in Independence, Kansas, in 1869 to Augustus Captain and Jane Moore Captain. Known as “Ogees,” Augustus was often an interpreter for the tribe. Jane was known as the “Cattle Queen of Oklahoma” after the family moved to the state and settled at the ranch known as Hominy Falls — later named Black Gold after the horse’s legacy. Hoots died in 1938 and is buried on the 600-acre Black Gold Ranch, southwest of Skiatook. The ranch has been owned since the 1930s by the family of Kevin Jordan. Additionally, Jordan is the majority principal in the Tulsa-based Black Gold Group private equity company. — ANNE BROCKMAN
A moving and powerful story takes shape by presenting the complete, unfiltered past of Cherokee Nation.
Immerse yourself in our stirring history, and learn about the inspiring people who shaped it.
ONE NATION. ENDLESS ADVENTURE.
Cherokee National History Museum Tahlequah, Oklahoma
May 1-5
TULSA DRILLERS VS. SPRINGFIELD CARDINALS tulsadrillers.com
May 2
PATTON OSWALT LIVE tulsatheater.com
May 3
KURT VILE AND THE VIOLATORS guthriegreen.com/events
Through May 9
NATURE POP! AT TULSA BOTANIC GARDEN
Tulsa Botanic Garden’s newest exhibition features 40 statues made entirely from LEGO bricks — 800,000 in total — created by acclaimed artist Sean Kenney TULSABOTANIC.ORG
May 4
GOLDEN GIRLS: THE LAUGHS CONTINUE
Catch everyone’s favorite foursome, back together for hilarious new adventures, at Tulsa Performing Arts Center and presented by Murray and Peter. TULSAPAC.COM
May 11-12
ODDITIES AND CURIOSITIES EXPO
For lovers of the strange and unusual, Oddities and Curiosities Expo will take over SageNet Center for two days of shopping that will include items like taxidermy, original artwork, preserved specimens and much more. ODDITIESANDCURIOSITIESEXPO.COM
TULSA OILERS INDOOR FOOTBALL VS. JACKSONVILLE SHARKS tulsaoilersfootball.com
May 4
HEART AND CHEAP TRICK LIVE bokcenter.com
ROCK AND RESCUE ADOPTION EVENT
animalallianceok.org/ rockandrescue
SMARTPHONE NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP WITH ANITRA LAVANHAR oxleynaturecenter.org
May 14-19
TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL tulsapac.com
May 18
“TULSA HOTDOKS” WITH THE HOT SPRINGS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL circlecinema.org
May 23-25
TIM MEADOWS COMEDY SHOW bricktowntulsa.com
May 25
FAMILY CAMPING NIGHT AT CHANDLER PARK facebook.com/chandlerpark
May 30-June 1
PEMBROKE PLAYERS PRESENTS “PRIDE AND PREJUDICE” tinyurl.com/ye27f7r5
Tulsa musician on her booming Time Travelers Vintage Expos
STORY AND PHOTO BY TIM LANDES
Sarah Frick is hanging out on a couch inside e Studio, 2221 E. Admiral Blvd., where she’s taking a break from recording promo videos for her upcoming Time Travelers Vintage Expo on May 18 at Expo Square’s Central Park Hall. Follow @timetravelersvintageexpo on Instagram to learn more.
IN APRIL 2022
TIME TRAVELERS VINTAGE EXPO STARTED AS A 14-VENDOR POP-UP EVENT AT BAR 473. THAT AUGUST IT WAS HELD AGAIN INSIDE CAIN’S BALLROOM WITH MORE VENDORS AND A LONG LINE TO GET IN ALL DAY. SEEING AN OPPOR-
TUNITY TO EXPAND, SHE AND HUSBAND, JESSE, TOOK THE EXPO ON THE ROAD ... We did six shows last year. We’re doing 12 shows this year, including Nashville, Dallas, Louisville, Colorado Springs and more. We’ve already got 2025 booked, which will be closer to 20 cities. So, growing again.
THIS MONTH’S TULSA SHOW IS THE BIGGEST YET WITH MORE THAN 100 VENDORS ... We’ll have vintage clothing and home goods. We have handmade vendors that make retroinspired art and jewelry — things like that. Lots of records and collectibles. We’ll have
Tarot card readings, palmistry and tea leaf readings. ere’s a little bit of something for everybody. Everyone that loves vintage will nd something they like.
LOCAL SHOPPERS WON’T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL MAY 18 TO SEE WHAT FRICK HAS TO OFFER. APRIL 27 MARKS THE GRAND OPENING OF HER STORE, POLLY HESTER VINTAGE, 1522 S. HARVARD AVE. ... It will be highly curated ’60s and ’70s clothing and goods. We want it to feel like a place where rock stars would have gone to shop.
IT ALL COMES NATURAL TO FRICK, 31, BECAUSE SHE WAS RAISED ON THE GLORY DAYS OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL ... I’ve de nitely been an old soul my whole life. My dad’s a musician. My mom is a very artistic person. She loves antiques and vintage. I grew up with those in uences. My dad was always teaching me about music and showing me all these old rock stars and teaching me how to play guitar and so a lot of my in uences come from how rock stars dressed in the ’60s and ’70s. at is my vibe.
THE COWETA NATIVE AND BROKEN ARROW HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE HAD A FASHION BLOG IN THE 2000S, WORKED AT CHEAP THRILLS AND SPENT TWO YEARS IN SAN DIEGO AT A VINTAGE STORE CALLED FLASHBACKS BEFORE RETURNING TO TULSA IN 2016 ... I learned a lot there. at was like vintage boot camp because of the things you see in Southern California that would come through the door every day, because it was a buy-sell-trade. It was amazing.
ALL THE VINTAGE WORK MEANS THERE HASN’T BEEN MUCH TIME FOR MAKING MUSIC ... It’s sad. I have this project I’ve been sitting on for like a year now. I have a whole record. Honestly, it’s some of the best music I’ve ever written. It will happen. My husband and I have gone full time with our own businesses, so we’re just kind of adjusting and getting used to traveling so much and getting these doors open.
Hopefully later this year we’ll be able to breathe and cut a record. I can tell you a little bit about it. e name of the band is Silver Steppe. It’s going to be like Fleetwood Mac meets Sheryl Crow, so like Americana, but ’70s rock vibes. I’m singing and playing a little bit of guitar. My husband Jesse’s on guitar, and we have Jesse Aycock on slide and lap steel and Michael DavisTrauernicht on drums and Garon Burch on bass. It really is just a matter of time. We want to take our time and do it right. tp
Organization o ers opportunity for mothers and sons to volunteer together.
BY MARNIE FERNANDEZReed Holley and his mom, Ginger Kollmann, spend their free time serving dinner to the unsheltered or delivering pet food through PAWS, a program of Meals on Wheels of Metro Tulsa that delivers pet food to homebound recipients. “My favorite memory was
one night serving under the bridge for Night Light Tulsa,” Holley says. “I met a really nice lady, and I enjoyed talking and getting to know her.” ese are just a few of the many options Young Men’s Service League provides mothers and sons to give back to their community while spending time together.
Native Tulsan Allie Friesen was appointed Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Commissioner earlier this year. A licensed mental health professional since 2014, she specializes in working with individuals with neurological disorders and other chronic medical conditions. She was previously the director of clinical programs in behavioral health at INTEGRIS. In March, Friesen participated in a women’s leadership panel focused on community well-being hosted by GRAND Mental Health.
“Serving the community is the best way I know to teach our kids how to be better people,” says Marlow Sipes, YMSL Tulsa chapter president. “Not only are they giving back, but it’s also an incredible way for mothers and sons to spend quality time together.”
YMSL is a four-year commitment and is open to male high school freshmen in the Tulsa area. Only 35 students are accepted. Sons and moms spend 20 hours a year volunteering in the community and serve in leadership roles in the organization.
“ is also teaches the boys leadership qualities, as they are in charge of leading their own meetings, and everyone has a role with responsibilities attached,” Sipes says.
Moms and sons have several opportunities to volunteer with various nonpro ts. Some of the projects include delivering meals for Meals on Wheels; volunteering at e Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges refereeing, coaching and participating in their sporting events; sorting food at the Food Bank; and helping Global Gardens water plants and weed the beds.
Last year, the organization provided 4,800 service hours to various nonpro ts throughout Tulsa. Over 2,200 of those hours were served by one mother-and-son team.
“I don’t know of any other organization that provides that sort of impact while providing an outlet for moms and sons to spend time together,” Sipes says.
Visit chapters.ymsl.org for more information. tp
ON THE STRATEGIES SHE HOPES TO USE TO PROMOTE INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH: We’re going to focus on the data that’s going to drive our decision-making process. And like I said, regardless of your background, every Oklahoman should have access to the high-quality mental health and substance abuse services they require. And it’s our job to make sure that happens, and that happens with appropriate quality metrics and follow up on the back end. I think that will help us not go off of feeling or political affiliation or the list goes on. It is truly, “where’s the need?” And if that shows us we need to work with our African American women that are experiencing maternal mortality at a higher rate, and subsequently postpartum depression — all right, let’s do it. Let’s partner with our health care facilities, our FQHCs (federally qualified health centers) and let’s see how we can do that. I am one month in, but we have everything in place to evaluate the data and make sure we have our strategies appropriately in line to address the discrepancies that exist. — ANNE BROCKMAN
Statewide coalition with Tulsa roots ensures Holocaust education.
BY ANNE BROCKMANNancy Pettus has been a Holocaust educator for more than 30 years. “I guarantee you Holocaust education changes kids’ lives,” the retired Jenks middle and high school teacher says. “I’ve seen it over and over.”
Pettus, former director of Holocaust education for the Jewish Federation of Tulsa, is the professional development consultant for the SB 1671 Oklahoma Holocaust Legislation Coalition, a group of citizens who banded together after the 2021 passage of HB 1775 to ensure students in grades 6-12 statewide would learn about the Holocaust. e coalition championed SB 1671, which was signed into law in May 2022. is summer the coalition will host four sessions of the 2024 Eva K. Unterman Conferences for Holocaust Education, named after the last-known survivor living in Oklahoma. In 2023, two conferences were held in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. is year, Enid and Lawton have been added. emed “It All Begins With Words: Voices from the Holocaust,” these will address how words fueled both the worst and noblest acts during the Holocaust, Pettus says. “ ere’s such a range of people you run
into when you study the Holocaust. ere’s obviously the victims and then the perpetrators. But I really tried hard to not let the kids leave my class without a little bit of hope,” she says of her time in the classroom. “I wanted them to know that even though they were very few in numbers, some people actually were upstanders — the opposite of bystanders.”
Educators from various disciplines — social studies, English language arts and visual arts — can earn seven hours of professional development credit and attend free of charge thanks to the coalition, which has fundraised year-round to make this a reality.
Pettus and the coalition hope teachers leave the conferences with a passion and con dence to teach the subject matter.
“ e story of the Holocaust is one of survival and resilience and should foster hope for the future of all mankind,” stated John Waldron, state representative, former educator and the coalition’s administrative consultant, in a press release. “ us, the message of Holocaust education is vital: to promote a better understanding of humanity and all its facets so we do not repeat mistakes of the past.”
Learn more at okholocaustcoalition.org. tp
» Gathering Place garnered the top spot in USA Today’s Best City Park contest for 2024. “Gathering Place is honored to be voted Best City Park for the second time in the park’s five-year history,” said Julio Badin, executive director of Gathering Place, in a press release. “This readers’ choice award is a testament to the incredible support we have received from the Tulsa community. We are humbled by how the community rallied to boost the park to the No. 1 spot, securing another accolade for our city.” Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, Forest Park in St. Louis, Wildwood Preserve Metropark in Lucas County, Ohio, and Klyde Warren Park in Dallas rounded out the top five. Learn more at gatheringplace.org.
» This month six Will Rogers College High School students will travel to New York City to see the new Broadway musical “The Outsiders.” The Will Rogers High School Community Foundation sourced funding to make the trip possible. “For many of these students, this trip is the first time out of the state and on an airplane,” Principal Cindy LargentWilliams said in a press release. “Because the play’s roots are here in the hallways at Will Rogers, seeing ‘The Outsiders’ on Broadway will be a transformational experience.” Students were chosen based on written essays. The group is still fundraising and accepting donations at willrogersfoundation.net.
Making your mental health a priority is as important as improving your physical health.
Anxiety and depression can cause sleep deprivation, headaches, fatigue and digestive problems which can worsen chronic and long-term illnesses such as diabetes and stroke, and increase the risk of heart attack.
Experts at OSU Behavioral Medicine provide exceptional psychiatric, psychological and neuropsychological services to care for adults and children. OSU Behavioral Medicine |
Care that goes beyond. osumedicine.com
Tulsan’s piping hot pursuits spill over into Tulsa’s music scene.
STORIES BY JULIE WENGER WATSONLong before she was Tea Rush, Tulsa musician and entrepreneur TaNesha Rushing was known as “Miss Anonymous.”
“I was super shy,” Rushing recalls. “I was always in the background, and I didn’t want anyone to see me.”
e daughter of a blues musician, Rushing found her musical voice when she started turning her poetry into songs, eventually performing in front of an audience at open mic nights at the former Yeti Bar in the Arts District.
Over the years, Rushing’s music career and her entrepreneurial spirit have continued to grow. In addition to Rush Fest, the annual island-themed summer music festival Rushing created in 2017, she’s also the founder of Mi Tea Lounge, 427 S. Boston Ave., Suite 105. e shop, which sells hot and cold drinks, oils and supplements, is the brick-and-mortar manifestation of Rushing’s passion for health and wellness.
e idea took root in February 2020 when Rushing joined the Black upStart program, a national initiative to train African American entrepreneurs that partnered locally with TEDC Creative Capital. Rushing’s initial concept was a “traveling tea party.”
“We were going to travel all over in a
sprinter van and have these intimate concerts,” she says. “We planned to connect with di erent tea companies to sponsor us for the di erent events that we had.”
When the pandemic arrived the following month, Rushing put that plan on hold and began creating her own teas, which she eventually sold online, along with a number of health supplements, including sea moss imported through a cousin in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Her business took o , and Rushing found herself shipping packages and delivering to doorsteps around town.
After a successful 45-day run in the 2022 winter pop-up event put on by Downtown Tulsa Partnership, Rushing found a permanent home for her business, and Mi Tea Lounge was born. e shop also functions as a performance space, with live music every third week, and Rushing has created a nonpro t to revisit the original Traveling Tea Party concept. ese days, Rushing stays plenty busy between her store, Rush Fest and her own music career, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Even though it’s a lot of work, I’ve just always loved going to do my own thing,” she says.
Visit mitealounge.com for more information. tp
Nicholas Flores purchased Whittier Bar, 2405 E. Admiral Blvd., just a few short months before the arrival of a worldwide pandemic. Although this was his first business venture, Flores had plenty of experience in the industry, drumming in local bands since he was 14 and working for 10 years as a bartender while earning a bachelor’s degree in business and entrepreneurship from Oklahoma State University.
Describe your day for us. Ultimately my job entails that the lights are always on. We need to be open so that we can provide a space for our community. A lot of my job is behind the scenes, making connections with booking agents, touring and local bands, and trying to build great shows to host at the Whittier. I am a promoter, customer service, human resources, an accountant, a social media manager, janitor and other things. As a small business owner you find yourself wearing a lot of hats.
