Michael Martin Murphey brings Cowboy Christmas Ball back to Oklahoma City’s National Cowboy Museum
For the 17th year, Michael Marti
Michael Martin Murphey brings Cowboy Christmas Ball back to Oklahoma City
For the 17th year, the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter is helping the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum continue the American holiday tradition.
n Murphey is bringing a truly American Christmas tradition to Oklahoma City.
The singer-songwriter will keep the customs of an old-fashioned Western holiday with his popular Cowboy Christmas Ball at 7 p.m. Friday at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
“It’s the only really American Christmas tradition that we have. Everything else is European,” Murphey said in a phone interview last week from Lubbock, Texas.
“Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Nutcracker’ (is) Russian. The Victorian Christmas and Charles Dickens always comes around every year. But there’s nothing that’s really about the American feeling of Christmas, and I think the Cowboy Christmas Ball is that.”
Murphey modeled his Cowboy Christmas Ball, now in its 19th year of touring the Southwest, on a more than century-old tradition started in Anson, Texas. In 1885, an Anson couple got married at Christmastime and invited all the ranching families. Famed East Coast journalist Larry Chittenden was in town and wrote a poem about the event.
The poem was published in the London Times, The New York Times and many other newspapers, and the ball became a yearly tradition. People began coming from thousands of miles away to take part in the Cowboy Christmas Ball, which last year in Anson drew participants from several surrounding states and even a couple from Japan.
A Texas native, Murphey, 66, still plays the Anson ball every year and helped the Oklahoma City museum establish its event.
“Next to the Anson event … Oklahoma City is the most important to me. Because they get it, what a phenomenal American tradition this is,” said Murphey, who now divides his time among Texas, Colorado and Wisconsin.
“Oklahoma City every year proves that this is a fabulous, fun tradition. It may be all about history, but it’s the history of fun,” he added with a laugh.
“They just get out there and just kill it with the ‘Cotton-eyed Joe’ and the schottische and all these great dances. And the ladies make these incredible dresses, these Victorian ball gowns, and everybody else wears Western clothes. And the kids get out and dance and go crazy because it’s a family-style dance. All this has been documented and it goes back to the original ball.”
In the past year, the Grammy-nominated musician has expanded his efforts to preserve the history of the Cowboy Christmas Ball. He has been working with the Southwest Archive in Lubbock to gather more historical photographs that he has worked into the show, along with clips from a 1953 documentary about the Anson ball.
“It shows the people dancing at the ball, and some of the guys that were at the original ball are interviewed. And then those same guys who are in their 80s and 90s — one guy’s even 101 — they’re out there dancing at the ball to the music they’ve danced to ever since they were a kid,” Murphey said.
“Just in one year … we have really found some incredible stuff: a fiddle that was played at the original ball (and) great pictures of Larry Chittenden. … We found the guest book that people signed going all the way back into the ‘30s when they did the first reenactment of the ball in ’34.”
The Cowboy Christmas Ball isn’t Murphey’s only effort to continue Western musical traditions. In June, he released “Tall Grass & Cool Water,” the sixth album in his “Cowboy Songs” series and the third in his “Buckaroo Blue Grass” set, which explores the similarities between bluegrass and American cowboy music.
Produced by his son Ryan Murphey, the new album features the epic “James Gang Trilogy” along with the Western Music Hall of Famer’s first recording of The Sons of the Pioneers standard “Cool Water.”
“I finally found the band to do the arrangement I hear in my head, and that was the main reason I did it now as opposed to earlier,” Murphey said. “But my favorite thing on the album is ‘Blue Prairie.’ I love that song. It’s one of the more obscure Bob Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneer songs that to me is timeless.”
Murphey closes the new album crooning with Western songstress Carin Mari on “Springtime in the Rockies,” a song that brings back fond memories of his childhood vacations in Colorado.
“That one is the one that I sang around the campfire … when I was a kid with my parents, my grandparents and my aunts and uncles and cousins. We all sat around with the (park) rangers back when rangers had time to do that and sang ‘Springtime in the Rockies,’” he said.
