Looking for something to do on the long weekend? We’ve got you covered.
Here’s the information you need to find festivals, rodeos, movie premieres and more.
Renaissance Faire in Muskogee
The Castle of Muskogee, 3400 W. Fern Mountain Road in Muskogee, continues its 26th annual Renaissance Faire, which has as its theme the idea that England’s Queen Elizabeth is on the hunt for a husband to help quell international and internal strife as well as to create some domestic tranquility.
The weekend of May 28-30 centers on the arrival of Charles II of the Holy Roman Empire, with all the usual festivities associated with the Renaissance Faire, from japes and jousting to fireworks and feasting.
Things do get somber come Monday, May 30, with the traditional Memorial Day Parade, an event in honor of those who have fallen, part of a day of reverence in honor of all members of the military and an emotional occasion unlike any other part of the festival.
People are also reading…
Tickets are $19.95 per day, or $29.95 for a weekend pass. To purchase and more information: okcastle.com.
Chuck Wagon Festival
The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City is hosting the 31st annual Chuck Wagon Festival 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 28 and Sunday, May 29.
Admission is $15. The event is free for museum members, children age 12 and under, Blue Star families and foster families (thanks to the Arnall Family Foundation).
The festival is a celebration of Western and Native American history, art and cuisine. The event will include food, activities, crafts and live entertainment
Director of security Tim Tiller will appoint four “deputies” age 4-12 to join his special security team for the festival. To apply, submit your child’s name and age at nationalcowboymuseum.org/chuckwagon.
Boley Rodeo and Festival
Experience the nation’s oldest African American community-based rodeo at the Boley Rodeo and Festival, scheduled Memorial Day Weekend in Boley.
The Boley Rodeo began in 1903. The annual rodeo celebrates the historical significance of Boley, an all-Black town similar to many towns established by African Americans post-slavery.
The festival starts May 26 and continues through May 29. A parade will precede the May 28 rodeo. For information, go to thetownofboley.org.
Will Rogers Stampede PRCA Rodeo
The Will Rogers Stampede PRCA Rodeo, a six-time small rodeo of the year, returns on Memorial Day weekend. Events include bull riding, barrel racing, team roping, mutton bustin’, rodeo clowns and more.
Rodeo week begins Thursday, May 26 with steer roping and Food Truck Thursday. The food truck event will take place from 6-9 p.m. in downtown Claremore and will include live music by the Roy Weathers Band and a street dance. The Clem McSpadden Tub-Handle Classic Steer Roping competition starts at 6 p.m. at Stampede Park, 13601 E 480 Road in Claremore.
The rodeo officially begins Friday, May 27 and culminates Sunday, May 29. Gates open nightly at 6 p.m. Pre-rodeo entertainment and mutton bustin’ begins at 7 p.m. The rodeo starts at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here.
Memorial Day weekend at Philbrook
If you want to get outside for Memorial Day weekend but can’t get to the lake, head over to Philbrook for a slew of family-friendly events on Friday, May 27 and Saturday, May 28.
Kick off Friday morning with a family nature walk throughout the museum gardens at 10 a.m., followed by a performance by Hot Toast Music Co. Gardening enthusiasts can bring any garden-related inquiries to the Ask A Horticulturist session later that morning at 11 a.m. Head back to the museum at 5 p.m. for a burger night and stay for an outdoor screening of the film “School of Rock,” with a performance by local high school musicians, as well.
There are many things to do on Saturday morning, too: Start your day off right with a guided sonic sound meditation at 10 a.m., or visit the gardens for an artmaking activity, also at 10 a.m. Beat the heat with a sprinkler party from 10 a.m. to noon, open to all.
For more information, visit philbrook.org/calendar
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ showings at Circle Cinema
Commemorate the Memorial Day holiday by seeing the follow-up to the 1986 classic film “Top Gun” at Circle Cinema.
The theater will host a special opening night screening on May 26 at 9 p.m., which will include an introduction from Tulsa fighter pilots Capt. Gentner Drummond and his son Maj. Alexander Drummond as well as a display from the Tulsa Air and Space Museum in the lobby.
Circle Cinema will offer several more screening times of the film throughout the weekend.
For more information and showtimes, visit circlecinema.org/coming-soon
Eastbound and down
At some point on Memorial Day weekend, you’ll want to get out of the sun and into a place with air conditioning. Maybe go eastbound and down to a movie theater?
The beloved comedy “Smokey and the Bandit” is returning to theaters for a 45th anniversary celebration. Screenings begin 4 p.m. Sunday, May 29 at Cinemark Tulsa 17 (10802 E. 71st St.), Cinemark Broken Arrow (1801 E. Hillside Drive) and Regal Warren Theatre Broken Arrow (1700 W. Aspen Creek Drive). There are also 7 p.m. showings that day at Cinemark Tulsa 17 and Cinemark Broken Arrow. Additional 7 p.m. screenings are scheduled Wednesday, June 1 and Thursday, June 2.
The Abbey Mausoleum
Vocalist Whitney Myers will be joined by pianist Rob Muraoka and saxophonist Reid Bennett for a unique concert titled “Remembering: Music as Prayer,” 2 p.m. Saturday, May 28, at the Abbey Mausoleum at Rose Hill Cemetery, 4161 E. Admiral Place.
The trio will be performing a variety of songs, from jazz standards to well-known hymns to operatic arias, all of which center on the concept of prayer, in the chapel area of the Abbey. The oldest mausoleum in the city, the Abbey is the final resting place for many notable Tulsans.
Admission to the concert is free, but donations that will go toward the Abbey’s restoration will be gratefully accepted. For those wanting to reward the musicians for their work, an EventBrite page has been established at eventbrite.com.
Tulsa Zoo
Over its more than 90-year history, the Tulsa Zoo has grown into one of the country’s top zoological parks, developing habitats for animals from throughout the world that provide environments conducive to each species well-being as well as helping to bring these creatures closer to visitors.
During the Memorial Day weekend, the zoo, at 6421 E. 36th St. North, will be open regular hours, and will offer chances to learn a little bit more about some of the animals through informal talks with their keepers, who oversee everything from reptiles to rhinos.
In addition, the zoo is hosting the popular Zoorassic World exhibit, featuring recreations of 25 life-sized dinosaurs, along with information about each creature and the world they inhabited during the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods and see them all in action. This exhibit requires a separate ticket, which is $6 general admission.
Regular admission is $10-$14. tulsazoo.org.
Black Wall Street Legacy Festival
The name of the Black Wall Street Legacy Festival might evoke the storied history of Tulsa’s Greenwood neighborhood, but the festival’s purpose is to look forward, to elevate and amplify the hard work and voices of Black Tulsans over the past 100 years by offering opportunities to reflect, learn and inspire through community-curated experiences.
The 2022 festival, taking place Friday-Saturday, May 27-28 in the Greenwood District, features presentations on Oklahoma’s historic Black towns, how to help with healing from generational trauma, ways Black entrepreneurs are making an impact on the business world and more.
Saturday will feature an African street festival, as well as performances starting at 3 p.m. by local and regional music artists, including members of the Fire in Little Africa collective, and headline acts Next and David Banner. blackwallstreetlegacyfest.com.