What is your favorite part of your job? Building our community. Tulsa is a special place, and I have always wanted to shine a light on it. I had never booked bands before taking over Whittier, and last year we had 165 shows and over 350 unique artists hit our stage. A majority of our shows have touring acts on them. This is a great opportunity to showcase our local talent and let bands know that Tulsa is a great city to visit when touring.
Jenks grad turned NFL pro gives back in big ways.
BY STEPHEN HUNT
Tyler Ott considers himself blessed to be entering his 10th season in the National Football League. A Tulsa native and Jenks High School product, Ott, 32, spent 2023 with Baltimore as a long snapper. On Dec. 10, 2023, against the Los Angeles Rams, he wore special cleats supporting March of Dimes for the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats, which draws attention to charitable causes.
Supporting March of Dimes is personal for Ott and his family as his mother, Laurie Applekamp, is the organization’s executive
director for market development. Ott himself also was born one month premature and spent 10 days in the neonatal intensive care unit at St. John Medical Center.
Ott’s cleats featured March of Dimes’ signature color — purple — and a simple “Hi Mom” message. “It’s not the rst time I’ve done the March of Dimes for My Cause My Cleats,” he says. “I became involved in March of Dimes over 32 years ago. My mom ended up going to work for them. Now, as a father of two, realizing how lucky we were to have healthy pregnancies, I have more reason to support those who go through the hardship of having a premature baby.”
However, this isn’t the only way Ott gives back. Since 2019, when he was in Seattle, he’s donated to the March of Dimes for every successful extra point and eld goal for the “Points for Preemies” program, which has raised nearly $100,000 thus far.
Naturally, no one could be prouder than his mother, who has seen her son support March of Dimes from an early age while playing at Jenks, Harvard University and in the NFL. “He likes to say that pretty much since he was in my womb he’s been supporting March of Dimes in some way,” Applekamp says.
“ at’s one thing I tried to teach him, that not everybody is as lucky as we are as far as the outcome of the story — he didn’t spend that much time in the NICU. We were really lucky. Being in the NICU and now playing in the NFL is a pretty amazing story.” tp
Lifelong Tulsan Judi York has been volunteering with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital since she joined the leadership and service organization Epsilon Sigma Alpha in 1975. Over the years she has helped with St. Jude bike rides, telethons, bowl-a-thons, matha-thons and more. Today, she processes all the tickets sold for the Tulsa St. Jude Dream Home. A $100 ticket earns the chance to win a brand-new Shaw Homes creation in Owasso’s Stone Canyon. Learn more at stjude.org/give/ dream-home/tulsa.html.
WHAT CALLED YOU TO SERVE AS A VOLUNTEER FOR ST. JUDE? From the moment I read about St. Jude and heard Danny Thomas talk about it, I knew this was an organization I wanted to
be involved with. My first St. Jude event was a bike ride. My son drove his big wheel around the track and he thought it was great.
WHAT DOES ST. JUDE DO? St. Jude never charges a family for care. The family should never have to worry about the cost of the treatment their child will receive. Their focus should only be on the child. St. Jude is a place filled with hope and love. Everyone who works there works together to find cures and save the lives of children with cancer, sickle-cell anemia and other catastrophic diseases. The scientists, doctors, nurses and all the people who work at St. Jude all have one goal. That goal is Danny Thomas’ statement: “No child should die in the dawn of life.”
— ANNE BROCKMAN
Downtown bar and grill also is a music venue with live performances and DJs.
BY JULIANNE TRANthink the best way to describe our place is that it’s literally like going down a rabbit hole. You never know what you’re going to nd down there,” says Mauricio Dominguez, co-owner of Rabbit Hole Bar and Grill.
Situated in the Blue Dome District, there’s always something going on under the neon lights of Rabbit Hole, whether it’s live music on Mondays and Tuesdays from local performers like e Underground Collective and e Solution, karaoke Wednesdays, jam sessions on ursdays, or DJs, dancing and even “RuPaul’s Drag Race” watch parties on the weekends.
Dominguez purchased the bar, located at 116 S. Elgin Ave., from the previous owner with his best friend Gabriel Camacho in 2021.
“We always loved what Rabbit Hole stood for. It was a place where live music happened and everyone was accepted. It didn’t matter what your background was or how di erent you were,” Dominguez says.
Dominguez, who immigrated to the United States from El Salvador in 2006, has always loved how Rabbit Hole brings people from all walks of life together.
Dominguez and Camacho, whose family moved to Tulsa from Mexico, have other
full-time jobs while running Rabbit Hole, open from 5 p.m.-2 a.m., Monday-Saturday.
“If it wasn’t for the great team we have, I don’t think it would be possible,” Dominguez says.
Along with general manager Goldie Doss, bartenders and team, the pair trust their kitchen sta , who are running food orders until closing time for hungry bar-goers.
“Our kitchen is open the whole time that we’re open,” Dominguez says of the mix of American and Mexican fare. “Everything is made from scratch and we try to provide the best ingredients we can at an a ordable price.”
Ultimately Dominguez wants Rabbit Hole to continue being a safe place for everybody.
“(We want) people to feel respected and feel protected,” he says. “At the end of the day, we just want people to be happy here.” e pair will kick o May with a Cinco de Mayo party featuring salsa, merengue and cumbia (Colombian folk dance) to honor their Hispanic heritage.
“We come from within the struggles that our people and our families have gone through, and being able to have our own business, it really de nes the American dream.” tp
Watercolorist Alexa Maloney stands in front of her murals she painted for Walmart locations in Guthrie and Muskogee.
Shoppers at Walmart locations in Guthrie and Muskogee are now greeted by artwork from a Tulsa artist.
The Walmart Community Mural program commissioned watercolorist Alexa Maloney of Alexa’s Illustrations to create landscapes that reflect the city’s personality. “These projects are a fun and creative challenge incorporating all the elements together to represent a town all in a tight deadline — usually one week,” Maloney says. “The guidance from the local Walmart team on what to include is a starting point for each mural, but I enjoy learning more about the history, attractions, festivals, symbolism and people of each city.”
She says she completed each at one-tenth the size in her Tulsa studio and then enlarged and installed the vinyl final product on-site.
Learn more about the art program at walmartmurals.info.
— ANNE BROCKMAN
Grassroots e ort underway to preserve the Creek Council oak tree and tend to the upkeep of its nearby park spaces.
BY KELLY BOSTIANATulsa neighborhood group, in its infancy but bolstered by an early grant and a widespread plea for public support, aims to give the ancient Creek Council oak tree new life. e group says the tree’s history is little known and underappreciated. e Riverview Neighborhood Association has already cleared a substantial hurdle in joining with the City of Tulsa and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, which have not always seen eye-to-eye on the tree that stands in a Cityowned park.
Chris McCabe says he knew nothing about the towering oak directly across the street from the Riverview neighborhood
home he purchased in 2016. He saw vandalism and the declining condition of sculptures and landscaping at Council Oak Park and Stickball Park at 18th Street and Cheyenne Avenue. But as he learned more of their history, he became impassioned.
He contacted neighbors, city o cials, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, historical societies, “anyone I could think of,” he says.
“After presenting our desires to the city, they applauded our e orts but were noncommittal in providing funds for the needed improvements. So, we, the Riverview Neighborhood Association, started to pull a working group together,” McCabe continues. “It’s important history. Every Tulsan should
know the origin of the city’s name.”
An abbreviated telling is that the Locv Pokv Tvlse tribal town of the Muscogee Nation, their numbers having diminished along the Trail of Tears from Alabama, found refuge near the Arkansas River in 1836. ey met for business and held ceremonies along with community events at the Council Oak for decades. ey named the surrounding area “Tallasi” or “Tvlvhassee,” meaning “old town.” White settlers’ mispronunciations led to “Tulsey Town” and eventually just “Tulsa.”
Formed late last summer, the planning group includes neighborhood residents and representatives of the Muscogee (Creek)
Nation, the City of Tulsa Parks Department, Visit Tulsa and arborist Richard Bewley
Until they complete the paperwork to form an independent nonpro t, their fundraising and information portal is on the neighborhood’s website, riverviewtulsa.com.
RaeLynn Butler, Muscogee (Creek) Nation secretary of culture and humanities, says she joined the team to ensure the Nation has a voice in future projects. She also says the Nation supports the e ort and is ready for a more signi cant role if allowed.
“If the Muscogee (Creek) Nation owned the park or had an opportunity to develop a co-management agreement, we would help fund all the proposed management activities needed,” she says.
Anna America, the City of Tulsa’s chief of culture and recreation and parks director, says community volunteer groups are vital. “We couldn’t do half of what we do without private donors and collaborators,” she says.
As Butler mentioned, America says greater Muscogee Nation involvement is a possibility. “We would be open to discussing anything like that and would love to talk with the Nation about the best way to work together to make sure this really valuable asset is properly maintained,” she says.
Neighbor Hannah Middlebrook is involved in the e ort through a long family history. Her grandmother, Mary Veasey Leech, played with the children of the Sinclair family of Sinclair Oil, who once owned the property. Leech grew up tending the tree. She taught her children its story and led an e ort to stop developers who planned to cut it down and build on the site. Leech worked with Chief Dode McIntosh to help keep developers from cutting it down. A plaque in Stickball Park lauds the e orts.
“For me, this has been ingrained in me since I was little: that we take care of the tree, but ultimately, it’s about respect that is due the people and the tribe,” Middlebrook says.
Arborist Bewley says the 60-foot-tall post oak is of unknown age but must have been a signi cant tree, at least 100 years old — and possibly as much as 200 years old — already in 1836.
McCabe says a $5,000 grant from Oklahoma Forestry Services and an in-kind match from Muscogee (Creek) Nation are upgrading the tree’s 40-year-old lightning protection system, hiring an expert for a tree health report and making other upgrades. But it’s just a start.
McCabe and Middlebrook compared the group’s long-term vision for the tree to a status on par with Tulsa’s other must-see commemorative cultural parks.
“When we rst got together, we had a dream session, and we had about ve pages of ideas,” McCabe says. “We are just getting started. We have a long way to go, but we are in it for the long haul.” tp
College conversations extend beyond the dinner table for this mother-daughter duo. In addition to living together, Heidi and Nicole Young carpool together, study together and will likely even graduate together from the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa in May 2025.
For 55-year-old Nicole, the end goal is a second, new career prompted by a layo from her pharmaceutical sales position during COVID-19. As a lifelong learner she wanted a new challenge, so she applied and was accepted to the R.N. (registered nurse) program. For her, the opportunity to be involved in direct patient care brings a broad range of responsibilities and an opportunity to build relationships with patients.
Heidi’s destiny became clear to her on a mission trip to Estonia where she saw occupational therapists in action, including the immediate impact a simple wheelchair adjustment had on one little girl. Heidi completed her undergraduate at the University of Oklahoma’s Norman campus, then went straight into the occupational therapy doctoral program at OU-Tulsa. She will be part of the inaugural class to
graduate with a doctoral degree.
While occupational therapy can certainly bene t an individual’s work performance, Heidi loves that it can help people with all sorts of other things as well.
“Occupational therapy (can help with) anything that occupies your time,” Heidi says. “It could be driving, making a sandwich or cooking.”
For both mother and daughter, having the other on campus has enriched their experience. ey love the smaller feel of the campus, where they both can get to know the professors and other students. ey’ve befriended the students in each other’s programs, widening their circles.
“When I completed a check-o exam, I ran across the hall to tell Heidi, and all the OT students cheered for me,” Nicole says. “We have a crowd of support.”
In addition, they often practice on each other. Heidi has checked Nicole’s nerves, while Nicole has practiced transfers (moving patients from one location to another) with Heidi. ey inspire each other to work harder.
Nicole says it’s helped them be better students. “And when one of us is busy with school, the other picks up the slack.” tp
Cooking classes help kids learn skills from local professionals.
BY NATALIE MIKLESMaybe it’s because of social media or competition cooking shows, but more and more kids are getting into cooking.
And we’re not talking about making PB&Js or warming up ramen noodles. Many Tulsa kids want to know how to make more complex recipes, like pasta from scratch, tender biscuits or homemade jam.
Chefs Bill Harris and Mikael Harp have been part of the Tulsa food scene for years, and with their catering company, Planet 1st Catering, they are now o ering monthly cooking classes at Mother Road Market.
“ e main thing is to allow the kids to have fun, fail, triumph and interact with other kids,” Harris says.
Classes are 100% hands-on, with some teamwork, some individual work and with Chefs Bill and Mikael there to guide. But it’s not all work! Harris says the classes are designed to be both fun and instructive.
“We encourage kids to participate, and every time they do — with gusto,” he says.
Harris recently had a 5-year-old student whose mother was worried he would be intimidated.
“He ourished and was helped by his group mates. And he found his con dence,” he says.
Kids who come to each class pick up on technique and then apply it in the next class. In a session on pie-making, a young girl rolled out her dough, added our when needed and then crimped the edges.
“And then she asked for the egg wash before we were even done,” Harris says. “She was one step ahead.”
Last month’s class was an Italian theme with calzones, farmers’ market salad, Italian ricotta cookies and Italian soda. Menus change each month and also have included Irish cooking, pie making and enchiladas, with future classes focused on barbecue and summer bounty.
You can purchase tickets on the Mother Road Market website or nd more information about classes on the Planet 1st Catering Facebook page.
Classes can host up to 30 students. Participants must be at least 5 years of age, and classes are ideal for those up to age 12. Classes are held in the demonstration kitchen at Mother Road Market, 1124 S. Lewis Ave. tp
BUGS is on display through Sept. 2.
Along with the roar of the lions, the squawks of penguins and the call of the chimpanzees, visitors to Tulsa Zoo this summer can hear the sounds of a hissing cockroach, the hum of a beehive and so much more in its special exhibit, “BUGS.”
On display through Sept 2., 19 giant animatronic bug species are situated on the zoo grounds and provide a unique glimpse into the lives of insects. Admission to the exhibit is $3 for zoo members, $4 for general admission and children under 2 get in free.
The summer is a busy time for Tulsa Zoo, which also will open its new Elephant Preserve Barn. The 36,650-square-foot facility is part of the Oxley Family Elephant Experience and Preserve, which encompasses a 10-acre preserve yard for its three Asian elephants — Sneezy, Sooky and Booper — and a new interpretive center.
“Driven by our commitment to the species and the individual animals in our care, we developed a plan for expansion and improvements to support a larger, multi-generational Asian elephant herd,” says Carissa Hon, Tulsa Zoo’s director of marketing, PR and design services. “Our vision included indoor and outdoor spaces with maximum flexibility for herd management and care around the clock. The Oxley Family Elephant Experience and Elephant Preserve will allow Tulsa Zoo to accommodate a growing herd for decades to come. Designed for elephants at all stages of life, this is a true visionary project our community deserves.”
Zoo Nights — an after-hours, adults-only zoo experience — returns June 14, July 12, Aug. 9 and Oct. 11. Special drink packages are available and live music is planned for each night. Purchase tickets in advance at tulsazoo.org.
Tulsa Zoo, 6421 E. 36th St. N., is Oklahoma’s largest paid attraction and is owned by the City of Tulsa and managed by Tulsa Zoo Management Inc. — ANNE BROCKMAN
Tulsa ad man’s success was found in catchy advertisement tunes, lyrics and slogans across the country.
BY MICHAEL OVERALLOne afternoon in 1967, a mob of overly enthusiastic schoolchildren with no parents in sight rushed into a QuikTrip. And the nervous clerk, dressed in all white like an old-fashioned soda jerk, frantically lled cup after cup with icecold Koolees to pacify the crowd.