“‘Tall Grass and Cool Water’ is about the things that you feel and the stories that get told in the prairies and the mountains,” he said.
The prolific singer-songwriter was in the studio last week working on his upcoming album, which is “not cowboy or bluegrass necessarily” but will consist of acoustic originals.
However, his focus during the holidays remains the Cowboy Christmas Ball, and he and his wife Karen are looking forward to leading off the dances Friday night in Oklahoma City.
“It’s the best dance that we put on because you’ve got so much space. It’s the most dancing that we see at any of them,” he said.
“There’s families that their kids grow up and get married, and we showcase them in the grand march. Sadly, there’s old-timers that we’ve known for years that pass on and now there’s a widow out there. It’s really about family and reunion.”
GOING ON
Michael Martin Murphey’s Cowboy Christmas Ball
When: 7 p.m. Friday.
Where: National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63.
Information or reservations: www.nationalcowboymuseum.org or 478-2250, Ext. 219.
-BAM
Late, great landscape painter Wilson Hurley to be featured in TV narrative “Envisioning the West,” airing Sunday on OETA
Landscape painter Wilson Hurley is shown with his "New Mexico Suite," one of his five "Windows to the West" triptychs that hang in the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in this 2005 photo from The Oklahoman Archives.
Acclaimed Tulsa-born landscape painter Wilson Hurley (1924-2008) will be featured in a television narrative titled “Wilson Hurley: Envisioning the West” airing at 9:30 p.m. Sunday on local PBS station OETA.
Hurley is best known for creating the five massive triptych paintings titled “Windows to the West,” which hang in the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Sam Noble Special Events Center.
The TV program is the companion piece to “Envisioning the West,” an exhibit on view in the museum’s the Atherton Alcove through March 30. The exhibit tells the story of how the Prix de West artist created the “The Wyoming Suite,” one of the “Windows to the West” triptychs.
The exhibit delves into how Hurley’s knowledge of topography and a special easel helped him paint the enormous, beautifully rendered triptychs. It focuses specifically on Hurley’s work on the “The Wyoming Suite,” which depicts the lower falls of Yellowstone Canyon.
The idea to honor the late artist and his immense contributions to art world originated with Gerrianne Schaad, director of the museum’s Dickinson Research Center, and she hired Mary Blood-Suto (formerly McEntire) to produce a TV narrative to accompany the exhibit.
“Hurley was also an author, a lecturer, an aviator, a banker, a lawyer, and a soldier” says Schaad in a news release. “Everything he experienced added a new dimension to his painting and his life.”
Hurley was born in Tulsa but moved as a young boy to Virginia when his father, Gen. Patrick Hurley, became President Hoover’s secretary of war. The family later moved to New Mexico, where he was exposed to great artists, graduated from high school and made his home.
Hurley died in 2008, about a year after being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was 84.
Blood-Suto, who attended Putnam Schools and graduated from the University of Oklahoma, has returned to live in Oklahoma City after a 27-year absence, and she was pleased to help share the story of an Oklahoma-born icon.
“It was such an honor to write and produce Wilson’s story and it was a great welcome home,” says Blood-Suto in the release. “I hope the viewers will be pleased and it will inspire them to visit the museum to see more on Hurley and other great artists.”
For more information on the “Envisioning the West” exhibit, call 478-2250 or go to www.nationalcowboymuseum.org.
-BAM
Video: Septemberfest offers a variety of free family fun
Check out this NewsOK video taken Saturday at the 15th Annual Septemberfest, a free fall festival that takes place at the Oklahoma Governor’s Mansion and Oklahoma History Center.
Gov. Frank Keating and first lady Cathy Keating started Septemberfest in 1997. The activity-packed, family-friendly event is organized by the nonprofit Friends of the Mansion and hosted each year by the governor and first family. This year’s event was the first for Gov. Mary Fallin and her husband, first gentleman Wade Christensen, to host. To read my interview with Fallin previewing the event, click here.
