Like any great production or event, festivals require meticulous planning. Event organizers are responsible for bringing together various vendors, planning activities and cultivating unique experiences that will leave visitors excited to return the next year.  This spring, Oklahoma’s annual festivals are expected to draw upwards of 400,000 people. Learn more about what goes on behind ..read more

Road trip season is in full bloom, and although going out of state has its of pros, Oklahoma itself offers landmarks and roadside attractions a’plenty. Below you’ll find a list of entertaining, iconic and downright wonderful locations to help you start planning your multi-stop, Okie-centric route. Pops 66 660 OK-66, Arcadia Opened back in 2007 ..read more

Hunger remains a persistent problem throughout Oklahoma, not just in rural communities but in our largest cities, as well.  More than 500,000 Oklahomans are food insecure and more than 180,000 of those are children, according to statistics from Feeding America, a national nonprofit. But food programs, partnerships and philanthropic efforts in the state are helping ..read more

The satisfying thumps and thwacks of boxing and kickboxing are not the only upsides to these popular pastimes; other benefits include a sense of accomplishment, a built-in community of like-minded pugilists, and an increase of both physical and mental strength.  Justin Stone, owner of Southside Kickboxing Co. in OKC, began training at four years old ..read more

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) is a state executive agency with a focus on Oklahoma’s fuel, oil and gas, public utilities, and transportation industries. Three statewide-elected officials, called commissioners, run the OCC. These officials serve staggered six-year terms, and they have judicial, legislative and administrative authority, ruling on and issuing orders regarding regulatory matters within ..read more

One of the state’s oldest industries, cattle ranching, brings cowboy culture into the twenty-first century. Roping and branding cattle are all in a day’s work for a ranch hand.  Along with caring for livestock, many ranchers have established guest sectors, extending the experience of the Old West to visitors. If you’re longing for wide-open spaces ..read more

Following a spinal cord injury in 1993, Anthony Meadows spent six months in the hospital. After, as he was adjusting to life in a wheelchair, he happened by The Center for People with Physical Challenges in Tulsa, and his life changed. He discovered that, despite what he previously believed, people in wheelchairs do play basketball ..read more

Most think of Helen Keller – who had nearly total vision and hearing loss – when they picture a deafblind person, says Jody Harlan, the communications director for the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services (ODRS). But deafblind people, defined as those with combined hearing and vision loss limiting access to both auditory and visual information ..read more

The world of music is dynamic. And although streaming apps like Spotify and Apple Music dominate the market, the physical side is still alive and well through a multitude of record stores. Once thought to be a dying breed, the record industry is booming –much more than you’d expect.   “They kind of did die, but ..read more

I’m proud and happy to report that this is my 200th column for Oklahoma Magazine. Since it seems to me a fact I should acknowledge, I’ve been wondering what I could write about to make this month’s piece a little, well, special.  Then, on March 2, I did a live broadcast of my radio show ..read more