Luckily the kids were just there to lm a TV commercial. And the man behind the counter was Claude Donica Jr., an icon of Tulsa’s advertising scene, for once stepping out from behind the camera to appear onscreen.
Born in Miami, Oklahoma, in 1937, Donica was 13 years old when his father took over an old zinc mine 7 miles north of town and began o ering public tours there. It was an inspired bit of marketing getting tourists to pay to see inside an otherwise worthless hole in the ground.
Donica didn’t initially want to follow in his father’s entrepreneurial footsteps. He
loved sports, especially Sooner football. And while taking classes at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in the mid-1950s, he got a job announcing high school games for a local radio station in Miami.
He wanted to be a sports broadcaster. But when Donica came to work for a Tulsa television station in 1960, he didn’t go on-air. He stayed behind the scenes as an advertising account executive. He soon discovered he had a knack for writing catchy tunes and memorable lyrics.
National advertisers had been using jingles since at least the mid-1920s, when a barbershop quartet recorded a radio spot for Wheaties cereal. But they weren’t so common for smaller businesses.
“Local advertisers didn’t have access to studios or budgets to do this type of advertising,” Donica explained to a newspaper reporter in 1968.
He set out to make jingles more a ordable
by starting his own advertising company, Audio Productions Inc., with an o ce in downtown Tulsa’s Atlas Life building.
Working with both local and national advertisers, Donica usually started by writing lyrics, taking inspiration from any slogans the advertiser might have, or asking the company to ll out a fact sheet about the product.
He carried a tape recorder in his car in case inspiration hit him unexpectedly. But once he had come up with a melody that “ owed” with the lyrics, he would sing or hum the tune into the telephone while it was recorded by a producer in Dallas. Studio musicians would then make a demo tape for Donica’s client.
“Every time you do a jingle, you’re trying to produce a 60-second hit record,” Donica said in 1968.
Actually, the typical commercial needed only 20-25 seconds of singing, followed by 30 seconds of background “padding” while the announcer spoke over the music, then 10 more seconds of the jingle at the end. e goal, of course, was to have “everybody whistling or humming your tune” while the advertiser’s message wormed its way into your subconscious, Donica said. A lot of Tulsans, for example, could still sing “Hooray for Koolees,” with its groovy guitar solo and funky beat, years after the QuikTrip commercials stopped running.
Donica wrote more than 150 jingles in his career, many of them uncredited. Ironically, however, one of his most successful ad campaigns is remembered not for its music but for its “ ower power” imagery.
Tulsa’s F&M Bank ran a series of advertisements during the 1970s that featured a single daisy in full bloom with the tagline: “Have a Good Day Today and Pass It On.” e local campaign became so successful that Donica syndicated the concept to more than 80 other banks across the country, making the catch phrase a national phenomenon. e daisy and its slogan even found its way onto bumper stickers and T-shirts nationally, some still available for purchase today.
After retiring from the advertising business, Donica bought Tulsa’s popular Green Onion at 51st Street and Yale Avenue, known as much for its old-fashioned dance oor as for its steaks. He sold the restaurant in 2009 to retire for real. He died July 25, 2020, just after his 83rd birthday. tp
New book is a collection of creativity from global LGBTQ+ community.
BY HEATHER KOONTZThrough innovative insight into queer culture, a Tulsa Artist Fellowship recipient hopes to inspire readers with his new release, “A Great Gay Book: Stories of Growth, Belonging and Other Queer Possibilities.”
Ryan Fitzgibbon is an artist, publisher and founder of “Hello Mr.,” a groundbreaking queer magazine that celebrates diverse voices from around the world. Now, he hopes to showcase more unique voices with “A Great Gay Book,” a collection of art, essays, stories, poetry, interviews and more from LGBTQ+ creatives. In addition to work from current artists, the book also features content pulled from the archives of “Hello Mr.”
A Michigan native, Fitzgibbon relocated to Oklahoma in 2020 as part of the Tulsa Remote program. He says the move provided a chance to rebuild, explore and be part of something bigger. It also came at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and a personal diagnosis of HIV, events that inspired Fitzgibbon to further ght to protect LGBTQ+ rights and encourage activism.
“ e banning of LGBTQ+ books, and decades of queerphobic censorship, are desperate attempts by those in power to deny our existence and retain their sense of control,” Fitzgibbon says. “Telling our stories and expressing ourselves despite it has always been inherent to our survival.”
“A Great Gay Book” allowed Fitzgibbon to collaborate with more than 100 talented individuals who have made signi cant contributions to the advancement of LGBTQ+ rights. And, he’s proud to have created it here in Tulsa.
“While the project spans over a decade and includes stories from queer people around the world, Tulsa a orded me the space to dedicate myself to it and a lens through which I evaluated its contents,” he says.
Fitzgibbon is hopeful the book will bring people together and inspire positive change. “ e queer experience in Oklahoma is a turbulent one with increasingly grim uncertainty,” he says. “While I recognize that visibility is a privilege and not protection, I hope the fact that “A Great Gay Book” was made here can facilitate meaningful conversations and o er a sense of belonging to those who need it.”
“A Great Gay Book” is available May 21. tp
THROUGH MAY 19
Designer Showcase
Benefits Home Builders Association of Greater Tulsa. tulsahba.com
1 Newsmakers
Benefits Association of Women in Communications Tulsa. awctulsa.org
3
Bobcat Bash
Benefits Eliot Elementary Foundation. sites.google.com/view/ bobcat-bash/home
Second Chance Prom
Benefits Youth Services of Tulsa. yst2ndchanceprom.com
Sip for Sight Gala
Benefits Vizavance. vizavance.org
4 Brewed for Gilcrease
Benefits Gilcrease Museum. gilcrease.org
Garden Party
Benefits Little Light House. littlelighthouse.org
Illuminating Hope: Memory Gala 2024
Benefits Alzheimer’s Association Oklahoma Chapter. memorygala.org
Kaleidoscope. Colorful Minds. Bright Futures. Benefits Union Schools Education Foundation. unionfoundation.org
Run for the Roses
Benefits Tulsa
Boys’ Home. tulsaboyshome.org
Superhero Challenge
Benefits Child Advocacy Network. cansuperhero challenge.org
Tour de Tulsa
Benefits River Parks Authority. tinyurl.com/2cf7uvrx
7
Appetite for Construction
Benefits Home Builders Association of Greater Tulsa. tulsahba.com
11
ARTrageous
Benefits Foundation for Tulsa Schools. foundationfortulsa schools.org
Garden Tour
Benefits Tulsa Garden Club. tulsagardenclub.org
Heart Ball
Benefits American Heart Association. heart.org/en/affiliates/ oklahoma
Tour de Neighbors
Benefits Broken Arrow Neighbors. tourdeneighbors.com
17 Conservation on Tap
Benefits Tulsa Zoo. tulsazoo.org
18
Garden Gala
Benefits A New Leaf. anewleaf.org
18-JUNE 22
St. Jude Dream Home Open House
Benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. stjude.org
19
Lager Land Festival
Benefits Philbrook Museum of Art. philbrook.org
27
Maple Ridge
Memorial Day 5K and Fun Run
Benefits VFW Post 577. facebook.com/ mapleridge neighborhood
31
The Party: Just Wear White
Benefits Family and Children’s Services. thepartyok.com
Reconciliation in America National Symposium
Benefits John Hope
Franklin Center for Reconciliation. jhfnationalsymposium. org
Comedy to the Rescue
Benefits Tulsa SPCA comedytotherescue.org
31-JUNE 6
Especially for Kids Festival
Benefits OKM Music. okmmusic.org
BIG SHOW OFF Tulsa Day Center hosted its newest event, Big Show Off, on Feb. 3 in the Grand Hall of the Cox Business Convention Center. The 500 guests in attendance played audience to a talent competition featuring performers with skills like singing, dancing, comedy, contortion, balloon art and more — all vying for the first-place prize of $10,000. Celebrity judges Zac Hanson (Hanson), Danny Boy O’Connor (rapper) and Olivia Jordan (Miss USA 2015) chose singer/songwriter Joleen Brown as the winner of the competition.
GALENTINE’S TEA PARTY
1. Judges O’Connor, Jordan and Hanson 2. Winner Joleen Brown performed an original song called “Oklahoma Rider.” 3. Host Ana Berry and Event Chair Tom Biolchini welcome the crowd. 4. Susan and Mayor G.T. Bynum attended this new not-to-be missed event, which will return next year.
5. The live talent show contestants wowed guests with their skills. 6. DJ Ramal Brown and DJ Ed 7. Chuck and Wendy Garrett, Wendy and Gentner Drummond 8. Bill and Rozann Knight, Rod and Goldie Thompson
Nearly 200 guests attended Junior League of Tulsa’s Galentine’s Tea Party held Feb. 10-11. Hosted at the historic Harwelden Mansion, guests enjoyed traditional English tea party fare, live music and time with friends new and old, all while raising funds for Junior League of Tulsa and its beneficiaries. The two-day event raised over $17,000 and will be used toward the organization’s continued fight against poverty.
1. Attendees Nikki Carter, Allania Moore-Jones, Veronica Goss, Kimberly Beasley, Janice Connolly, Kimberly Motley Grayson, Tiffany Freeman, Terri
Okotoghaide Reed and Felicia Senter 2. Guests enjoyed dainty fi nger foods prepared by Harwelden Mansion. 3. Guests Micah Tjeerdsma, Candace Moore and Danielle Hunt 4. Guests Allania Moore-Jones, Kimberly Beasley, Tiffany Freeman, Veronica Goss and Felicia Senter 5. The affair was well-attended by guests dressed to the nines. 6. The historic Harwelden Mansion’s main fl oor made for the perfect setting for this special event.
Elote owner Libby Billings’ life is a variety show full of fun.
Spending time with Libby Billings can be like attending a variety show. At times, she is a one-woman act complete with costumes, music and props; other times she is surrounded by her ensemble cast of family, rescue dogs, restaurant employees and like-minded Tulsans.
Many know her as the restaurant owner of Elote Cafe and Catering, e Vault and formerly of Roppongi in downtown Tulsa’s Deco District. Elote, especially, may be her work life’s heart and soul, but Billings has a variety of roles:
• Wife of Hershel Self and mom to free-spirited kids Luka, Layla and Truman — and rescue dogs Frida, Diego and Ruby, who come from di erent backgrounds but nd commonality and solace as one big, blended family in their Osage County home.
• Cyclist, preferably in costume. Last October, she participated in a gravel bike ride wearing a giant paper mâché Alf mask. It was 30 degrees and raining.
• Karaoke enthusiast. From time spent in Tokyo to her own room in her home.
• Licensed wrestling promoter. Likely still the only female one in the state.
• Only downtown independent female property owner.
• Booker T. Washington High School alum and 2024 Distinguished Hall of Fame inductee.
e list is as endless as the summer sun and lucky for Tulsa, Billings tends to follow the sun instead of the crowd.
At the end of a long, winding drive up gravel hills and through cattle gates, you can nd Billings’ desert-pink house set on 5 acres in Osage County. And while her style is consistent with her personality — both wonderfully colorful — strolling through her home evokes a sense of peace. A stark contrast from the clinking of dishes and buzz of patrons in her restaurants.
A conversation with Billings is a series of vignettes, small illustrative stories that quickly fade in and out of each other.
She describes her love for collecting things such as Swatch watches, often found on eBay or in garage sales. When traveling, she nds them in international airports and speci cally points out her Swatch from Italy that features “Birth of Venus” — or as Billings describes it, “you know, the hot chick on the shell.”
On shelves next to her replace, there is an altar of vintage camping items including old eld guides, thermoses and reside mugs that hang like nostalgic Christmas stockings.
“I love a collection,” the 43-year-old says. “Something on its own, like a watch or co ee mug, is not necessarily ‘wow’ for me, but having a mass of something is like its own statement of art.”
ere is a collection of succulents from Elote spending their winter season in her home next to handmade paper mâché Luchador masks lining a long hallway that leads to a karaoke room.
ough her oasis in the woods o ers a
quieter pace, Billings aims to create the same sense of fun and connection as she does at her restaurants. She recently converted a small room into a personal karaoke lounge.
e golden velvet sofa and eclectic mix of art and colors encourage all who enter to let out their fun and funky side.
Her go-to songs range from Bryan Adams’ “(Everything I Do) I Do it For You” to the nostalgic hip-hop beats of Coolio.
“I’ve always loved karaoke. I sang in church choir from kindergarten through senior year,” she says. “When (Elote) closed during the pandemic, a group of seven of us sang together all the time. We called ourselves the Hot ‘n’ Dirty 30-Somethings.”
Restaurant life can be hard: long and late hours, ensuring consistent service and quality food in a growing foodie city, managing multiple restaurants plus sta , and being accessible 24/7 due to social media. For Billings, she nds ways to bring what she loves into the business mix.
In the coming months Billings plans on opening two private karaoke lounges in the back of Elote.
“I’m a vegetarian raised by hippie conservationists, and I loved singing in choir,” she says. “So how can I bring what I love into work, like karaoke, since I’m there all the time?
“People want to sing; they just don’t necessarily want to be on stage in front of other people. at’s why I think a singalong can be super fun, and private karaoke rooms can be successful.”
It’s an unusually warm February evening as Billings pedals down the River Parks trail as the sun sets on the west side of the Arkansas River. It’s a well-worn path for the lifelong Tulsan.
“When I was a kid, my dad and I always took this exact trail,” Billings says. “I had pink tires and crashed once, leaving pink skid marks on the trails.”
ough riding had been largely sidelined due to her many responsibilities, she’s nding time for it again now that her kids are getting older.
She’s ridden her bike through Tuscany, Italy, with her daughter in 2022 and solo bike packed — carrying the essential gear on an o -road-capable bike for overnight or multi-day ride — in Arkansas. She longs to follow a bike trek from Minnesota to Yellowstone for a summer.
“I’d ride my bike everywhere all the time if I could,” she says. “I swear I’ll be a waitress
at Yellowstone National Park when I’m in my 70s because I like to stay active.”
In the meantime, she will take part in this year’s Tulsa Tough cycling weekend, June 7-9, by once again hosting visiting cyclists and doing another long, scenic Fondo ride. e thing about Billings is no matter how much time she takes for herself, she still looks out for others. As she pedals up the infamous Cry Baby Hill, Billings describes one of her favorite things to do on bike rides: save turtles.
“While I do want to be strong and fast, I don’t want to take myself so seriously I can’t stop to help a turtle,” she says. “ ey are prehistoric. I help them safely cross the road so they can live another hundred years.”
On the fth day of May, Boston Avenue will once again become the site of Tulsa’s biggest Luchador wrestling event of the year. It’s an annual party that started one year after Billings opened Elote in 2008.
“ is event is 100% bigger than I ever imagined it would be. I never thought we’d be shutting down the street for luchador wrestling and parachuting pu y tacos,” she says.
is year’s event will be from noon-11 p.m. May 4-5 with luchador wrestling both days. Saturday will feature pu y tacos raining down from the sky and Sunday will feature a corn cob derby - think pinewood derby racing, but with corn cobs.
Billings’ long devotion to her restaurants and commitment to throwing parties and creating food experiences for all has paid o . Elote has long been known for its pu y tacos and house queso. e Vault hosts sold-out cocktail classes averaging 75 guests, when Billings once hoped they’d draw 20-25 on a good night.