Septemberfest is rapidly becoming my family’s favorite of the myriad festivals offered around Oklahoma in the fall. On Saturday, my husband and I took our two younger children to the event, and we were thoroughly entertained for 4 1/2 hours. We didn’t even get to half of the activities offered, either.
Although attendees are invited to bring picnic lunches or buy food from on-site vendors, we got all the lunch we wanted for free: The state beef council was grilling up hot dogs, the peanut commission was handing out samples, the milk council was offering up cold chocolate or white milk, and the wheat commission was passing out cinnamon roles and wheat bread. We also got free samples of watermelon and watermelon salsa, soy nuts and sheep’s milk cheese. For dessert, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s chuckwagon was dishing up peach and apple cobbler.
My 4 1/2-year-old son Gabe, a proud farmer in training, was in heaven: He climbed on old tractors, learned to lasso a hay-bale steer, made a rope, milked a cow, zipped down a giant inflatable slide, explored a giant teepee, checked out the pioneer-era reenactment and got a cowboy hat temporary tattoo. With his dad’s help, he turned cream into butter, and with my assistance, he sawed a round of wood off a big log.
As for my 14-month-old daughter, Brenna, she adored seeing and touching all the animals at the petting zoo, dancing to the music of local kindie rockers Sugar Free Allstars and especially riding on a cart pulled by a miniature horse, which she was convinced was a big dog.
Since we didn’t mind waiting in line and noshing on free samples for lunch, we could afford for Gabe to pick out a little toy for himself and his sick cousin at the Oklahoma History Center gift shop’s clearance sale. After the souvenir purchase, our total cost to attend Septemberfest came to a walloping $2.71, quite the entertainment and educational value for a full Saturday.
Families, mark your 2012 calendars for Septemberfest, and expect to see the BAM clan there.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on July 25, 2011: See the Wilson Hurley exhibit “Envisioning the West” at the National Cowboy Museum
Landscape painter Wilson Hurley is shown with his "New Mexico Suite," one of his five "Windows to the West" triptychs that hang in the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in this 2005 photo from The Oklahoman Archives.
A detail of Wilson Hurley's "Wyoming Suite," one of the five "Windows to the West" triptychs that hangs at the National Cowboy Museum.
Today’s featured event:
View “Envisioning the West,” an exhibit dedicated to acclaimed Tulsa-born landscape painter Wilson Hurley (1924-2008), at the Atherton Alcove in the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63. The exhibit is on view through March 30.
“Envisioning the West” tells the story of how the Prix de West artist created the “The Wyoming Suite,” one of the five massive “Windows to the West” triptych paintings that hang in the museum’s Sam Noble Special Events Center.
The exhibit delves into how Hurley’s knowledge of topography and a special easel helped him paint the large, beautiful triptychs. It focuses specifically on Hurley’s work on the “The Wyoming Suite,” which depicts the lower falls of Yellowstone Canyon.
Hurley was born in Tulsa but moved as a young boy to Virginia when his father, Gen. Patrick Hurley, became President Hoover’s secretary of war. The family later moved to New Mexico, where he was exposed to great artists, graduated from high school and made his home.
Hurley died in 2008, about a year after being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was 84.
For more information, go to www.nationalcowboymuseum.org.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
“Amazing Racer” Jet McCoy, live Western music, rodeo demos mark National Day of American Cowboy at National Cowboy Museum
Jim Garling will be among the performers at today's National Day of the American Cowboy celebration at the National Cowboy Museum. (Photo by David McDaniel, the Oklahoman Archives)
Meet “Amazing Race” contender Jet McCoy, hear live music by Gary S. Pratt and Picket Wire, Jim Garling and A Bar Bunkhouse Band and see the John Wayne film “The Cowboys” at the National Day of the American Cowboy celebration from 9:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. today at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63.
The museum joins venues across the nation today in hosting a special event to honor the iconic American Cowboy.
Jet McCoy
“The cowboy is our nation’s greatest ambassador throughout the world, representing the most admired virtues of the American people,” said Don Reeves, McCasland Chair of Cowboy Culture, on the popularity of the cowboy, in a news release.
Museum visitors can expect extra entertainment in addition to the cowboy culture and art routinely served up in the museum’s galleries and gardens.
Visiting the museum to sign autographs will be Oklahoma’s own cowboy and “Amazing Race” contestant Jet McCoy.
Music entertainers will be cowboy singer/songwriter and past Western Heritage Award winner for Outstanding New Artist Gary S. Pratt and Picket Wire of Davis, along with Western music artists Jim Garling from Guthrie and the A Bar Bunkhouse Band from northeastern Oklahoma.
Additionally, three screenings of John Wayne’s feature film “The Cowboys” will be shown at 10 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Starting at 10 a.m. is the introduction of the Miss Rodeo Oklahoma Scholarship Pageant contestants, followed at 1:30 p.m. by the announcement of the newly crowned royalty. Seventeen young ladies are vying for titles in four age divisions ranging from age 4-24. The 2010 and 2011 pageant titleholders will sign autographs from 2 to 3 p.m.
New this year, with each museum admission receipt, guests can enter The Cowboy’s A-Blazin’ Race and receive a “Passport to the West” for a chance to win prizes. The passport will guide participants through the museum with activities and educational questions.
On the plaza, the Oklahoma State University Rodeo Team will be on hand to demonstrate roping and Master Bladesmith Brion Tomberlin, will demonstrate knife making. Brand-themed temporary tattoos will be available all day in the Children’s Cowboy Corral along with children’s storytelling at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Oklahoma County Mounted Sheriff’s Patrol will be a part of the activities again this year to greet guests as they enter the gates of the Museum.
American Cowboy magazine launched the campaign for this national day of recognition in 2004.
Several permanent galleries at the Museum focus on cowboys including, the American Cowboy Gallery, the Western Performers Gallery and the American Rodeo Gallery.
For more information, call 478-2250 or go to www.nationalcowboymuseum.org.
See the full schedule of activities after the break.
Best Bets for July 22-24, 2011: See Ragtime, hear the Old 97′s, catch Country Joe McDonald
The Old 97's
Here are my picks for the top 5 Best Bets happening this weekend around Oklahoma, as listed in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman. For more event options, go to www.wimgo.com:
1. Meet “Amazing Race” contender Jet McCoy, hear live music by Gary S. Pratt and Picket Wire, Jim Garling and A Bar Bunkhouse Band and see the John Wayne film “The Cowboys” at the National Day of the American Cowboy celebration from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63. Information: 478-2250 or www.nationalcowboymuseum.org.
2. NORMAN — Listen to the Old 97’s, Robert Ellis and Workweek at 7 p.m. Friday at the outside stage at The Opolis, 113 N Crawford. Information: www.starlightmints.com/opolis.html.
3. See Lyric Theatre’s staging of the Tony-winning musical “Ragtime” at 8 p.m. Friday and 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday at Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N Walker. Information: 524-9312 or www.lyrictheatreokc.com.
4. NORMAN — Watch Mark Ballas, Chelsie Hightower, Damian Whitewood and Peta Murgatroyd from the hit reality TV show “Dancing with the Stars” perform as “America’s Favorite Dancers” at 8 p.m. Friday at Riverwind Casino, 1544 W State Highway 9. Information: 322-6464 or www.riverwind.com.
5. TULSA — Hear Country Joe McDonald, Jefferson Starship and Big Brother and the Holding Co. perform as “The Heroes of Woodstock” at 7 p.m. Friday at River Spirit Event Center, 1616 E 81 St. Information: (918) 995-8191 or www.creeknationcasino.com.
-BAM
“Amazing Race” contender Jet McCoy to appear Saturday at National Cowboy Museum’s National Day of the American Cowboy celebration
Jet McCoy
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum will join venues across the nation in hosting special activities Saturday to mark the National Day of the American Cowboy
The museum, 1700 NE 63, will honor the iconic American Cowboy from 9:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Saturday.