In March, she sold Roppongi, a lunch counter-style ramen eatery, to Catalina Sanchez, her longtime employee who has worked in all three restaurants spanning 10 years. To Billings, Sanchez’s grit is motivation. When describing some of her hardest days when she doesn’t want to get out of bed and go to work, Billings tells herself “Catalina would do it.” She always knew Roppongi needed an owner/manager, someone who’s in the restaurant every day. “She’s the hardest working woman I know,” Billings says.
Sanchez is proud to own a restaurant, describing it as a “future for her kids and family.” A former bank manager, Sanchez says she never envisioned owning a restaurant but after meeting and working with Billings for years, she’s excited to be working alongside both her son and cousin at Roppongi. “Here, everyone is friends and family,”
Sanchez says. Like Billings, she hopes to continue to bring new ideas to Roppongi’s menu and eventually expand the space as they grow.
Now that Roppongi is sold and e Vault ourishing, Billings turns her focus to the future of Elote, her “heart and soul.”
As if she’s describing herself, she says Elote is her and she is Elote. Everything it embodies is re ective of her identity — welcoming, community-oriented and artsy.
An exceptionally signi cant “billing” to add to her long list of credits, she purchased Elote’s building in 2021, establishing her as the only female, independent building owner in downtown Tulsa.
As this year marks Elote’s “Sweet 16” Billings sees the purchase of the building as a move that shifted her perspective as a restaurateur. She views owning the building as an investment in her retirement.
“I don’t want to expo tacos for 50-plus hours a week for the rest of my life,” she says.
As the property owner she can grow her business and create a sustainable model. e second oor sits vacant, but she plans on converting it into a creative space, perhaps micro studios for musicians and artists.
She also envisions utilizing the space for monthly live singalongs with a guitarist, a drummer and maybe a violinist or a pianist serving as a backup band for participants.
As Tulsa grows and the construction of 400 apartments near Elote progresses in the Arco, IBM and Philcade buildings, Billings welcomes future neighbors. Today, she has an Elote regular who sits at the restaurant and writes for nearly four hours on some days. A “third space” as she describes it, an in-between work and home to enjoy.
“I love that Elote has people that sit at my bar every day and that for 15 years, I recognize people by what they eat.”
Not one to wait around for things to happen, Billings hopes to continue to pave the way in creating community in her spaces and be a role model for girls and women.
“I get lumped into entrepreneurship and leadership, but that’s not really me,” she says. “I like being a role model for women and girls, but mostly I like to have fun, be colorful and think of others.”
Nobody knows what the future holds, but for Billings it’s likely to be a lot of fun and full of variety.
“My father says I throw caution to the wind,” she says. “I can’t control what people think. I’ve trusted my instinct on a lot of things, and it’s worked out so far.” tp
TIM LANDES
Tulsa has transformed in various ways over the past decade. There’s been constant change in every way imaginable.
Then there’s Paul Benjaman
There’s the long brown hair. The long beard. The dark sunglasses. The guitar in his hands. The giant smile every time he steps on stage. The weekly gigs at Colony and Mercury Lounge. The guest spots. The benefi t shows.
Tulsa guitarist and Tulsa Sound torchbearer Paul Benjaman releases rst album in nine years.
For over half his life, the 50-year-old has been playing guitar on Tulsa stages. He’s played alongside Tulsa music legends. He’s played their songs in tribute shows and on records. He’s taught many Tulsa musicians and is teaching the next generation some of what he’s learned along the way.
Benjaman’s long been the torchbearer of carrying on the iconic Tulsa Sound. Some of that by design, but mostly it’s genuine affection after a gravitational shift when he discovered JJ Cale at age 30 and realized you didn’t have to be a singer to sing. Then he met Steve Pryor a few years later. Maybe it was fate, if you’re the type who believes in the Rock Gods.
“In the early days of the Paul Benjaman Band, and the first iteration of the band and their sound, they had a show poster that said, ‘In Paul We Trust,’” says Brian Horton of nonprofi t Horton Records that has released all of Benjaman’s music. “I think that holds true today for the Tulsa music scene as well.”
Benjaman is as Tulsa as Tulsa gets, and that goes beyond just the music. At least once a week he can be found at El Rio Verde, 38 N. Trenton Ave., like during a lunch in early April, where he is sitting in a booth crunching into a chicken auta — the only dish he orders at his go-to spot since Arnie’s was still on Cherry Street.
“Not only is it one of our tastiest spots in Tulsa, but it’s long been the musician’s hideout tucked back here in this little neighborhood,” Benjaman says. “You kind of gotta be in the know. You’re not going to be driving through Tulsa and just stumble upon it.”
e same can’t be said for Benjaman’s gigs. He’s long been a staple of Tulsa’s music scene, dating back to the mid-to-late 1990s. In the early 2000s he was a guitarist in Rewake playing alternative rock at places like Eclipse and Steamroller Blues. His sound has evolved, but his presence and enthusiasm remain the same.
Since 2007 the Paul Benjaman Band has been playing nonstop. He has a standing ursday night gig at Mercury Lounge and in June his Sunday Nite ang marks 13 years of weekly rock ‘n’ roll shows at the Colony with surprise guests sitting in all the time, like recent appearances by Hank Early of Turnpike Troubadours and Tori Ru n, who tours with Morris Day and e Time.
With hundreds of performances a year come the crowd. Many of them are longtime fans and regular faces at the shows. Some of them tourists chasing the iconic Tulsa Sound. Some of them are just looking to blow o steam.
“I’ve played clubs so much, and typically what I see about people coming into clubs is they worked hard all week,” Benjaman says. “ ey’ve been showing their good side all week, and now they’re ready to let their bad side out a little bit and throw back a couple of drinks. Enjoy themselves for once.”
“The direction of the record ended up being kind of the snapshot of what’s going on around town. There’s funk things, there’s rock things, there’s country things. I wanted to try to encapsulate all that the Tulsa music scene is about.”
— PAUL BENJAMAN
at is what inspired the title track o Benjaman’s newest album and the rst since 2015’s “Sneaker.” “My Bad Side Wants a Good Time” is a booming lead-o single to the 12-track album out June 7 on Horton Records. e song has elements of the Tulsa Sound in it, a hint of ZZ Top, plus one of Benjaman’s lifelong favorite records and a 20-year-old hip-hop track.
“I was thinking about some of my favorite records like Beck ’s ‘Odelay,’ and also that collaboration between Pharrell ( Williams) and Snoop Dog ‘Drop it Like It’s Hot,’ and I came up with the ri ,” Benjaman says. “Once I came up with the phrase ‘My bad side wants a good time’ that ended up not only being the title of the tune, but also the title of the album.”
Benjaman acknowledges the new album is long overdue. Following the release of “Sneaker,” he was deep into the Tulsa Sound and had spent seven years playing with mentor Pryor after seeing him play for the rst time. “ at was a pivotal moment in my career when I learned what could be done with a Fender Stratocaster. He was doing things that I’d never seen a guitar player anywhere else do,” says Benjaman, who dropped out of college for a second time to become a student of Steve Pryor’s school of rock from 2009 until the legendary Tulsa musician’s 2016 death from a motorcycle accident.
“When we lost Steve, I just kind of went through a little bit of soul searching on what the next move was supposed to be, where I’m supposed to go and how I t into things,” Benjaman says. “ e direction of the record ended up being kind of the snapshot of what’s going on around town. ere’s funk things, there’s rock things, there’s country things. I wanted to try to encapsulate all that the Tulsa music scene is about.”
ere are also nods to the Tulsa legends.
“‘Undercover of Night’ is kind of this uno cial tribute to Rockin’ Jimmy By eld and the Brothers of the Night. Man, those guys really were the Tulsa groove,” Benjaman says. “‘Church of Space and Time’ I wrote a week before the sessions for Leon ( Russell) because I had done so many Leon tributes and was recording in his place.”
e album was recorded at e Church Studio and features musicians Jesse Aycock , Paddy Ryan, Aaron Boehler and John Fullbright, plus singers Sarah Frick , Majeste Pearson, Alexandria Nicole Moore and Ann Bell.
“I was so stoked for him to ask me to be a part of his record. It’s some of my favorite Paul Benjamin Band music ever,” says Frick, who has sung backup vocals for Benjaman over the years. “I’m very excited for it. I’ve already ordered my special edition vinyl.”
Benjaman was raised near Inola on a 10-acre farm, where he had a radio and a record player to keep him company. One day little Paul put on a Sly and the Family Stone record and his life changed forever. He had discovered Sly Stone’s invention of his own funky hybrid of rock ‘n’ roll and R&B, and his musical odyssey was underway.
With a cheap guitar in hand and ready to learn at age 8, Benjaman’s rst teacher was Leona Magee, who played the organ at First Baptist Church of Inola on Sundays and taught private music lessons during the week. “When I was ready to learn some rock ‘n’ roll, she wasn’t going to teach it, but she sent me to her husband, who was the head of the music department at what was then Rogers State College in Claremore,” he says. Darrel Magee introduced the young guitarist to his friend and fellow guitarist Junior Brown. For the next year-and-ahalf, Benjaman learned all he could.
“Junior saw a very impressionable young mind,” Benjaman says. “I was 13 at the time, and he just got in there and just warped it for good with di erent ideas.”
Fast forward 37 years and the kid who sought out lessons has been teaching Tulsans how to play guitar for 25 years at Guitar House, 1216 S. Harvard Ave. His pupils have included standout musicians Chris Combs, Jacob Tovar, Cooper Waugh and Johnny Mullenax among others who have grown up to play alongside him on Tulsa stages.
“It’s really a thing of beauty,” Benjaman says. “I really don’t think of these people as my students. I think of them as my equals.
ey’ve taken some of the concepts I taught them and just really made them their own, and it’s cool to see.”
Horton has been a supporter since the early days of the Paul Benjaman Band, and in 2010 released the band’s debut album
Paul Benjaman Band will open for Kurt Vile and the Violators on May 3 at Guthrie Green. The band will go on tour in support of the new album later this year. It toured France for the fi fth time last fall. “When people think of France, they think of Paris, like I’m sure people from other countries think of America as New York City. France has a lot of farms. We really get to spend a lot of time touring through the countryside, and really experiencing their deep cultural divides. It’s really amazing. ... The best part about being a musician is you get to deal with people of all levels of society and see how things operate,” Benjaman says.
“Something” a year before Horton Records became a 501(c)(3) nonpro t organization. It’s been a long partnership that has allowed Horton many opportunities to see how important Benjaman has been and continues to be in the Tulsa music scene.
“Just as Paul had Steve Pryor as a mentor and Steve had Mike Bruce and others, Paul, in turn, has become a mentor for a whole new wave of Tulsa musicians,” Horton says. “Sometimes he mentors in a deliberate, planful kind of way, while
other times he does it informally by just being around. His constant presence and reverence for Tulsa’s music past has been a guiding force for many during the last few decades, and that has ushered in a new wave of talent adding to the rich musical heritage of this city.”
For Benjaman it’s just business as usual.
“I’m still doing the same thing I was doing when I was 18, and I’m having fun,” he says. “Nothing’s changed.”
In Paul we trust. tp
Memorial Day, this year on May 27, is the offical kickoff to summer, but Tulsans will begin the summer festivities at the beginning of this month. Three months of live music, getaways and entertainment means a lot of fun in the sun. Here, in this handy dandy Summer Fun Guide, TulsaPeople has put together some of our favorite ways to spend the summer. Perhaps it’s at one of the many music and arts festivals in the region. If a destination further away is more your jam, find a round-up of some upcoming music festivals happening around the country. Those headed out of town via Tulsa International Airport are seeing new developments thanks to the Propel TUL campaign. Closer to home, we highlight eight places to retreat to with friends, family ... or yourself! Over the past two decades, local tribes have upped the ante when it comes to entertainment. We check in with what’s going on at our local and regional casinos.
PERFECT FOR: Weddings, corporate retreats, weekend getaways, long-term stays
These nearby destinations have it all when it comes to planning the perfect staycation, weekend getaway or summer celebration.
No matter your vibe, these have you covered with amenities galore. Better get planning!
BY ANNE BROCKMAN3450 S. 137th W. Ave., Sand Springs • meadowlakeranch.com
Three lakeside cabins and a bluff-top refuge welcome overnight visitors at Meadow Lake Ranch, a 250acre property owned by Suzy and Tom Warren
“People come in on Friday with stress on their face,” Suzy says. With fishing, hiking, peaceful nights under the stars and plenty of hammock swaying, “when they leave on Sunday their faces are totally different.”
Along with personal retreats, the bed and breakfast is home to multiple indoor and outdoor venues for weddings and celebrations.
Groups can sign up for the ranch hand experience. Tom leads guests through fun and games like roping, horseshoes, tomahawk throwing and more.
Located 15 minutes west of downtown, Meadow Lake Ranch has been the filming locations for 22 recent productions including “Minari” and “Reservation Dogs.”
SLEEPS: Up to 16
PHOTO OP: Walk along the lakeshore to catch sunset from the limestone bluff
VIBE: Working ranch for the city folk
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS: Head to nearby Sapulpa to stroll historic downtown before catching a movie at the recently restored Tee-Pee Drive-in.
PERFECT
FOR: Group or personal retreats, wedding parties, wellness weekends
Whether you’re organizing a weekend retreat for your favorite group, planning a wedding or just getting out of town for the weekend, Post Oak Lodge in Osage County has the accommodations to meet your need.
Sixty guest rooms are spread over eight lodges. The Executive Lodge has 18 guest rooms, which can be booked individually or for a group. All lodges have communal spaces and porches.
A top-notch culinary team works with guests to provide all the requested meals and snacks.
Post Oak is known for its retreat amenities, including the Zip Line Canopy Tour and spaces for group and personal reflection. During the summer, the pool is a must after a hot day of play.
SLEEPS: 60-plus
PHOTO OP: There’s nothing quite like snapping a pic from atop one of the zipline’s towers. VIBE: Oklahoma exquisite
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS: Tulsa Botanic Garden is the closest neighbor. Walk through the garden’s different themed plantings or catch one of the Bands and Blooms music events.
PERFECT
FOR: Girls weekends, pre-wedding festivities
Bronwyn Spain has a knack for design that combines functionality with impeccable taste, as evident in her family’s successful venue Spain Ranch. In March 2023, she opened the ranch’s newest amenity — the Garden House. Spain calls the three-bedroom home “grandma chic” with eclectic touches and serious garden-obsessed vibes. Walk up the pathway to the front door and be encased in scents of fresh lilac and climbing roses planted throughout the garden beds.
Spain says her guests tell her the space feels like home. Many spend the mornings on the back patio sipping tea from one of the many dainty floral tea cups and enjoying breakfast on vintage china. A stroll around the pond seals in the serenity.
SLEEPS: 6
PHOTO OP: Snap shots in the home’s garden or inside with the gallery wall as your backdrop.
VIBE: Cottage core
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS: Spend the day shopping along Jenks’ main street or in nearby Tulsa Hills. Those looking for an active staycation can take some swings at GolfSuites or South Lakes Golf Course. Don’t forget the Oklahoma Aquarium is just a few minutes away.
33241 E. 732 Road, Wagoner • canebrake.net
Be mesmerized by a bald eagle fl ying circles in the sky. Watch as deer make their way across the property. Hear the birds chirp and the frogs croaking. “You come here and sit by the ponds for an hour and you’ll be a different person,” says owner Michelle Jackson .