“The cowboy is our nation’s greatest ambassador throughout the world, representing the most admired virtues of the American people,” said Don Reeves, McCasland Chair of Cowboy Culture, on the popularity of the cowboy, in a news release.
Visiting the museum to sign autographs will be Oklahoma’s own cowboy and “Amazing Race” contestant Jet McCoy. Jet McCoy and his brother Cord McCoy, who hail from Tupelo, have twice competed on the Emmy-winning reality TV show, first on Season 16 and then on the all-star Season 18 and have become fan favorites for their courtly cowboy ways.
Music entertainers will include cowboy singer-songwriter and past Western Heritage Award winner for Outstanding New Artist Gary S. Pratt and Picket Wire of Davis, along with Western music artists Jim Garling from Guthrie and the A Bar Bunkhouse Band from northeastern Oklahoma.
Additionally, three screenings of John Wayne’s feature film “The Cowboys” will be aired at 10 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Starting at 10 a.m. is the introduction of the Miss Rodeo Oklahoma Scholarship Pageant contestants, followed at 1:30 p.m. by the announcement of the newly crowned royalty. Seventeen young ladies are vying for titles in four age divisions ranging from age 4-24. The 2010 and 2011 pageant titleholders will sign autographs from 2 to 3 p.m.
New this year, with each museum admission receipt, guests can enter The Cowboy’s A-Blazin’ Race and receive a “Passport to the West” for a chance to win prizes. The passport will guide participants through the Museum with activities and educational questions.
On the plaza, the Oklahoma State University Rodeo Team will be on hand to demonstrate roping and Master Bladesmith Brion Tomberlin, will demonstrate knife making. Brand-themed temporary tattoos will be available all day in the Children’s Cowboy Corral along with children’s storytelling at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Oklahoma County Mounted Sheriff’s Patrol will be a part of the activities again this year to greet guests as they enter the gates of the Museum.
American Cowboy magazine launched the campaign for this national day of recognition in 2004.
Several permanent galleries at the museum focus on cowboys including, the American Cowboy Gallery, the Western Performers Gallery and the American Rodeo Gallery.
For more information, call 478-2250 or go to www.nationalcowboymuseum.org.
Check out the schedule for the museum’s National Day of the American Cowboy celebration after the break.
Prix de West exhibit opens Friday at National Cowboy Museum
Sonya Terpening's "Running Water"
The 38th annual Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition and Sale featuring more than 100 artists will open Friday at The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
The exhibit will include more than 300 Western paintings and sculptures by the finest contemporary Western artists in the nation. Art seminars, receptions and an awards banquet round out the exhibition’s opening events Friday-Sunday. Reservations are required for most opening weekend activities.
The exhibiting artists bring a diversity of styles to this prestigious art exhibition. Works range from historical pieces that reflect the early days of the West, to more contemporary and impressionist works of art. Landscapes, wildlife and illustrative scenes are always highlighted in the exhibition. The annual event kicks off with two days of seminars on art-related topics and art demonstrations, a sale of all the submitted works and finishes with the Prix de West Perk on Sunday morning.
This year will carry on the tradition of the minimum-bid sale. Any Prix de West patron with a registered ballot book may participate in the minimum-bid sale. In addition, a live auction of art will be offered during the banquet.
The seminars and demonstrations are crowd pleasers. The tentative 2011 seminar and art demonstrations feature an impressive cross-section of presenters.
On Friday, Dean A. Porter of Indiana, will kick off the presentations discussing Walter Ufer. Resident curator at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Richard Rattenbury will speak Friday about the art of American armsmakers. Sarah Burt, senior curator at the C.M. Russell Museum, Great Falls, Mont., will follow with a lecture on the influence of Karl Bodmer on Western artists. Andrew Peters, a Prix de West artist, will conclude with a presentation about Bodmer’s voyage and legacy. During lunch break, authors and artists will participate in a book signing.
The seminar Saturday features an artist panel discussion with Prix de West artists Walter Matia, Tim Shinabarger and Tim Cherry, moderated by Edna Mae Holden.
The Saturday seminar is followed by three simultaneous demonstrations by Prix de West artists Howard Post of Arizona, William Whitaker of Utah and John Coleman of Arizona.
Art enthusiasts can extend their visit by enrolling in Academy of Western Art Workshops. The upbeat three-day workshop “Making Watercolor Work for You” will be Monday-Wednesday. The workshop will explore how to use watercolor to its fullest potential while still retaining control and detail. Instructed by Prix de West artist Sonya Terpening, the class will include demonstrations on color, design and value. Students can expect to leave with confidence and a notebook full of information. The workshop is for artists with skill levels from beginner to advanced.
Read my fine colleague Karen Klinka’s interview with Terpening by clicking here.
Package or a la carte pricing is available for opening weekend, with substantial discounts for members of the National Cowboy Museum.
Prix de West is the Museum’s top annual fundraiser. The Major Sponsor for 2011 is Bank of Oklahoma, N.A. Supporting Event Sponsor is Republic National Distributing Company and the Seminar Sponsor is Panera Bread. Additional support is provided by Museum Partners: Devon Energy Corporation, Chesapeake Energy Corporation and the E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation. The Oklahoman also is a major contributor.
The exhibition runs through Sept. 5. For more information, call 478-2250 or go to www.nationalcowboymuseum.org.
-BAM
Best Bets for May 27-29, 2011: Circle the chuck wagons, tangle with Pretty Black Chains, “You’ve Got Hate Mail”
Lillie Fuller, 5, has her photo taken while riding a longhorn bull at the 2010 Chuck Wagon Gathering and Children's Cowboy Festival at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. (Oklahoman Archive photo by Paul Hellstern)
Here are my Best Bets for the long Memorial Day weekend, as listed in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman. For more traditional Memorial Day weekend festivities happening around the state, click here.
1. Taste outdoor cooking, participate in children’s activities and take in Western entertainment at the annual Chuck Wagon Gathering and Children’s Cowboy Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63. Information: 478-2250 or www.nationalcowboymuseum.org.
2. Watch Carpenter Square Theatre’s production of the comedy “You’ve Got Hate Mail” at 8 p.m. Friday, 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Bricktown Hotel and Convention Center, 2001 E Reno. Information: www.carpentersquare.com.
3. Celebrate the release of the Pretty Black Chains’ new CD with a potluck cookout and live music from The Non, The Burning Hotels, Chrome Pony and more at 4 p.m. Saturday at Warpaint Clothing, 1710 NW 16. Information: 602-1581 or www.warpaintstore.com.
4. View a new exhibit of Depression-era paintings titled “1934: A New Deal for Artists” at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive. Information: 236-3100 or www.okcmoa.com.
5. NORMAN — Hear country singer John Conlee at 8 p.m. Friday at Riverwind Casino, 1544 W State Highway 9. Information: 322-6464 or www.riverwind.com.
-BAM
Tributes to troops, summertime fun mark Memorial Day weekend in Oklahoma
The Roland Bowling Band performs during the 2010 Edmond Jazz and Blues Festival. (Oklahoman Archive photo by Miranda Grubbs)
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Tributes to troops, summertime fun mark Memorial Day weekend
Regardless of what the calendar says, Memorial Day weekend marks the start of the summer season for many fun-loving Oklahomans.
Numerous events across the state offer the chance to honor the troops, hear live music, experience the arts or otherwise liven up the three-day weekend. While the Boley Rodeo and Barbecue Festival, Claremore’s Will Rogers Stampede Rodeo and the Paseo Arts Festival are celebrating big anniversaries, this holiday will bring a couple of inaugural events to the Oklahoma City metro area: the Bethany 66 Festival and Edmond’s Rhythm Q’s & Blues.
To learn about more events, go online to www.wimgo.com or www.travelok.com.
45th Infantry Division Museum’s Memorial Day Ceremony: 10 a.m. Monday at the museum, 2145 NE 36. The ceremony honoring U.S. servicemen and women will include a military flyover, massing of the colors and a distinguished guest speaker. Admission is free. Information: 424-5313 or www.45thdivisionmuseum.com.