The Canebrake sits on 300 acres near Wagoner with indoor and outdoor amenities for all to enjoy. Hotel and suite guests are near the pool and hot tub, with the main lodge — complete with dining room, full-service spa and more — just steps away. Two stand-alone houses on the property are available for overnight stays for those traveling with young children.
“We’re a small resort so we can do anything you want,” Jackson says, mentioning picnics by the pond are a guest favorite. “When you drive through those gates it’s all about you.”
Those itching for some tee time can try out three of the Full Swing Golf Simulators. Fishing poles and access to five ponds are available to guests, along with hiking trails, bicycles and more. The Canebrake is known for its yoga facilities, and individual or group sessions, which can be requested by guests.
SLEEPS: 50
PHOTO OP: Visit Jackson’s favorite part of the property — a 160-year-old Cherokee trading post on-site VIBE: Natural zen
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS: Sequoyah State Park — with its golf course and waterfront amenities — is a short drive away. In Muskogee, hit up the Oklahoma Renaissance Festival, stroll through the Five Civilized Tribes Museum or take some sips at the Pecan Creek Winery.
PERFECT
FOR: Friend and family getaways, personal respites and special occasions
Family reunions, corporate functions, private dinner parties and soirees
141 N. 41st W. Ave. • pecanvalleytulsa.com
Swing under a majestic tree. Play a round or two of disc golf. Gather by the outdoor fire pit with your current read. You can do all of this at Pecan Valley.
“It’s a piece of heaven,” owner Jackie Potter says. Just 10 minutes from downtown Tulsa, Pecan Valley sits on 10 acres with three overnight accommodation options, each with their own kitchen and a plethora of outdoor entertainment setups.
“There are wide spaces and the ability for families to stay together on one property,” Potter says. “It’s a big hit in the spring and summer.”
The property backs up to the Katy Trail and boasts a nine-hole disc golf course.
SLEEPS: Up to 22
PHOTO OP: Snap pics on the property’s covered bridge
VIBE: Urban ranch
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS: Grab groceries in nearby Sand Springs or enjoy a night out in downtown Tulsa.
PERFECT FOR:
Graduation and slumber parties, birthdays, holidays
Second Street and Rockford Road • theunionbuildingtulsa.com
SLEEPS: 6
PHOTO OP: Original aesthetics with modern touches make for fun backdrops
VIBE: Swanky eclectic
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS: Learn about the iconic Tulsa Sound at The Church Studio. Be one of the many standing outside Country Bird Bakery on Saturday morning to get a fresh baked loaf and other treats. Take the kids to Tulsa Zoo for special animal encounters and a ride on the always-fun zoo train.
What was once a headquarters for the local elevator workers’ union is now a hip urban escape near Studio Row.
Inside the main living area is everything from a TV lounge to shuffleboard, ping pong, pool table and dining space. Along the wall you’ll see photos and mementos related to the Tulsa Sound. “We wanted to bring some of that into the space,” owner Chad Potter says of the home’s vibe. A full-size kitchen gives ample space for meal prep. Two bedrooms share a luxurious bathroom with the primary suite boasting a king-sized bed and adjoining spa amenities.
Outside, gather friends and family around a firepit with a picture-perfect downtown skyline within view.
INVITATIONAL ART EXHIBITION & SALE
INVITATIONAL ART EXHIBITION & SALE
ART SALE WEEKEND | JUNE 7 – 8, 2024
ART EXHIBITION
ART SALE WEEKEND | JUNE 7 – 8, 2024 Walt Gonske,
On exhibit May 31 – August 4, 2024
Presented by
Event details, reservations, online catalog and proxy information available at pdw.nationalcowboymuseum.org.
Event details, reservations, online catalog and proxy information available at pdw.nationalcowboymuseum.org.
On exhibit May 31 – August 4, 2024
On exhibit May 31 – August 4, 2024 Museum Partners Devon Energy Corporation • E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation 1700 Northeast 63rd Street
Presented by
Museum Partners Devon Energy Corporation
• E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation 1700 Northeast 63rd Street • Oklahoma City, OK (405) 478-2250 • nationalcowboymuseum.org
Presented by
Oklahoma City, OK (405) 478-2250
Oklahoma City, OK (405) 478-2250
nationalcowboymuseum.org
nationalcowboymuseum.org
nothing quite like a We’ll bring the lettuce! Giraffe Feedings are officially back at the Tulsa Zoo this summer, Fridays through Sundays. For feeding times and information, visit: TULSAZOO.ORG/THINGSTODO
PERFECT FOR:
Romantic getaway, girls weekend, pampering
Set in an English Tudor mansion built in 1923, Harwelden is the epitome of historic Tulsa with all the modern, upscale conveniences of travel in the modern age.
Guests can choose from six suites: Sycamore, Redbud, Primrose, Magnolia, Lilac and Dogwood — each named after a botanical planted on the 4-acre property.
Owner Teresa Knox says special touches accompany every stay. There’s turndown service; bottles of wine, beer, water and sodas in each room’s wet bar; and luxurious products from L’Occitane, Peacock Alley linens and plush Stearns and Foster mattresses. Knox says staff can accommodate most any request — from scheduling an in-room massage or setting up a picnic on the lawn. Guests greet the day with a continental breakfast.
Recently Harwelden has put a focus on its overnight accommodations and smaller, intimate gatherings and events. “Our ultimate responsibility is that this is a cultural site important to Tulsa’s legacy,” Knox says.
SLEEPS: 16
PHOTO OP: Snap pics on the terrace or in the mansion’s garden room
VIBE: Luxurious service and comfort
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS: The hip SoBo District, with restaurants like FarmBar, Dalesandro’s, TXMZ, Maple Ridge Grocer and Bishop Quigley are within walking distance. Nature lovers will adore a stroll through neighboring River Parks and Gathering Place.
4800 Munson Road, Skiatook • osagehillsretreat.com
Is there anything better than getting together with a gaggle of girlfriends who are also there to encourage you and help you out on your latest craft project? That’s just what happens at Osage Hills Retreat, a destination craft retreat center opened in 2022 by quilter Melissa Struttmann
The center sits on her family’s 11-acre property, which also features a saltwater pool, outdoor living space, walking trails and more. “I want them to feel pampered,” Struttmann says of her guests. “I’ve thought of everything.” She even made all the quilts that top each of the nine twinsized beds in two large, separate bedrooms.
She’s hosted quilters, scrapbookers, knitters, macrame artists and more. The group gathers in the center’s activity room, where individual workspaces can be configured in any manner. Flannel design walls allow for quilt projects to be displayed. Across the hall, a fully equipped kitchen allows guests to make meals on their own terms.
Groups are already booking retreats for 2025, Struttmann says. Those looking for a personal experience can book space in one of 2024’s eight “Individual Retreaters Retreats,” which she says is a great opportunity for someone to meet a new creative circle.
SLEEPS: Up to 9
PHOTO OP: Be sure to document your finished product with your friends
VIBE: Fun, colorful and full of laughter
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS: Bustling Pawhuska is only 45 minutes away. Grab lunch at Saucy Calf before perusing the many boutiques and shops, then head for a drive through the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. tp
PERFECT FOR:
Catching up with friends, learning a new skill or fi nishing a project
Significant improvements to Tulsa’s airport starting now through Propel TUL.
BY SARA PLUMMERIn the next three years, people traveling to and from Tulsa International Airport can expect to see improvements both big and small as Tulsa Airports Improvement Trust’s Propel TUL campaign takes off.
With everything from modern signage and art installations, to a kids play area and relaxing airport lounge, to a new international customs facility and air traffic control tower, Propel TUL projects aim to improve the travel experience for every airport visitor.
“It’s the largest investment in airport facilities since the terminal was built in the early 1960s,” says Alexis Higgins , CEO of Tulsa Airports Improvement Trust that administers, manages and operates the Tulsa International Airport (TUL) and Tulsa Riverside Airport.
In 2023, TUL had more than 3.1 million passengers come through, the highest number of annual passengers since 2008.
“Our goal is to make air travel out of TUL so easy and enjoyable that our customers won’t hesitate to fl y when considering their travel options,” Higgins says.
Some of the most requested amenities are being addressed through Propel TUL, including the recently opened Discovery Lab play area and an exclusive airport lounge that is scheduled to open in the fall.
Other projects that will have a big impact on airport travel are the new international customs facility — set to open in late 2025 — and a new air traffic control tower complex in late 2026.
New this summer, “Sunrising” by Tulsa-based artist Shane Darwent will hang over the entrance to the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint as seen in this rendering. The installation will feature a series of 40 suspended color-resin panels that will shift through the color gradation of a sky from sunrise to sunset.
other top international destinations include Canada, the United Kingdom and Italy.
“The new international customs facility is designed to ensure a seamless experience for travelers who want to fly nonstop to Tulsa’s top international destinations,” she says.
A new air traffic control tower also has been in the TAIT wish list for years.
“The tower project has been in the works for decades and is truly a monumental project for our team,” she says.
The major projects have been on TAIT’s Capital
Higgins says TUL currently has about 115 passengers traveling every day from Tulsa to Mexico, which comprises about 32% of Tulsa’s daily international travel and is more than any other country. The Tulsa International Airport is going through signi cant changes over the next two years. Visit TulsaPeople.com to see the full timeline of updates including an international customs facility that could send vacationers straight to Cancun.
The Customs and Border Protection Agency has been on-site at the airport for decades, but they have only been able to accept and clear international travelers through general aviation, which are smaller private flights and cargo flights. The new 45,000 square foot international customs facility will be an addition to the existing terminal and allow commercial air carriers to offer scheduled nonstop international flights to and from Tulsa International Airport for the first time to locations such as Mexico and the Caribbean.
Improvement Plan for five years or longer, Higgins says, and the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Infrastructure Grant program has provided a significant amount of funding for several of the Propel TUL projects.
“We’re building today on a solid foundation and continue to look for opportunities to elevate our facilities and services,” she says. “Our promise to our customers is that we are always improving. As technology changes and transportation evolves, so will the airport experience. We’re laser focused on the flight path ahead.” tp
Summer means festival season. Here is a roundup of some of the Tulsa area’s best celebrations this summer.
APRIL 27-JUNE 2
OKLAHOMA RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL
Modern day meets 1569 England at the annual Oklahoma Renaissance Festival. Attendees can meet knights, spectate full-contact jousting competitions, watch birds of prey swoop through the air and much more. Castle of Muskogee, 3400 W. Fern Mountain Road, Muskogee okcastle.com
MAY 3-4
100 MILE YARD SALE
Marking the 14th annual sale, travel all over Oklahoma — from Sand Springs to Perry — for this 100-mile patch of yard sales. Various locations. facebook.com/groups/ ok100mileyardsale
MAY 3-5
GERMANFEST
This family friendly festival celebrates German culture through music, dancing, food and homemade crafts. German-American Society of Tulsa, 2301 E. 15th St. gastulsa.org
MAY 4
GNARGARITAVILLE
Gnargaritaville ’24 brings Oklahoma’s blossoming midwest emo/math rock scene and a host of touring friends to Tulsa’s Arts District for a one-day event, spanning from the Hunt Club and Vanguard to Whittier Bar. Vanguard Tulsa, 222 N. Main St. thevanguardtulsa.com
MAY 4-5
ELOTE’S CINCO DE MAYO
STREET FESTIVAL
This free street festival featuring luchador wrestling, margaritas, puffy tacos, kids activities, a corn cob derby and more has been a Tulsa staple for the past 14 years. Elote Cafe and Catering, 514 S. Boston Ave. elotetulsa.com
MAY 5
BOB CHILDERS’
GYPSY CAFE
Seventy songwriters are expected to perform at the state’s largest songwriting festival. Multiple venues in Stillwater. reddirtrelie und.org/gypsycafe
MAY 8-12
TOWN WEST
ROUTE 66 CARNIVAL
The Town West Route 66 Carnival returns this year for four days of fun activities and carnival rides. Town West Shopping Center, 5700 W. Skelly Drive facebook.com/route66village
MAY 9-11
SWITCHYARD AT MAYFEST
Presented by Switchyard, the University of Tulsa’s magazine and podcast of literature and ideas, look for three days of discussions and presentations by writers and musicians examining and celebrating the future of rural America.
OKPOP, 422 N. Main St.; Cain’s Ballroom, 423 N. Main St. facebook.com/switchyardtulsa
MAY 10-12
MAYFEST
It’s a Tulsa tradition! Mayfest is three days full of art, music, food and visual arts. Tulsa Arts District and Greenwood District tulsamayfest.org
MAY 16-18
BIXBY BBQ AND BLUES
Summer’s the perfect time for barbecue, soul and blues music, and carnival rides. There are plenty of kids activities like a petting zoo, inflatables and more.
Washington Irving Memorial Park, 13700 S. Memorial Drive, Bixby bixbyrotarybbq.com
BLACK WALL STREET RALLY
Celebrating its third year, this motorcycle rally provides attendees with the opportunity to experience various Greenwood District historical sites. Greenwood District, Greenwood Avenue and Archer Street blackwallstreetrally.com
MAY 16-19
BLACK WALL STREET
LEGACY FESTIVAL
A series of events spread over four days commemorating the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Greenwood District, Greenwood Avenue and Archer Street blackwallstreetlegacyfest.com
ROOSTER DAYS
Carnival rides, food trucks, an outdoor/indoor vendor marketplace, 5K and 1-mile fun runs, a parade and more await visitors to this Broken Arrow festival — now in its 93rd year.
Central Park on Main, 1500 S. Main St., Broken Arrow roosterdays.com
MAY 17
NIGHT MARKET
The Tulsa Global District welcomes Tulsans to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with food, vendors, live entertainment and plenty of family activities. Hannah Hall, 1801 S. Garnett Road globaldistrict.org
MAY 18
ART AT OL’ BLUE
More than a dozen artists will sell works and demonstrate their mediums. Don’t miss your chance to take a stroll around this Route 66 icon. Blue Whale, 2600 N. Oklahoma 66, Catoosa rt66nativeartsalliance.org
MAY 19
LAGER LAND FESTIVAL
Enjoy an afternoon of live music and specially made beers from over a dozen of Oklahoma’s top breweries. Plus, you can’t beat mingling in the Philbrook gardens while listening to live music.
Philbrook Museum of Art, 2727 S. Rockford Road philbrook.org/visit/lager
MAY 30-AUG. 8
SUMMER’S FIFTH NIGHT
Mary Cogan and the Paul Roper Band bring their country pop renditions to opening night of Utica
Mayfest
Square’s summer concert series. Weekly concerts continue every Thursday with a different artist. Utica Square, 21st Street and Utica Avenue uticasquare.com
MAY 31-JUNE 2 C-BEAT
A free festival showcasing Tulsa’s best when it comes to live music and art, with fun workshops like screenprinting and sewing. Various Tulsa music venues instagram.com/c.beat.ok
MAY 31-JUNE 6
ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS FESTIVAL
This music festival is made especially for the kids, offering fun activities all in the name of music education. Various locations in Bartlesville. okmmusic.org
JUNE 1
SUNNY DAYZ MURAL FESTIVAL
In its fourth year, this first-of-itskind festival exists to empower, elevate and celebrate women and non-binary artists through the creation and advocacy of public art. 113 N. Fourth, Ponca City sunnydayzmuralfest.com
JUNE 7-9
OKM MUSIC FESTIVAL
OKM Music Festival celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2024. This year it welcomes the Manhattan Chamber Players, Jecelle Dobson, Escher Quartet and others. Various locations in Bartlesville and Tulsa. okmmusic.org
TULSA TOUGH
Saint Francis Tulsa Tough is a threeday cycling festival experience for racers, riders and spectators, which concludes with the infamous adultblock party at Cry Baby Hill. Locations vary. tulsatough.com
JUNE 8
BIG RIDE
Big Ride returns for this one-day music festival, held in partnership with Tulsa Tough. Tulsa Arts District bigridetulsa.com
JUNE 13-15
JUNETEENTH
JUNE 6-JULY 25
RIVERWALK SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
Thursdays in June and July, head to RiverWalk’s amphitheater to hear music from local acts like OMG It’s the 80’s on June 6. Zodiac Band ends the summer series. RiverWalk amphitheater stage, 300 Riverwalk Terrace, Jenks jenksriverwalk.com
JUNE 6-8
WINE AND JAZZ FETE
Three days of first-class jazz performances from musicians such as jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, maestro Don Flemons and Afro-Cuban ensemble Changui Majadero. LowDown, 108 N. Detroit Ave. okrootsmusic.org
JUNE 7
T.E.G. INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FEST
Coinciding with the Arts District’s First Friday Art Crawl, this jazz festival features artists such as saxophonists Tony Exum Jr. and Alisha Pattillo, and vibraphonist Nick Mancini for this free event. Guthrie Green, 111 E. Reconciliation Way internationaljazzfest.wordpress.com
Dating back to June 19, 1865, this festival celebrates the freedom of formerly enslaved individuals in the United States. Look for live music, art exhibits and wellness activities. Oklahoma State University lawn, 700 N. Greenwood Ave. tulsajuneteenth.org
JUNE 20-23
MUSCOGEE NATION FESTIVAL
Carnival rides, cultural exhibitions, live entertainment from both local and national acts and much more await visitors to this weekend event. Don’t miss the rodeo or tournaments in cornhole, basketball and horseshoes.
Claude Cox Omniplex, 2950 Warrior Road, Okmulgee creekfestival.com
JUNE 22
TASTE OF SUMMER
Blue Bell Creameries provides more than 100 gallons of ice cream in over 24 flavors for this single-day celebration, which also includes water inflatables, arts and crafts, food trucks, treasure digs and many more family activities. Central Park on Main, 1500 S. Main St., Broken Arrow tasteofsummerba.com
JUNE 22-23
Just two years shy of the centennial anniversary of the Mother Road, Route 66 Road Fest has a plethora of interactive exhibitions allowing visitors to explore the legacy of Route 66. Expo Square, 4145 E. 21st St. route66roadfest.com
Woolaroc’s Kidsfest is back again this year for two days of arts and crafts, games, live music, inflatables and so much more.
Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife
Preserve, 1925 Woolaroc Ranch Road, Bartlesville woolaroc.org
JUNE 27-29
GREEN CORN FESTIVAL
Bixby’s biggest event of the summer celebrates the city’s agricultural heritage. There’s a parade, talent show, carnival rides and fireworks. On opening night, enjoy free roasted ears of corn while they last.
Charley Young Event Park, 50 W. Dawes Ave., Bixby bixbyoptimist.com/events/ green-corn-festival
JULY 4
FOLDS OF HONOR FREEDOM FEST
Thousands of spectators gather for this one-of-a-kind, 25-minute firework show. Be sure to tune into radio sponsor KRMG 102.3 FM during the display to listen to the accompanying musical score.
River West Festival Park, 2100 S. Jackson Ave.; Dream Keepers Park, 1875 S. Boulder Park Drive freedomfesttulsa.com
JULY 11-15
CIRCLE CINEMA FILM FESTIVAL
The Circle Cinema Film Festival returns for five days of the best new independent art, music and film from Oklahomans.
Circle Cinema, 10 S. Lewis Ave. circlecinema.org/cc
JULY 12-14
AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART
Hundreds of artists, crafters and boutique owners will set up their booths at the SageNet Center for three days of shopping fun. Expo Square, 4145 E. 21st St. aaoth.com
Cosplay, vendors and panels abound at one of Oklahoma’s largest anime, Japanese and pop culture conventions. Organizers have put together more than 300 hours of programming. Ru n Event Center, 1950 E. 71st St. oklahomaculture.org
JULY 18-20
PORTER PEACH FESTIVAL
Celebrating Porter’s agricultural legacy, the annual Porter Peach Festival is in its 58th year, featuring tractor pulls, a parade, food trucks, free peaches and much more. Main Street, Porter porterpeachfestivals.com
AUG . 10-11
OKLAHOMA COMIC CON
Meet SpongeBob himself (or at least his voice actor Tom Kenny) at Oklahoma Comic Con. Also, convention-goers can meet Yellow Power Ranger Karan Ashley and “Back to the Future” actor Tom Wilson Cox Business Convention Center, 100 Civic Center oklahomacomiccon.com
AUG . 30-SEPT. 1
CHEROKEE NATIONAL HOLIDAY
The Cherokee National Holiday commemorates the signing of the 1839 Cherokee Nation Constitution with food, entertainment, sporting events, and traditional native games. Tahlequah
thecherokeeholiday.com
ROCKLAHOMA
This annual three-day rock festival features three stages with an estimated 100,000 fans in attendance at this outdoor party with camping, food and vendors. Headliners include Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed and Slipknot.
1421 W. 450 Road, Pryor rocklahoma.com
SEPT. 13-15
BORN AND RAISED
Saddle up for a solid weekend of boot-stomping tunes at this country music festival. 1421 W. 450 Road, Pryor bornandraisedfestival.com
SCOTFEST
AUG . 22-24
BLUE WHALE COMEDY FESTIVAL
Reggie Watts, Geoffrey Asmus and Beth Stelling headline this year’s Blue Whale Comedy Festival, one of the top comedy festivals in the region. Tulsa Arts District. bluewhalecomedyfestival.com
AUG . 23-25
OKLAHOMA FESTIVAL OF BALLOONING
Hot air balloons will dot the air for tethered balloon rides at this familyfun event, which also features a kids zone, helicopter rides and fireworks. Hatbox Field, 4000 Border Ave., Muskogee muskogeeparks.org
AUG . 24
WILD BREW
Guests will dine on food from some of Tulsa’s best restaurants and wash it down with first-rate local beers, in support of George Miksch Sutton Avian Research Center. Cox Business Convention Center, 100 Civic Center wildbrew.org
A celebration of Scottish, Irish and Celtic culture, featuring highland athletics, pipes and drums, highland and Irish dance, whiskey tastings and much more.
Central Park on Main, 1500 S. Main St., Broken Arrow okscotfest.com
SEPT. 14
LAKE LIFE FESTIVAL
Mannford Chamber’s biggest event of the year is back in its newest iteration. Formerly known as the Striped Bass Festival or Boats, Melons and BBQ, this year’s event will include kayak races, kids’ fishing derby, live music and much more. New Mannford Ramp mannfordchamber.com/event/ lake-life-festival
This fall we’re looking forward to Tulsa Pride, which moves from June to October, as well as Oktoberfest, Tulsa State Fair and so much more!
Scotfest
OKM Music Festival has been an Oklahoma music tradition for the past four decades.
This year’s festival, set for June 7-9 in Bartlesville and Tulsa, welcomes Manhattan Chamber Players, Jenny Lin and Adam Tendler, and the Escher Quartet.
Manhattan Chamber Players is a collective of musicians who will perform June 7 at Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve’s Clyde Lake Pavilion. Special guest Jecelle Dobson opens the show. On June 8, the Cascia Hall Performing Arts Center will host Jenny Lin and Adam Tendler featuring the Tulsa Honors Baroque Orchestra. On June 9, Escher Quartet will take the stage at Bartleville’s Refinery at the Johnston-Sare Building. All three nights feature works by Mozart and his contemporaries.
“If you love listening to music while enjoying gorgeous historical landmark venues, then OKM Music Festival is the festival for you,” Executive Director Mary Lynn Mihm says. “This is a special experience that gives festival-goers the chance to see artists of this calibur in such a unique setting.”
The OKM Music Festival started as the OK Mozart International Festival in 1983. The three-day festival soon expanded to 10 days
featuring many of the world’s finest performers in classical music, among them Joshua Bell, Sarah Chang, James Galway, Itzhak Perlman and Leontyne Price. Showcase and children’s events added cultural and local flavor to the festival. Those events continue today.
The Bartlesville event held each June was named for the Austrian classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. During the years, programs expanded to include everything from classical and contemporary music to bluegrass, gospel and popular music. As the festival continued to evolve and bring on more variety in music genres, the time was ripe for a name change.
In 2017, the OK Mozart Music Festival became known as OKM Music, still retaining its early heritage with OKM, but going a step further to include all genres of music. OKM Music is proud to have served the citizens of Oklahoma as one of the premiere music festivals in America.
“At OKM we believe music matters,” Mihm says. “Music positively impacts Oklahomans through music perforamnce, education and outreach.”
Electronic games: 3,271 machines
Table games: 31 including blackjack, craps, roulette and poker games
Hotel rooms: 483 including 54 suites
Dining establishments: 6
Music venues: 3
It has been two decades since bingo halls became modern tribal gaming and hospitality operations that have evolved and expanded over the years since. While the joy of hitting a jackpot remains the same as it did the first time someone won one, the casino experience surrounding the slot machines is constantly changing.
We checked in with leadership at Cherokee Nation’s Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa, Muscogee Nation’s River Spirit Casino Resort and Margaritaville Casino, and Osage Nation’s Osage Casino Hotel to learn more about renovations underway at each site, plus what sets them apart from each other and more.
RIVER SPIRIT CASINO RESORT AND MARGARITAVILLE CASINO
8330 Riverside Parkway • riverspirittulsa.com
PAT CROFTS , MUSCOGEE NATION CASINOS CEO
Crofts oversees the tribe’s gaming operations across 11 gaming and entertainment facilities on the Muscogee Nation Reservation.
THERE IS THE ADDITION OF THE SPORTS BAR COMING SOON TO RIVER SPIRIT. WHAT IS THE TIMELINE AND WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE VENUE? The former Visions Buffet area is being converted into the Gridiron Sports Bar and Lounge with an adjacent private viewing and meeting room area and a new luxury VIP lounge. Gridiron will be one of the largest and best sports viewing experiences in Oklahoma and features a massive 53-foot by 14-foot-high video wall, 54 televisions and 104 speakers. The sports bar and lounge area seats 157 guests including an upscale center bar featuring 24 mounted 70-inch TVs, with an additional 30 located throughout the dining and private booth seating areas. In addition, it will offer two Top Golf Swing Suites for simulated golf and other sports. A new kitchen will offer a full-service menu for customers. The sports bar is being constructed to accommodate a sports book once sports betting becomes legal in Oklahoma. It is scheduled to be open by July 2024, in time for the summer Olympics.
WHAT SETS RIVER SPIRIT APART FROM THE OTHER CASINOS IN TULSA? River Spirit Casino Resort is known for exceptional customer service provided by friendly and courteous employees in a luxurious property, which offers a full range of casino and resort amenities including a AAA Four Diamond resort hotel, convention center, Margaritaville, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Cove Theatre, Emerge Spa and a variety of restaurants and bars. The facility houses two separately themed casinos, River Spirit Casino and Margaritaville Casino, which are both full-service casinos encompassing over 150,000 square feet.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR GAMES?
Recently installed NFL-themed electronic games (slot machines) are very popular. Customers can select their favorite NFL team and the game is themed to that team during play. Class II (bingo based) games remain popular due to their frequent payouts.
During a visit to River Spirit Casino Resort always check with the Players Club for ongoing promotions and events. River Spirit has a very rewarding program for players with constant promotions. The Cove offers top-name live entertainment throughout the year so check the schedule of events. Five O’Clock Somewhere Bar offers live entertainment seven nights a week. Don’t miss the volcano inside Margaritaville Restaurant which erupts hourly with a light and sound show.
1544 State Highway 9, Norman • riverwind.com
Grab a freshly baked cookie upon checking in at the 100-room Riverwind Hotel, located at Norman’s Riverwind Casino. Check the calendar for upcoming live performances at Showplace Theatre. This summer, the venue continues its tradition of the Riverwind Beats and Bites Music and Food Truck Festival. The festival is comprised of four monthly concerts, starting with Chris Janson and Easton Corbin on May 25. Each date is accompanied by special visits from food trucks and retail vendors.
Owned and operated by the Chickasaw Nation, Riverwind has more than 2,800 electronic games; a poker room; table games such as blackjack, baccarat and roulette; off-track betting and more.
4216 S. Highway 69/75, Durant • choctawcasinos.com
Escape and unwind with a weekend by the water at the resort-style pool featuring swim-up bars, full-service cabanas and more. Guests can wade all day and then spend the night in one of the three luxury hotel towers or in the on-site RV park.
On May 31, John Legend plays the Grand Theater, with other summer music guests like Bush, Bailey Zimmerman and Joe Bonamassa
The Durant location has plenty of food options — from fine dining at 1832 Steakhouse to casual bites at Guy Fieri’s American Kitchen and Bar, South Hot Chicken and more.
777 Casino Ave., Thackerville • winstar.com
Dubbed the world’s biggest casino, this property, owned by Chickasaw Nation, sits near the Oklahoma-Texas border on Interstate 35.
There’s shopping, a world-class spa and wellness retreat, as well as two different pools to please everyone in your party. Pack your golf clubs and try your hand at two 18-hole golf courses designed by D.A. Weibring and Steve Woldfard Golf Design. Golf pros are on hand and the WinStar Golf Academy has the latest technology to help anyone with their handicap.
Lucas Oil Live is the 6,500-seat entertainment venue that will host Jason Aldean on May 18, James Taylor on June 15 and Jerry Seinfeld on July 13.
69300 E. Nee Road, Quapaw • downstreamcasino.com
Treat yourself to a dream-worthy dinner of bison tenderloin, a house specialty at Red Oak Steakhouse, which is just one of several dining options at Downstream.
With both indoor and outdoor pools, guests of all ages can find some water-filled fun. Many hit the nearby 18-hole Eagle Creek Golf Club for a day’s worth of 9-iron action. Others opt for a relaxing session at Nee Spa.
On the gaming floor, guests can try their hand at any of the 1,800-plus slot games, poker tables, craps, roulette, blackjack or other table games.
The Quawpaw Nation operates the site near Joplin. Its outdoor concert venue will host Kane Brown for a concert on July 3.
951 W. 36th St. N. • osagecasino.com
KIMBERLY PEARSON, CEO OF OSAGE CASINOS
In 2023, Pearson (Osage) became the first female CEO of Osage Casinos, overseeing the sevenproperty gaming and entertainment organization that serves as the primary funding source for critical Osage Nation programs.
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE CASINO THIS YEAR IN TERMS OF EXPANSIONS, ADDITIONS OR CHANGES? We’re preparing for updates in Tulsa with the addition of new food and beverage options. We will welcome a local favorite, Coney Island, as well as our new bar Swigs, which features a lounge, immersive screens and an elevated stage for live music. The Tulsa property will also benefi t from the addition of a new adults-only pool coming soon!