Celebration of Freedom: Activities begin at 9 a.m. Friday, 8 a.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. Sunday and 11 a.m. Monday in Hobart. The event will include a fly-in, parade, concert by Aaron Tippin, 1940s-style dance with “Talk of the Town” Orchestra and Gen. Tommy Franks book signing. It will coincide with the annual Arts on the Square arts and crafts show and Kiowa County Quilt Show. Information: (580) 726-5900 or www.celebrationoffreedom.net.
Rocklahoma: Music begins at noon Friday-Sunday at the “Catch the Fever” Festival Grounds in Pryor. This year’s festival will feature headliners Whitesnake, Staind, Motley Crue, Poison, Sebastian Bach and Oklahoma City-based rockers Hinder, along with many more modern rock and ‘80s hair bands playing four separate stages. Information: www.rocklahoma.com.
35th Annual Paseo Arts Festival: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday in the Paseo Arts District. The festival will feature more than 80 artists, live music, festival foods, children’s activities and more. Admission is free. Information: 525-2688 or www.thepaseo.com.
Bethany 66 Festival: 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday in downtown Bethany. Activities include downtown sidewalk sales, children’s activities, classic car show and live music, including performances by local favorites Edgar Cruz and Kyle Dillingham. The first-ever fest will close with a concert by Mountain Smoke at 6 p.m. at Southern Nazarene University’s Cantrell Hall. Information: 312-0155 or www.bethany100.com.
Rhythm Q’s & Blues: Edmond’s inaugural “celebration of rhythm, barbeque and blues” begins at 10 a.m. Saturday at Hafer Park, 1034 S Bryant. The event will feature a barbecue cook-off officially sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society with more than $10,000 in prize money awarded to a field of 40-plus teams, along with muscle cars, live music and children’s activities. The people’s choice competition and public tasting is set for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., or until the food runs out. Information: 340-4481 or www.rqblues.org.
Edmond Jazz and Blues Festival: 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday and 2 to 10 p.m. Sunday at Stephenson Park, Boulevard and Fifth. The event includes live jazz and blues, festival foods and free parking and shuttles. Admission is free. Information: 341-3321 or www.edmondjazzandblues.org.
Centennial Boley Rodeo and BBQ Festival: Activities begin at 8 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. Saturday and 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Boley’s Main Street and rodeo grounds. The 100th anniversary event features rodeo action, barbecue and a parade at 11 a.m. Saturday. Concerts will follow the rodeo on Friday and Saturday. Information: 824-8705 or www.boleyokrodeo.com.
Chuck Wagon Gathering and Children’s Cowboy Festival: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63. It will include outdoor cooking, children’s activities, live Western music and more. Information: 478-2250 or www.nationalcowboymuseum.org.
Fifth Annual Music and Mayhem: 4:15 p.m. Saturday at Eufaula Cove Amphitheatre, 399 Lakeshore Drive, Eufaula. Hear Gary Allan, Randy Rogers Band, Jason Boland and The Stragglers, Cody Canada and The Departed and Left Foot Sally. Doors open at 3 p.m. Information: (866) 977-6849 or www.protixonline.com.
Oklahoma Renaissance Festival: 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday through Monday at the Castle of Muskogee. The family-friendly festival includes magicians, musicians, jugglers, jesters and other medieval-style performers, festive food and shopping for handcrafted items. Information: (918) 687-3625 or www.okcastle.com.
65th Annual Will Rogers Stampede Rodeo: 7:30 p.m. Friday-Sunday at Will Rogers Round-up Arena, E Blue Starr Drive, Claremore. The event will feature steer wrestling, calf roping, bronc riding, barrel racing and mutton busting just for the youngsters. Information: (918) 798-5005, (918) 798-3201 or www.willrogersstampede.com.
Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship: Games start at 3:15 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday, with the championship game at 1 p.m. Sunday at RedHawks Field at Bricktown, 2 S Mickey Mantle Drive. Information: 218-1000 or www.okcallsports.org.
-BAM