WHAT SETS OSAGE CASINO APART FROM THE OTHER CASINOS IN TULSA? Our relationship with the communities where our casinos are located is what really sets us apart. We have seven locations across Osage County. Most of our visitors go to the casino that is closest to their home. We give back to the communities where we operate through sponsorship and charitable support. It’s important to us to make those local connections and build relationships in our communities. This is reflected in our guest services as well.
IS THE POOL OPEN TO THE PUBLIC OR DO THEY NEED TO BE AN OVERNIGHT GUEST? The public can purchase a pool day pass Monday-Thursday. We reserve pool access to hotel guests only on Friday-Sunday due to high occupancy. Visitors and hotel guests can soak up the sun while enjoying full food and beverage service.
The covered pool patio area located right outside our lower-level meeting space is available for event rentals. This space is perfect for outdoor receptions or dinner events. Call 877-246-8777 for information on how you can enjoy the pool and patio this summer.
ANY TIPS OR ADVICE FOR SOMEONE SPENDING AN EVENING AT OSAGE CASINO? Come and stay a while! We have so much to enjoy — attend a concert at the Skyline Event Center, enjoy slots and table games at our Tulsa casino, relax by the pool, and rest in one of our comfortable hotel rooms. You can have all the fun of a Las Vegas getaway, without the airport hassle.
Electronic games: 1,600-plus
Table games: 15
Hotel rooms: 286
Dining establishments: 5
Music venues: 3
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR GAMES? WHAT DOES THE GUEST LIKE TO PLAY THESE DAYS? Neptune’s Gold is always a fan favorite!
ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO ADD? Osage Casinos is a unique brand that is tied to our heritage. We celebrate the culture of the Osage people through our artwork and other thoughtful touches in our casino hotels. We are proud of the work that we’ve done over the past two decades to create a recognizable brand that is synonymous with state-of-the-art facilities. It’s fun to imagine what growth that we’ll see in the next 20 years.
Electronic games: 2,400
Table games: 34
Hotel rooms: 454
Dining establishments: 6
Music venues: 4
777 W. Cherokee St., Catoosa hardrockcasinotulsa.com
MARTIN MADEWELL , GENERAL MANAGER OF HARD ROCK HOTEL AND CASINO TULSA Madewell (Cherokee) has devoted nearly two decades to gaming operations for Cherokee Nation Entertainment, starting as a card dealer and working his way up to overseeing operations of the tribe’s biggest casino since 2020.
WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS YEAR IN TERMS OF EXPANSIONS, ADDITIONS OR CHANGES? We’re undergoing big changes. Our 99-suite hotel tower is under renovation. We recently opened the first two fl oors of the tower and will be releasing subsequent fl oors soon. It is truly an amplifi ed, Hard Rock experience. The tower is themed with memorabilia, imagery and design elements that pay tribute to Oklahoma music legends. The rooms are spacious, modern and eclectic in a way that you could only expect from Hard Rock Tulsa. Our steakhouse on the 19th fl oor is also under
renovation and rebranding. It is set to reopen in late May.
WHAT SETS HARD ROCK APART FROM THE OTHER CASINOS IN TULSA? The Hard Rock brand is one of the most recognizable, successful music brands in the world. We create authentic experiences that rock. One thing we can all connect and agree on is that we love music. Music is unifying and the memorabilia, stages, events, promotions and games celebrate this every day. Last, but not least, is the team we have. We have been voted Tulsa’s best casino for many, many years consecutively. It is our people that make us an award-winning casino.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR GAMES? With over 2,400 games there is something for everyone. We have a lounge called the “Greatest Hits Lounge” — a room you won’t find anywhere else. This is a collection, a sampling of all the fan favorite games on the floor. Only the best games are found in this room. Lightning Cash, Sahara Gold, Polar High Roller, The Hunt for Neptune’s Gold, Silver Dollar Shootout, Aztec Riches, are just a few of the hottest games you will find here. We also have a new zone dedicated solely to the Aristocrat Buffalo games. We are also home to the only World Series of Poker in northeast Oklahoma. Live craps, roulette, multiple blackjack and the latest, greatest carnival table games can also be found here.
ANY TIPS OR ADVICE FOR SOMEONE SPENDING AN EVENING AT HARD ROCK? Where do I start? We like to say we are a little bit country and a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, and a whole lot in between. We have the most live music stages in the region. Find pieces of memorabilia seen nowhere else in the world. Have a filet at Tulsa’s best steakhouse. Visit Tulsa’s live music dancehall, Track 5., a honky tonk that plays tribute to Oklahoma’s rich country roots. Our AAA Four Diamond hotel has two pools, hot tub, coffee shop and fi tness center. Catch a show at Hard Rock Live, our 2,600-seat theater. We also are home to Cherokee Hills — an 18-hole Championship golf course. tp
TOM GILBERT
When you visit the city in the Ozarks - Springfield, Missouri - ask a local! We know the best places to eat, shop, entertain and soak up the city vibes. Plus, we'll show you the coolest spots to hike, bike, boat, kayak through the great Ozarks outdoors. We love our city and we'll show you around!
See you soon in Springfield, Missouri!
For 100 years the American Heart Association has saved and improved lives, pioneered scientific discovery and advocated for healthy communities. And for more than 50 years, the Tulsa Heart Ball has been raising vital funds to ensure equitable health, fund critical research and support lifesaving work. Specifically, the American Heart Association-Tulsa is focused on CPR education.
Sweethearts and Mavericks are high school sophomores and juniors who volunteer with the Association to support that work. They are introduced and their accomplishments highlighted during the Heart Ball.
To join a future class, visit heart.org/TulsaHeartBall or contact Kennady Johnson at kennady.johnson@heart.org
Lela Ahlfenger
Hannah Crawford
Sophia Lefler
Ella O’Sullivan
Maebry Smith
Kennedy Katie Baker
Ella DiSalvatore
Ella Mahan
Ella Padalino
Marin Smith
Walter Zimmerman
Giveaway Date: June 23, 2024
Free Tours: May 18 – June 22
Saturdays: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Sundays: noon – 5 p.m.
7210 N Hawthorne Lane | Owasso, OK 74055
Open House Prize: Register for free at the open house for a chance to win a $5,000 Bassett Home Furnishings gift certificate.
Bonus Prize: Get your ticket by May 31 for a chance to win a $10,000 Visa gift card, courtesy of Dream Day Foundation.
Get Tickets dreamhome.org 800-853-1470
At Gas Petal, a Cherry Street floral shop owned by Chelsea LeGrange (pictured here), shoppers can pop in to build their own bouquet with fresh flowers. There’s no design fee, and LeGrange says you can create a bouquet of any size — from a single stem to a farmer’s bounty. This one’s an example of a $50 bouquet. tp
10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Friday;
10 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday
4602 E. 11th St.
918-742-0500 aperturesphoto.com
Stepping into Apertures’ new location on 11th Street is nostalgia for the senses, from the familiar smell of photography chemicals to the midcentury design of its storefront located on historic Route 66. Since opening in 1990, this is the third move for the locally owned photography shop.
“ is is where we are supposed to be,” says Mary Beth Leach, part owner of Apertures. “It just feels right, as both (Apertures and Route 66) represent a vintage era.”
Apertures was founded by Leach’s aunt right before digital photography changed the industry forever. Leach started working at the store when she was a teenager.
“We mainly developed lm and printed pictures when we rst opened,” Leach says. “While we are still one of the only local labs to still work with lm, we have also embraced the times and technology advances of photography, which has allowed us to remain in business for over three decades.”
Apertures’ o erings include a photography studio, a darkroom available for rent, large format archival printing, new and used camera accessories and equipment, and now one of its most popular o erings — classes open to the public.
“We o er classes covering all things photography, from how to take digital photos and use Adobe Photoshop to darkroom lm developing and lighting techniques.”
e digital photography class is by far the most requested, according to Leach.
“Digital cameras are not exactly intuitive, and this class allows people to ask questions and get hands-on instructions, which is the best way to improve your photography skills.”
Classes are o ered throughout the year, and the schedule can be found on the shop’s website.
Photographers can drop o color and black and white lm for the Apertures sta to develop. ey average about 100 rolls per week, Leach says, with development typically happening Tuesdays and ursdays. Digital scans of prints and lm also are available. tp
Pre-owned lenses and cameras, $100-$600.
Mug, $10.
Film, $7-$20.
May is a big month at Gas Petal, 1514 E. 15th St., and for owner, Chelsea LeGrange . “Mother’s Day is busier than Valentine’s,” she says. She encourages shoppers to pre-order bouquets and arrangements for this occasion to ensure they get what they want.
LeGrange’s shop features a fl ower wall where shoppers can pick and choose — or leave it up to the designer — to create a fl oral arrangement perfect for gifting. Gas Petal has a wide selection of bud and larger vases, and also can design something for a vase someone brings in. Many of the featured stems come from a collection of four to fi ve local growers, LeGrange says. Mums, roses and carnations are inventory staples in Gas Petal’s signature pastel palette.
Along with fl owers LeGrange will have a special Mother’s Day collection featuring items like tumblers, hats, candles and more. The shop is full of what she calls “easily giftable” items like puzzles, bath and body accessories, totes and trinkets.
LeGrange got into the business with her mobile fl ower truck named Gretel, which is available for rent and can be seen around town at events. She also recently debuted Hansel, a new, smaller cart that offers a more budget-friendly option for intimate events like baby showers, wedding showers and birthdays. —
ANNE BROCKMAN
North Tulsa birth center provides personalized labor experience for mothers. A beautiful beginningBY MACY GOODNIGHT
Nestled in the Osage hills just minutes from downtown Tulsa, the Given Women’s Health Oasis and Birth Center is committed to serving the women of north Tulsa in a luxurious space surrounded by the nurturing elements of nature. The childbirth and perinatal care center was created to provide the absolute best start for babies, optimized by a peaceful and personalized labor experience for mothers.
“Every baby deserves to be born in a safe space,” says Montika Collins , founder, president and executive director of Innovations Family Wellness Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization offering an array of services including health and wellness coaching, perinatal care training, holistic and integrative lactation/breastfeeding support, herbal nutrition and education. “The ultimate mission of the center is to reclaim the tradition of birth for all women, but especially to honor the art and history of Black midwives,” Collins says. “Additionally, this space is designed to provide women a safe, holistic and women-centered alternative to birthing in the hospital.”
Lavish suites for delivery include large tubs for optional waterbirth. Midwives — along with the assistance of the center’s staff — work to ensure the safest delivery possible. The center also funds training for certification for professional midwifery to offer diversification in the field. This effort works within the community to decrease infant and maternal mortality rates and increase perinatal education and wellness.
“Given is a dream and a gift that has been realized,” Collins says. “I chose to put the birth center in north Tulsa, because as a Black woman in Oklahoma, when I was having my own babies, a Black birth team was not available to me. I believe all women deserve to have representation in their health care providers.”
Given was featured on The Oprah Winfrey Network documentary “Rebuilding Black Wall Street: Episode 1.” For more information, as well as sponsorship opportunities, visit ifwinc.org. tp
Nothing brings us to a full stop like the death of someone we love, does it? Illness, accident, natural disaster, nancial collapse, oh there are lots of things that slam us into a wall. But a death, that’s the big one. It could be the death of a job, a relationship or a way of life. But the death of a pet — that’s a category of its own.
A full stop is what happened when my cat Isabelle died suddenly. One minute I was breezing through the morning, making co ee, xing the dogs’ breakfasts and then, wham! A sudden, convulsing death and Isabelle was gone.
I spiraled into grief. How can one little 5-pound cat leave such an enormous hole? A friend who has been through this many times with many cats told me, “When I was
young, I thought it would get easier. It doesn’t. It gets harder because each death reminds us of the others.” Grief piles on.
I was taught in journalism school and in the Episcopal Church to say “death” and “dead.” ose are plain, matter-of-fact words. In personal communication and paid obituaries, it seems fashionable to use euphemisms. “Passed away” is popular. “Succumbed” and “expired” are clinical, “breathed his last” is gentle and “walked over the rainbow bridge” is poetic but weird. We look for polished phrases to avoid the cold reality that something we love is gone forever.
Oscar Wilde used his sharp Irish wit to skewer the use of such code words. A character in his play “ e Importance of Being Earnest” says primly, “I have lost both my
parents” and the formidable Lady Bracknell snaps back, “To lose one parent … may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”
Many famous writers were famously devoted to their pets. Colette, Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck , Maurice Sendak , Gertrude Stein, E. B. White, Virginia Woolf and more were photographed with a beloved cat or dog. Some wrote stories and books about their pets. Even the dour American playwright Eugene O’Neill, whose plays are as searing as Greek tragedies, wrote a book to commemorate his Dalmatian, “ e Last Will and Testament of an Extremely Distinguished Dog.” Pets do that to us; they can soften the hardest heart.
Even so, I was astonished by a quick online search for contemporary books about pets and grief. e selection is huge and the range is enormous: picture books, story books, chapter books, poetry and books recommended by veterinarians. Hundreds of books about pet bereavement are available for everybody, from age 3 through adult.
Why so many publications about the death of pets? Is this because the bond we forge with our pets is so powerful? Is the quest for solace so great? Is it just a pro table niche market? Probably yes to all these questions.
I’m glad they’re available. Grief is a particular pain. A pet’s death can feel even sharper because an animal is wholly dependent on us. eir death plunges us into guilt and remorse. I know strong, independent adults who cry themselves to sleep when their pets die.
e sunny window ledge is bare without Isabelle. Her unrumpled pillow on the bed is empty. A shiny, clean table top without kitty prints is not all it’s cracked up to be. Opening a can of tuna without her nosy help isn’t much fun.
Our everyday lives are lled with holes like this. Just ip through a photo album or an old address book. Look around town. People, buildings, homes, places we loved are gone.
About the same time Isabelle died, the da odils bloomed. Each with six perfect petals and a frilled trumpet. Pure, sel ess beauty, asking nothing of me and giving everything. eir short lives lasted only a few days.
A death is a wakeup call: stop and look at your life. Every life, however long or short, is important. I cry when people and pets die. I didn’t cry when the da odils died. Perhaps I should have. tp
N A L H I L L
C H A R L A
R a n c h s t y l e h o m e w i t h w a l ko u t b a s e m e n t l o c a t e d i n c h a r m i n g C h a r l a n e E s t a t e s i n m i d t o w n ! C o n c r e t e d e c k
o v e r s b a c k o f h o u s e O p e n k i t c h e n , 4 b e d , 3 5 b a t h s , 2
a r g a r a g e M a s t e r h a s f l o o r t o c e i l i n g g l a s s w i n d o w s o v e r l o o k i n g b a c k y a r d w i t h t r e e t o p v i e w s N e w r o o f i n s t a l l e d i n O c t o b e r 2 0 2 3 3 2 2 8 S
D e l a w a r e P l a c e $ 6 9 9 , 0 0 0
F a b u l o u s 4 t h f l o o r c o r n e r u n i t w i t h a n a m a z i n g w r a p a r o u n d b a l c o n y E n j o y t h e n o r t h & w e s t s u n s e t o v e r t h e R i v e r & D o w n t o w n T u l s a ! F l o o r t o c e i l i n g w i
i s
4 , 3 0 8 s f T h e h o m e h a s b e e n t o t a l l y u p d a t e d w i t h g r e a t t a s t e T h e o u t d o o r l i v i n g s p a c e i s a w e s o m e a n d i n c l u d e s a n i n g r o u n d p o o l , k i t c h e n a n d h o t t u b t h a t a l l o v e r l o o k s t h e b e a u t i f u l r a n c h l a n d T h e s e c o n d 3 B R , 2 B A h o m e i s a C l a y t o n m a n u f a c t u r e d h o m e a n d i s o n l y t h r e e y e a r s o l d a n d i s a r o u n d 2 , 3 0 0 s f I t h a s r a m p s f o r a w h e e l c h a i r a n d h a s a l l h i g h e n d i n t e r i o r f i n i s h e s T h e r e i s a l s o a s t o r a g e b u i l d i n g b y t h i s h o m e C o m e a n d e n j o y t h e p e a c e a n d s o l i t u d e t h
H a r d w o o d f l o o r s , g r a n i t e c o u n t e r s i n t h e k i t c h e n a n d a n e w e r m a s t e r
b a t h r o o m a r e j u s t a f e w o f t h e
m o d e r n f e a t u r e s
E n j o y t h e c l o s e b y p r i v a t e s c h o o l s ,
U t i c a S q u a r e s h o p p i n g c e n t e r a n d S t J o h n ' s H o s p i t a l !
2 1 2 0 E 2 4 t h S t r e e t $ 6 6 9 , 0 0 0
G A R D E N P A R K T h i s E n g l i s h s t y l e d h o m e w a s b u i l t i n 1 9 2 6 a n d p r o f e s s i o n a l l y r e m o d e l e d t o t o d a y s s t a n d a r d s
e w a l k s a n d p a r k l i k e g r o u n d s
6
4 0 5
0
6 0 t h C o u r t S # 3
S H A D O W M O U N T A I N
V i n t a g e 1 9 8 2 h o m e c l o s e t o
G r i s s o m E l e m e n t a r y S c h o o l
O n e L e v e l h o m e w i t h c a r p e t
t h r o u g h o u t ( e x c e p t i n k i t c h e n )
R e a d y f o r r e m o d e l i n g a n d
p r i c e d f o r y o u r i d e a s ! S h o r t
d r i v e t o S t F r a n c i s H o s p i t a l , s h o p p i n g a n d e x p r e s s w a y s
7 2 3 0 E 6 5 t h P l a c e
$ 2 8 9 , 0 0 0
E n j o y t h e L u x u r y L i f e s t y l e y o u d e s i r e
6201 E. 108th Street
$ 1,960,250. 6201 E. 108th Street
Built with comfortable, family living in mind. Enter through the front
Built with comfortable, family living in mind. Enter through the front doors and feel right at home doors and feel right at home in this beautiful 8211 Sq ft, Country French in this beautiful 8211 Sq ft, Country French home. Features outstanding great room with high beamed ceilings and home. Features outstanding great room with high beamed ceilings and custom chandelier, chef’s kitchen with large island and butler’s pantry. 4 custom chandelier, chef’s kitchen with large island and butler’s pantry. 4 bedrooms, 3 full and 3 half bathrooms, 2 offices, gameroom, theater, bedrooms, 3 full and 3 half bathrooms, 2 offices, gameroom, theater, outdoor living area with kitchen, lap pool, 2 beautiful courtyards, hickory outdoor living area with kitchen, lap pool, 2 beautiful courtyards, hickory floors, 2000 bottle wine room, 3 interior and 1 exterior fireplaces, floors, 2000 bottle wine room, 3 interior and 1 exterior fireplaces, saferoom. saferoom.
2 0 2 4 i s l o o k i n g s t r o n g a n d I
n e e d m o r e p r o p e r t i e s t o s e l l !
March 30, 2024
• The Mayo Hotel
Are you interested in participating in 2025?
Please contact TulsaOperaGuild@gmail.com for more information on next year's event.
CATHERINE ANNE ALBERS PAIGE ELIZABETH ADKINS EDEE MARIE BARKETT KATRINA ELENI BILLIS LILLIAN RUTH ANAGNOST AVA BLAIR BREESE JULIET MARIA CANNON MARGAUX KENDALL FELTY KYLIE BROOKE CONNOR LUCY JOY FLEGLER PENELOPE ANNE HANSON LANDRIE LYNN FIELDS MAKENZIE CLAIRE HAYES ADYSON MARIE HODGES LUCY ANNE LATHAM LYDIA VANN HOOSE NIRAN MORGAN MARSHALL CASIDY TUNNELL MARGARET ANNE STEWART AVA JANE WYNN JACOB WILLIAM CAMERON MAXWELL STEPHEN KACERE SETH PORTER EBY MAXTON WALLACE MCMAHON JOHN LANDON NICKEL MASON EDWARD ROACH
When it comes to barbecue dishes, it doesn’t get more iconic in Tulsa than Elmer’s BBQ Badwich. Diners receive a sampling of smoky meats — rib, chopped beef, smoked bologna, and a smoked sausage or hot link. Two homemade sides make it a meal. tp
Isla’s is a bright, cozy, welcoming restaurant with a little something Southern for everyone. e menu ranges from Low Country to Creole and from classic Southern to new Southern dishes.
It feels the most personal of Justin ompson’s restaurants — this is the 12th he’s opened so far — because Isla’s is named after his 9-year-old daughter. Isla (pronounced eye-luh) loves to cook with her dad and thinks it’s pretty cool to have a restaurant named after her.
e style and food of Isla’s is an homage to ompson’s grandmother, who he would visit in Oklahoma City on the weekends when he was growing up. His grandmother was always ready for big family meals, pulling out card tables and dressing them with gingham tablecloths so that everyone would be welcome and have a seat at the table.
“I wanted to make a place that felt like going to grandma’s house on a Sunday for dinner,” ompson says.
Isla’s is located just south of ONEOK Field and is double the size of ompson’s other restaurants.
We visited for lunch, and the place was packed. Booths, tables and the bar were full, and others were milling around Connor’s Corner Store, the grab-and-go market that’s attached to Isla’s.
We had to try the biscuits and jam — noted on the menu as “the best damn biscuits in town.” ese big craggy Southernstyle biscuits aren’t like the u y, perfect biscuits you see some places. ese look and taste like they came from someone’s home kitchen. ey’re served warm with creamed butter, honey and jam.
If biscuits aren’t your thing, there are fried green tomatoes, a pulled pork queso, gulf oysters, hush puppies and other delicious bits and bobs on the menu. A best bet for visiting with out-of-towners is the Southern tasting board, a charcuterie of Arkansas bacon, fried bologna, pimento cheese, blackeyed pea hummus, boiled peanuts and more.
Soups can be easily passed over on a menu with such great choices, but don’t miss out on the corn bisque, which is full of sweet corn avor and topped with a little haystack of fried onions.
Entrees, under the heading “Supper,” range from fried cat sh to smothered pork chops, and chicken fried steak to shrimp and grits. A signature dish is the chicken fried chicken, which is pickle-brined, pounded, battered and fried up crispy. is tender chicken comes with two sides, and the choice of either country gravy or brown mushroom gravy. Isla’s knocked it out of the park with this dish.
And here’s one you won’t nd anywhere else in town — bologna burnt ends. e crisp-edged bologna is coated with a sweet tea barbecue glaze and served with pimento mac and cheese and housemade pickles.
Isla’s also has an entire menu of sandwiches, which is really popular with the lunch crowd. e Kentucky hot brown, Okie smashburger, pulled pork barbecue and po’ boy are standouts.
For dessert, we especially loved the baked fudge topped with vanilla ice cream. Other sweets include hummingbird cake — that old fashioned cake with pineapple, bananas and a cream cheese frosting — plus cream cheese pound cake with strawberries and whipped cream, bananas foster bread pudding and pies of the day.
Just as you can’t leave grandma’s house after Sunday dinner without taking something home, diners at Isla’s are given a recipe card with their check. Some of those recipes, like the peanut butter cookies, are ompson’s own grandmother’s recipes.
Personal touches like these are certain to keep customers coming back. tp
The perfect pie for May picnics and parties.
BY NATALIE MIKLESAlittle tart, a little sweet and surrounded by a buttery crust — key lime pie is the perfect summertime dessert!
Recipes for key lime pie began making their appearance in Florida newspapers and cookbooks in the 1930s. By the 1950s, key lime pie was no longer just a regional dessert. Cooks across the country were making this delicious confection.
Using sweetened condensed milk makes this recipe a piece of cake (er, make that pie) to make.
And take our advice: Make two! Put one in the freezer (they freeze beautifully) to pull out when you need something sweet in a pinch.
Some versions of key lime pie are completely no bake. But baking it ensures the eggs are cooked and the custard is set.
KEY LIME PIE
1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
4 tablespoons butter, melted
4 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon nely grated lime zest
1/3 to 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (use key limes if you can nd them!)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To make crust: combine crumbs and melted butter, mixing well. Press mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Prebake crust about 15 minutes. Let cool.
To make lling: beat egg yolks until they turn lemony yellow. Add sweetened condensed milk and cream, blending well. Beat in lime zest and juice. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Bake until custard is just set, about 15 minutes. Outside edges of pie should be rm, and the center should be soft. tp
It doesn’t get much better than spending a beautiful spring day at Philbrook Museum of Art, especially if you add tacos into the mix.
Elote is now not only in its original downtown location but also in the pop-up cafe space in Philbrook’s lobby, 2727 S. Rockford Road, where visitors can nosh on their legendary pu y tacos through mid-August. Museum-goers can eat at tables near the lobby or take their tacos outside to tables on the museum grounds.
And it’s not just tacos on the menu. Also choose from an avocado Caesar, chips and salsa, guacamole, queso and a great elote soup. The soup is made with creamed corn, queso fresco, lime juice and a chili-citrus aioli.
Friday nights are a great night to visit. It’s Elote Margarita Night from 5-9 p.m. And, museum admission is just $5. — NATALIE MIKLES
When it comes to tacos, we love all types. Sometimes you want a Tex-Mex taco, other times a street taco, or a bougie taco, a crunchy taco, a soft taco, a dessert taco or a downand-dirty fast-food taco.
When it comes to authentic Mexican food truck tacos, one of the best spots is Taqueria Express. The carne asada and al pastor are especially great. Also choose from chicken, carnitas, barbacoa, cabeza and tripe.
Taqueria Express also has some of the best tortas in town. In general, these Mexican-style sandwiches tend to fall into the category of underrated. Maybe that’s because so many of us haven’t had a really good one. But tortas at Taqueria Express are as they should be — a delicious combination of avocado, crema, tomato and refried beans plus the meat of your choice all piled into a French breadstyle bolillo roll.
It’s — dare we say it — better than a burrito.
It’s delicious, fast and cheap — just what Mexican street food should be. Taqueria Express has three Tulsa locations: 1738 S. Garnett Road, 2140 S. Garnett Road, 5239 S. Peoria Ave. — NATALIE MIKLES
Sally and Andrew Whitney are all about good causes — a mindset that has kept them going while trying to open their brewery, Good Cause Brewing, at 2501 E. 15th St.
It hasn’t been easy for them, working 16-hour days to try and catch up from a big setback on Father’s Day of last year.
“We estimated we had maybe a month left of construction and then a month or so of all the permitting and making the building look pretty,” Andrew says. “We decided (since) we had finished some really big projects we were going to take a breath.”
They took their kids to the lake on their first day off in a year for Father’s Day weekend. They were unaware of the damage the now-infamous wind storm brought to their brewery. The roof peeled off, and parts had landed on the nearby Broken Arrow Expressway. The building also had lots of water damage. Most of what was completed had to be redone.
The insurance claim faced several rounds of approvals, but they didn’t give up. They had done so much, and their priority was still to give back.
“We both wanted to have a business that supports community efforts and does really good things. We’re both people people,” Sally says.
Good Cause has rebuilt and plans on opening in May. When operational, it intends to give back in a number of ways — from portions of sales to providing space for community organizations. “We would love to work with those who are amplifying the voices of those less heard and those who are working to create a more inclusive community,” Sally says.
— TOM GILBERT
Rosa’s
The tagline on ROSA’S drink menu is “damn strong drinks,” and that they are. You’ll pay a few more dollars for their signature margarita, but it’s worth it with an excellent overproof Luchador tequila, Triple Sec and a housemade sour mix. Or try it frozen with a bit of slushy sangria on the top. Want something savory to go with it? Try Rosa’s Mexican-style wings or birria short rib flautas. 302 S. Cheyenne Ave. • 918-5766641 • rosatulsa.com
BAR SERRA’s skinny margarita may just be the best in town. It’s the fresh-squeezed lime and orange juices that set it apart. Agave adds some sweetness, and the rim is salty and spiced with Tajin. Order the guacamole and salsa, served with warm, crisp tortilla chips, to go with it. The perfect margarita, chips and guac — is there anything better? 1876 Utica Square, Suite 2E • 918-727-7227 • barserra.com
Whatever type of margarita you’re in the mood for — spicy, sweet, mellow or classic — it’s on the menu at TACOS X MEZCAL . Strawberry, spicy watermelon and cucumber jalapeno are all great. For spring, we love the hibiscus mint margarita. Drinks at TXMZ are thoughtfully made with attention to every detail. In other words, they’re all top shelf. 39 E. 18th St. • 918-764-8666 • txmztaco.com tp
Since 1983 Tulsans have turned to Elmer’s BBQ for hickory-smoked favorites. Keith Jimerson, who is in his 21st year as owner, moved the longtime Brookside barbecue joint a few blocks north of its original location in January 2022. Now located in the heart of the “Restless Ribbon,” Jimerson is proud to continue the legacy of one of the district’s only Black-owned businesses.
With the move, he’s also taken the time to readjust.
“I’ve purposely slowed the business down to focus on quality,” he says. “I want the food and the experience to be exceptional.”
The classics Tulsans have come to love — baby back ribs, pulled pork, smoked salmon, hot links, chicken dinners — are still on the menu, with the addition of some fried items and more kids’ options. Elmer’s signature sauce comes in three flavors — sweet, sweet and spicy, and hot. You can even buy it by the bottle.
Jimerson says it has been fun introducing Elmer’s to new clientele. The location is smaller than the original, but it still boasts a blues music theme with plenty of memorabilia dotting the space. A welcoming front patio provides an intimate outdoor dining space.
— ANNE BROCKMAN
In the mid-1920s, what had once been a relatively quiet residential street was becoming one of Tulsa’s main thoroughfares for business. South Boston Avenue was home to Dr. Charles W. Day, a pioneering Tulsa physician, who was important in the advancements of health care facilities in Tulsa.
His residence near Fifth Street was lost to re in 1923. After that, Day decided to build a two-story brick commercial building on the site, called the Day Building. While the commercial property only had
two oors, it was structurally su cient to hold two additional oors.
Day eventually sold the property to oilman C. C. Cole upon completion of the building. When completed, it showcased large storefront windows and was perfect for retail businesses.
C.J. Bumgarner Furniture Co. was the rst tenant to occupy the building. ey opened in March 1925 but only remained in business for 13 months. Soon the building was split up to form three separate storefronts with additional o ces on the
upper oors.
Over the years, the building was home to a variety of businesses and organizations: a ne art gallery, cigar store, beauty salon, optometrist o ce, neon sign plant, hardware store, photography company, o ces for local organizations and restaurants.
Nelson Rogers, who started in the restaurant business in Tulsa in 1917, opened Nelson’s Bu eteria at this location in 1949 and the family stayed until relocating in 2004.
It has been home to Elote Cafe since 2008. tp
In a perfect world, every dog would have a home and every home would have a dog.
The store your pet deserves!
SCULPTED CABLE COLLECTION